USDOT advances rule to modernise gas pipeline methane emissions detection requirements

The rule is expected to deliver up to US$1.5 billion in annual net benefits to the public and eliminate up to 500 000 t of methane emissions from approximately 2.8 million miles of gas transmission, distribution, and gathering pipeline facilities, 398 underground natural gas storage facilities (UNGSF), and 173 LNG facilities across the United States.

“This new rule was developed by building a consensus with the pipeline industry, public interest representatives, and representatives from labour unions that are actually on the ground doing the work to maintain the world’s largest gas pipeline system,” said PHMSA Deputy Administrator Tristan Brown. “It will harness the tremendous new potential we are seeing from mobile leak detection systems, unmanned aerial systems, and other innovative technologies to mitigate this threat to people and the environment – keeping valuable natural gas in pipelines so they arrive safely for use in homes and businesses, and ensuring America is the global leader in safely transporting methane.”

The rule issued by PHMSA updates decades-old leak detection rules to require pipeline operators to establish advanced leak detection programmes aimed at detecting and repairing all gas leaks by:

Increasing the frequency of required surveys and requiring use of commercially available advanced leak detection technology—such as aerial or vehicle surveys, handheld detection devices, and continuous monitoring systems.

Reducing volume of gas released due to unintentional emissions such as leaks and equipment failures and revising the reporting minimum threshold to detect smaller leaks sooner.

Minimising releases caused by equipment venting or blowdowns, associated with pipeline maintenance, repair, and construction and encouraging operators to consider cost-effective equipment that can capture methane and other gases for later use.

Establishing clear criteria and timeframes for timely repair of all leaks that pose a risk to public safety or the environment.

The new rule is in response to Section 113 of the PIPES Act of 2020 (signed into law by the-President Trump), which mandates the issuance of new rules to require gas pipeline operators to develop advanced leak detection programmes capable of identifying, locating, and categorising natural gas leaks from pipeline infrastructure for timely repair. The PIPES Act also requires this rulemaking to include minimum performance standards and repair deadlines and make use of advanced technologies. The new requirements are based on 28 consensus recommendations from representatives of the pipeline sector, developed over the course of months of discussions and weeks of Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) meetings in November of 2023 and March of 2024.

The Leak Detection and Repair rule plays a critical role in the US Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan, leveraging all available tools to reduce methane emissions while protecting public health, promoting US innovation in new technologies, lowering energy costs for families by reducing inefficiency and waste, and supporting good-paying jobs for thousands of skilled workers across the country. This rule also builds on other national and international actions advanced in recent years to mitigate methane emissions ¬– a greenhouse gas with 80 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide.

The full text of the final rule will be available in the Federal Register on publication. PHMSA has posted an unofficial version of the final rule on its website, pending publication in the Federal Register.

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