§192.710. Transmission lines: Assessments outside of high consequence areas. — Inbound Citations

(c) Unless otherwise specified, if an operator submits, pursuant to § 192.8, § 192.9, § 192.13, § 192.179, § 192.319, § 192.461, § 192.506, § 192.607, § 192.619, § 192.624, § 192.632, § 192.634, § 192.636, § 192.710, § 192.712, § 192.714, § 192.745, § 192.917, § 192.921, § 192.927, § 192.933, or § 192.937, a notification for use of a different integrity assessment method, analytical method, compliance period, sampling approach, pipeline material, or technique (e.g., “other technology” or “alternative equivalent technology”) than otherwise prescribed in those sections, that notification must be submitted to PHMSA for review at least 90 days in advance of using the other method, approach, compliance timeline, or technique. An operator may proceed to use the other method, approach, compliance timeline, or technique 91 days after submitting the notification unless it receives a letter from the Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety informing the operator that PHMSA objects to the proposal or that PHMSA requires additional time and/or more information to conduct its review.

(1) The material properties required to perform an ECA analysis in accordance with this paragraph are as follows: Diameter, wall thickness, seam type, grade (minimum yield strength and ultimate tensile strength), and Charpy v-notch toughness values based upon the lowest operational temperatures, if applicable. If any material properties required to perform an ECA for any pipeline segment in accordance with this paragraph are not documented in traceable, verifiable and complete records, an operator must use conservative assumptions and include the pipeline segment in its program to verify the undocumented information in accordance with § 192.607. The ECA must integrate, analyze, and account for the material properties, the results of all tests, direct examinations, destructive tests, and assessments performed in accordance with this section, along with other pertinent information related to pipeline integrity, including close interval surveys, coating surveys, interference surveys required by subpart I of this part, cause analyses of prior incidents, prior pressure test leaks and failures, other leaks, pipe inspections, and prior integrity assessments, including those required by §§ 192.617, 192.710, and subpart O of this part.

(b) An operator of an offshore gathering line must comply with requirements of this part applicable to transmission lines, except the requirements in §§ 192.13(d), 192.150, 192.285(e), 192.319(d) through (g), 192.461(f) through (i), 192.465(d) and (f), 192.473(c), 192.485(c), 192.493, 192.506, 192.607, 192.613(c), 192.619(e), 192.624, 192.710, 192.712, and 192.714, and in subpart O of this part. Further, operators of offshore gathering lines are exempt from the requirements of §§ 192.617(b) through (d) and 192.635. Lastly, operators of offshore gathering lines are exempt from the requirements of § 192.615 (but an operator of an offshore gathering line must comply with the requirements of 49 CFR 192.615, effective as of October 4, 2022).

(1) An operator must perform initial assessments in accordance with this section based on a risk-based prioritization schedule and complete initial assessment for all applicable pipeline segments no later than July 3, 2034, or as soon as practicable but not to exceed 10 years after the pipeline segment first meets the conditions of § 192.710(a) (e.g., due to a change in class location or the area becomes a moderate consequence area), whichever is later.

(g) An operator must analyze and account for all available relevant information about a pipeline in complying with the requirements in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section.

(2) If the anomaly is outside of an HCA, the operator must perform a reassessment of the anomaly within a maximum of 10 years in accordance with § 192.710(b), unless the anomaly safety factor is expected to go below what is specified in paragraph (c) or (d) of this section.

(g) An operator must analyze and account for all available relevant information about a pipeline in complying with the requirements in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section.

(g) An operator must analyze and account for all available relevant information about a pipeline in complying with the requirements in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section.

(g) An operator must analyze and account for all available relevant information about a pipeline in complying with the requirements in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section.

(g) An operator must analyze and account for all available relevant information about a pipeline in complying with the requirements in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section.