API issues standards to improve pipeline safety

“These standards will enhance safety and operational efficiency, while assisting industry in meeting state and federal rules for the safe operation of natural gas gathering pipelines,” said Global Industry Services Senior Vice President Debra Phillips. “Additionally, these standards work together to ensure that the nation continues to benefit from historic shale development by delivering affordable, reliable energy to the American people through safe and sustainable infrastructure.”

RP 1182, Construction, Operation, and Maintenance of Large Diameter Rural Gas Gathering Lines, is a first-edition standard that provides operational practices to assist energy developers in the safe operation and construction of gathering pipelines. The standard helps ensure large-diameter, high-pressure gathering pipelines employ integrity management practices that prioritise routine maintenance and inspections to promote safety and operational efficiency.

To complement RP 1182, API is also issuing the second edition of RP 80, Definition of Onshore Gas Gathering Lines. This industry standard provides a functional description of onshore natural gas gathering pipelines, helping users determine the application of gas gathering, which is addressed in federal standards and in state programs that implement the federal standard. The previous edition of RP 80 is currently incorporated by reference in the Code of Federal Regulations, advising pipeline operators on which part of the pipeline system is defined as a gathering line.

A webinar is being planned for 21 May 2020, to support the release of these two documents.

API standards are developed under API’s American National Standards Institute-accredited process, ensuring that the API standards are recognised not only for their technical rigour, but also for their third-party accreditation which facilitates acceptance by state, federal and increasingly international regulators. The team that developed RP 1182 and revised RP 80 included state and federal regulators, NGOs, industry associations, and natural gas pipeline operators and producers. API’s Global Industry Services (GIS) division is responsible for standards setting, certification, training, events, publications, and safety programmes for industry operations.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/regulations-and-standards/27032020/api-issues-standards-to-improve-pipeline-safety/