§192.939. What are the required reassessment intervals? — Inbound Citations

(1) The time frame for reassessment as provided in § 192.939 except that reassessment by some method allowed under this subpart (e.g., confirmatory direct assessment) must be carried out at intervals no longer than seven years;

(2) The use of subpart J pressure testing is appropriate for threats such as internal corrosion; external corrosion and other environmentally assisted corrosion mechanisms; manufacturing and related defects threats, including defective pipe and pipe seams; stress corrosion cracking; selective seam weld corrosion; dents; and other forms of mechanical damage. An operator must use the test pressures specified in specified in Table 5.6.1-1 of Section 5 of ASME B31.8S (incorporated by reference, see § 192.7) to justify an extended reassessment interval in accordance with § 192.939.

(ii) Criteria for evaluating whether conditions discovered by direct examination of indications in each ECDA region indicate a need for reassessment of the covered segment at an interval less than that specified in § 192.939. (See Appendix D of NACE SP0502.)

(i) An evaluation of the effectiveness of ICDA as an assessment method for addressing internal corrosion and determining whether a covered segment should be reassessed at more frequent intervals than those specified in § 192.939. An operator must carry out this evaluation within 1 year of conducting an ICDA;

(5) An operator's procedures for post-assessment, in addition to the procedures listed in NACE SP0204, sections 6.3, “periodic reassessment,” and 6.4, “effectiveness of SCCDA,” must include the development of a reassessment plan based on the susceptibility of the operator's pipe to SCC as well as the mechanistic behavior of identified cracking. An operator's reassessment intervals must comply with § 192.939. The plan must include the following factors, in addition to any factors the operator determines appropriate:

(i) The evaluation of discovered crack clusters during the direct examination step in accordance with NACE SP0204, sections 5.3.5.7, 5.4, and 5.5 (incorporated by reference, see § 192.7);

(ii) Conditions conducive to the creation of a carbonate-bicarbonate environment;

(iii) Conditions in the application (or loss) of CP that can create or exacerbate SCC;

(iv) Operating temperature and pressure conditions, including operating stress levels on the pipe;

(v) Cyclic loading conditions;

(vi) Mechanistic conditions that influence crack initiation and growth rates;

(vii) The effects of interacting crack clusters;

(viii) The presence of sulfides; and

(a) After completing the baseline integrity assessment of a covered segment, an operator must continue to assess the line pipe of that segment at the intervals specified in § 192.939 and periodically evaluate the integrity of each covered pipeline segment as provided in paragraph (b) of this section. An operator must reassess a covered segment on which a prior assessment is credited as a baseline under § 192.921(e) by no later than December 17, 2009. An operator must reassess a covered segment on which a baseline assessment is conducted during the baseline period specified in § 192.921(d) by no later than seven years after the baseline assessment of that covered segment unless the evaluation under paragraph (b) of this section indicates earlier reassessment.

(a) An operator of a transmission line that operates below 30% SMYS may use the following method to reassess a covered segment in accordance with § 192.939. This method of reassessment addresses the threats of external and internal corrosion. The operator must have conducted a baseline assessment of the covered segment in accordance with the requirements of §§ 192.919 and 192.921.

(a) In the following limited instances, OPS may allow a waiver from a reassessment interval required by § 192.939 if OPS finds a waiver would not be inconsistent with pipeline safety.

(1) An operator who uses internal inspection as an assessment method may be able to justify a longer reassessment period for a covered segment if internal inspection tools are not available to assess the line pipe. To justify this, the operator must demonstrate that it cannot obtain the internal inspection tools within the required reassessment period and that the actions the operator is taking in the interim ensure the integrity of the covered segment.

(2) An operator may be able to justify a longer reassessment period for a covered segment if the operator demonstrates that it cannot maintain local product supply if it conducts the reassessment within the required interval.

(1) If the anomaly is in an HCA, the operator must reassess the anomaly within a maximum of 7 years in accordance with § 192.939(a), unless the safety factor is expected to go below what is specified in paragraph (c) or (d) of this section.

(4) Reassessment by confirmatory direct assessment at 7-year intervals in accordance with § 192.931, with reassessment by one of the methods listed in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section by year 20 of the interval.

(4) Reassessment by confirmatory direct assessment at 7-year intervals in accordance with § 192.931, with reassessment by one of the methods listed in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section by year 20 of the interval.

(4) Reassessment by confirmatory direct assessment at 7-year intervals in accordance with § 192.931, with reassessment by one of the methods listed in paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section by year 20 of the interval.