(P&GJ) -Traditionally, most gas gathering lines were small-diameter, low-pressure systems traversing sparsely populated areas, posing little risk from a business, safety, and environmental perspective. More recently, the volume of gas transported through gathering systems has increased significantly due to the advancements in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing techniques. Subsequently, gas gathering systems have evolved into larger-diameter pipelines operating at much higher pressures in formerly rural areas. As a result, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a final rule that expands Federal pipeline safety oversight to all onshore gas-gathering pipelines. This new rule changes the definition of a regulated gas-gathering pipeline. More than 400,000 additional miles will be covered by Federal reporting requirements. This paper describes how a competent and proactive operator implemented a program to comply with the new regulations and prepared thousands of miles of gathering pipelines for inspection with ILI tools.
展开▼
