Source: https://www.govregs.com/regulations/expand/title49_chapterI_part192_subpartM_section192.720
Timestamp: 2019-06-24 14:22:02
Document Index: 387691726

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49 CFR 192.720 - Distribution systems: Leak repair. § 192.720 - Distribution systems: Leak repair.
Regulations most recently checked for updates: Jun 24, 2019
All TitlesTitle 49Chapter IPart 192Subpart M - Maintenance
Collapse to view only § 192.720 - Distribution systems: Leak repair.
§ 192.701 - Scope.
§ 192.703 - General.
§ 192.705 - Transmission lines: Patrolling.
§ 192.706 - Transmission lines: Leakage surveys.
§ 192.707 - Line markers for mains and transmission lines.
§ 192.709 - Transmission lines: Record keeping.
§ 192.711 - Transmission lines: General requirements for repair procedures.
§ 192.713 - Transmission lines: Permanent field repair of imperfections and damages.
§ 192.715 - Transmission lines: Permanent field repair of welds.
§ 192.717 - Transmission lines: Permanent field repair of leaks.
§ 192.719 - Transmission lines: Testing of repairs.
§ 192.720 - Distribution systems: Leak repair.
§ 192.721 - Distribution systems: Patrolling.
§ 192.723 - Distribution systems: Leakage surveys.
§ 192.725 - Test requirements for reinstating service lines.
§ 192.727 - Abandonment or deactivation of facilities.
§ 192.731 - Compressor stations: Inspection and testing of relief devices.
§ 192.735 - Compressor stations: Storage of combustible materials.
§ 192.736 -
§ 192.739 - Pressure limiting and regulating stations: Inspection and testing.
§ 192.740 - Pressure regulating, limiting, and overpressure protection - Individual service lines directly connected to production, gathering, or transmission pipelines.
§ 192.741 - Pressure limiting and regulating stations: Telemetering or recording gauges.
§ 192.743 - Pressure limiting and regulating stations: Capacity of relief devices.
§ 192.745 - Valve maintenance: Transmission lines.
§ 192.747 - Valve maintenance: Distribution systems.
§ 192.749 - Vault maintenance.
§ 192.751 - Prevention of accidental ignition.
§ 192.753 - Caulked bell and spigot joints.
§ 192.755 - Protecting cast-iron pipelines.
§ 192.756 - Joining plastic pipe by heat fusion; equipment maintenance and calibration.
This subpart prescribes minimum requirements for maintenance of pipeline facilities.
(a) No person may operate a segment of pipeline, unless it is maintained in accordance with this subpart.
(b) Each segment of pipeline that becomes unsafe must be replaced, repaired, or removed from service.
(c) Hazardous leaks must be repaired promptly.
(a) Each operator shall have a patrol program to observe surface conditions on and adjacent to the transmission line right-of-way for indications of leaks, construction activity, and other factors affecting safety and operation.
(b) The frequency of patrols is determined by the size of the line, the operating pressures, the class location, terrain, weather, and other relevant factors, but intervals between patrols may not be longer than prescribed in the following table:
Maximum interval between patrols
Class location of line
At highway and railroad crossings
At all other places
1, 2 7 1/2 months; but at least twice each calendar year 15 months; but at least once each calendar year.
3 4 1/2 months; but at least four times each calendar year 7 1/2 months; but at least twice each calendar year.
4 4 1/2 months; but at least four times each calendar year 4 1/2 months; but at least four times each calendar year.
(c) Methods of patrolling include walking, driving, flying or other appropriate means of traversing the right-of-way.
[Amdt. 192-21, 40 FR 20283, May 9, 1975, as amended by Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982; Amdt. 192-78, 61 FR 28786, June 6, 1996]
Leakage surveys of a transmission line must be conducted at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year. However, in the case of a transmission line which transports gas in conformity with § 192.625 without an odor or odorant, leakage surveys using leak detector equipment must be conducted -
(a) In Class 3 locations, at intervals not exceeding 7 1/2 months, but at least twice each calendar year; and
(b) In Class 4 locations, at intervals not exceeding 4 1/2 months, but at least four times each calendar year.
[Amdt. 192-21, 40 FR 20283, May 9, 1975, as amended by Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982; Amdt. 192-71, 59 FR 6585, Feb. 11, 1994]
(a) Buried pipelines. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, a line marker must be placed and maintained as close as practical over each buried main and transmission line:
(1) At each crossing of a public road and railroad; and
(2) Wherever necessary to identify the location of the transmission line or main to reduce the possibility of damage or interference.
(b) Exceptions for buried pipelines. Line markers are not required for the following pipelines:
(1) Mains and transmission lines located offshore, or at crossings of or under waterways and other bodies of water.
(2) Mains in Class 3 or Class 4 locations where a damage prevention program is in effect under § 192.614.
(3) Transmission lines in Class 3 or 4 locations until March 20, 1996.
(4) Transmission lines in Class 3 or 4 locations where placement of a line marker is impractical.
(c) Pipelines aboveground. Line markers must be placed and maintained along each section of a main and transmission line that is located aboveground in an area accessible to the public.
(d) Marker warning. The following must be written legibly on a background of sharply contrasting color on each line marker:
(1) The word “Warning,” “Caution,” or “Danger” followed by the words “Gas (or name of gas transported) Pipeline” all of which, except for markers in heavily developed urban areas, must be in letters at least 1 inch (25 millimeters) high with 1/4 inch (6.4 millimeters) stroke.
(2) The name of the operator and the telephone number (including area code) where the operator can be reached at all times.
[Amdt. 192-20, 40 FR 13505, Mar. 27, 1975; Amdt. 192-27, 41 FR 39752, Sept. 16, 1976, as amended by Amdt. 192-20A, 41 FR 56808, Dec. 30, 1976; Amdt. 192-44, 48 FR 25208, June 6, 1983; Amdt. 192-73, 60 FR 14650, Mar. 20, 1995; Amdt. 192-85, 63 FR 37504, July 13, 1998]
Each operator shall maintain the following records for transmission lines for the periods specified:
(a) The date, location, and description of each repair made to pipe (including pipe-to-pipe connections) must be retained for as long as the pipe remains in service.
(b) The date, location, and description of each repair made to parts of the pipeline system other than pipe must be retained for at least 5 years. However, repairs generated by patrols, surveys, inspections, or tests required by subparts L and M of this part must be retained in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) A record of each patrol, survey, inspection, and test required by subparts L and M of this part must be retained for at least 5 years or until the next patrol, survey, inspection, or test is completed, whichever is longer.
[Amdt. 192-78, 61 FR 28786, June 6, 1996]
(2) Integrity management repairs: When an operator discovers a condition on a pipeline covered under Subpart O-Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management, the operator must remediate the condition as prescribed by § 192.933(d).
(c) Welded patch. Except as provided in § 192.717(b)(3), no operator may use a welded patch as a means of repair.
[Amdt. 192-114, 75 FR 48604, Aug. 11, 2010]
(a) Each imperfection or damage that impairs the serviceability of pipe in a steel transmission line operating at or above 40 percent of SMYS must be -
(1) Removed by cutting out and replacing a cylindrical piece of pipe; or
(2) Repaired by a method that reliable engineering tests and analyses show can permanently restore the serviceability of the pipe.
(b) Operating pressure must be at a safe level during repair operations.
Each weld that is unacceptable under § 192.241(c) must be repaired as follows:
(a) If it is feasible to take the segment of transmission line out of service, the weld must be repaired in accordance with the applicable requirements of § 192.245.
(b) A weld may be repaired in accordance with § 192.245 while the segment of transmission line is in service if:
(1) The weld is not leaking;
(2) The pressure in the segment is reduced so that it does not produce a stress that is more than 20 percent of the SMYS of the pipe; and
(3) Grinding of the defective area can be limited so that at least 1/8-inch (3.2 millimeters) thickness in the pipe weld remains.
(c) A defective weld which cannot be repaired in accordance with paragraph (a) or (b) of this section must be repaired by installing a full encirclement welded split sleeve of appropriate design.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-85, 63 FR 37504, July 13, 1998]
(a) Testing of replacement pipe. If a segment of transmission line is repaired by cutting out the damaged portion of the pipe as a cylinder, the replacement pipe must be tested to the pressure required for a new line installed in the same location. This test may be made on the pipe before it is installed.
(b) Testing of repairs made by welding. Each repair made by welding in accordance with §§ 192.713, 192.715, and 192.717 must be examined in accordance with § 192.241.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-54, 51 FR 41635, Nov. 18, 1986]
Link to an amendment published at 83 FR 58719, Nov. 20, 2018.
(a) The frequency of patrolling mains must be determined by the severity of the conditions which could cause failure or leakage, and the consequent hazards to public safety.
(b) Mains in places or on structures where anticipated physical movement or external loading could cause failure or leakage must be patrolled -
(1) In business districts, at intervals not exceeding 4 1/2 months, but at least four times each calendar year; and
(2) Outside business districts, at intervals not exceeding 7 1/2 months, but at least twice each calendar year.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982; Amdt. 192-78, 61 FR 28786, June 6, 1996]
(a) Each operator of a distribution system shall conduct periodic leakage surveys in accordance with this section.
(b) The type and scope of the leakage control program must be determined by the nature of the operations and the local conditions, but it must meet the following minimum requirements:
(1) A leakage survey with leak detector equipment must be conducted in business districts, including tests of the atmosphere in gas, electric, telephone, sewer, and water system manholes, at cracks in pavement and sidewalks, and at other locations providing an opportunity for finding gas leaks, at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year.
(2) A leakage survey with leak detector equipment must be conducted outside business districts as frequently as necessary, but at least once every 5 calendar years at intervals not exceeding 63 months. However, for cathodically unprotected distribution lines subject to § 192.465(e) on which electrical surveys for corrosion are impractical, a leakage survey must be conducted at least once every 3 calendar years at intervals not exceeding 39 months.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982; Amdt. 192-70, 58 FR 54528, 54529, Oct. 22, 1993; Amdt. 192-71, 59 FR 6585, Feb. 11, 1994; Amdt. 192-94, 69 FR 32895, June 14, 2004; Amdt. 192-94, 69 FR 54592, Sept. 9, 2004]
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, each disconnected service line must be tested in the same manner as a new service line, before being reinstated.
(b) Each service line temporarily disconnected from the main must be tested from the point of disconnection to the service line valve in the same manner as a new service line, before reconnecting. However, if provisions are made to maintain continuous service, such as by installation of a bypass, any part of the original service line used to maintain continuous service need not be tested.
(a) Each operator shall conduct abandonment or deactivation of pipelines in accordance with the requirements of this section.
(b) Each pipeline abandoned in place must be disconnected from all sources and supplies of gas; purged of gas; in the case of offshore pipelines, filled with water or inert materials; and sealed at the ends. However, the pipeline need not be purged when the volume of gas is so small that there is no potential hazard.
(c) Except for service lines, each inactive pipeline that is not being maintained under this part must be disconnected from all sources and supplies of gas; purged of gas; in the case of offshore pipelines, filled with water or inert materials; and sealed at the ends. However, the pipeline need not be purged when the volume of gas is so small that there is no potential hazard.
(d) Whenever service to a customer is discontinued, one of the following must be complied with:
(1) The valve that is closed to prevent the flow of gas to the customer must be provided with a locking device or other means designed to prevent the opening of the valve by persons other than those authorized by the operator.
(2) A mechanical device or fitting that will prevent the flow of gas must be installed in the service line or in the meter assembly.
(3) The customer's piping must be physically disconnected from the gas supply and the open pipe ends sealed.
(e) If air is used for purging, the operator shall insure that a combustible mixture is not present after purging.
(f) Each abandoned vault must be filled with a suitable compacted material.
(g) For each abandoned offshore pipeline facility or each abandoned onshore pipeline facility that crosses over, under or through a commercially navigable waterway, the last operator of that facility must file a report upon abandonment of that facility.
(1) The preferred method to submit data on pipeline facilities abandoned after October 10, 2000 is to the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) in accordance with the NPMS “Standards for Pipeline and Liquefied Natural Gas Operator Submissions.” To obtain a copy of the NPMS Standards, please refer to the NPMS homepage at http://www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov or contact the NPMS National Repository at 703-317-3073. A digital data format is preferred, but hard copy submissions are acceptable if they comply with the NPMS Standards. In addition to the NPMS-required attributes, operators must submit the date of abandonment, diameter, method of abandonment, and certification that, to the best of the operator's knowledge, all of the reasonably available information requested was provided and, to the best of the operator's knowledge, the abandonment was completed in accordance with applicable laws. Refer to the NPMS Standards for details in preparing your data for submission. The NPMS Standards also include details of how to submit data. Alternatively, operators may submit reports by mail, fax or e-mail to the Office of Pipeline Safety, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Information Resources Manager, PHP-10, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001; fax (202) 366-4566; e-mail InformationResourcesManager@phmsa.
dot.gov. The information in the report must contain all reasonably available information related to the facility, including information in the possession of a third party. The report must contain the location, size, date, method of abandonment, and a certification that the facility has been abandoned in accordance with all applicable laws.
[Amdt. 192-8, 37 FR 20695, Oct. 3, 1972, as amended by Amdt. 192-27, 41 FR 34607, Aug. 16, 1976; Amdt. 192-71, 59 FR 6585, Feb. 11, 1994; Amdt. 192-89, 65 FR 54443, Sept. 8, 2000; 65 FR 57861, Sept. 26, 2000; 70 FR 11139, Mar. 8, 2005; Amdt. 192-103, 72 FR 4656, Feb. 1, 2007; 73 FR 16570, Mar. 28, 2008; 74 FR 2894, Jan. 16, 2009]
(a) Except for rupture discs, each pressure relieving device in a compressor station must be inspected and tested in accordance with §§ 192.739 and 192.743, and must be operated periodically to determine that it opens at the correct set pressure.
(b) Any defective or inadequate equipment found must be promptly repaired or replaced.
(c) Each remote control shutdown device must be inspected and tested at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year, to determine that it functions properly.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982]
(a) Flammable or combustible materials in quantities beyond those required for everyday use, or other than those normally used in compressor buildings, must be stored a safe distance from the compressor building.
(b) Aboveground oil or gasoline storage tanks must be protected in accordance with NFPA-30 (incorporated by reference, see § 192.7) .
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-119, 80 FR 181, Jan. 5, 2015; 80 FR 46847, Aug. 6, 2015]
(a) Not later than September 16, 1996, each compressor building in a compressor station must have a fixed gas detection and alarm system, unless the building is -
(1) Constructed so that at least 50 percent of its upright side area is permanently open; or
(2) Located in an unattended field compressor station of 1,000 horsepower (746 kW) or less.
(b) Except when shutdown of the system is necessary for maintenance under paragraph (c) of this section, each gas detection and alarm system required by this section must -
(1) Continuously monitor the compressor building for a concentration of gas in air of not more than 25 percent of the lower explosive limit; and
(2) If that concentration of gas is detected, warn persons about to enter the building and persons inside the building of the danger.
(c) Each gas detection and alarm system required by this section must be maintained to function properly. The maintenance must include performance tests.
[58 FR 48464, Sept. 16, 1993, as amended by Amdt. 192-85, 63 FR 37504, July 13, 1998]
(a) Each pressure limiting station, relief device (except rupture discs), and pressure regulating station and its equipment must be subjected at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year, to inspections and tests to determine that it is -
(1) In good mechanical condition;
(2) Adequate from the standpoint of capacity and reliability of operation for the service in which it is employed;
(3) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, set to control or relieve at the correct pressure consistent with the pressure limits of § 192.201(a); and
(4) Properly installed and protected from dirt, liquids, or other conditions that might prevent proper operation.
(b) For steel pipelines whose MAOP is determined under § 192.619(c), if the MAOP is 60 psi (414 kPa) gage or more, the control or relief pressure limit is as follows:
If the MAOP produces a hoop stress that is:
Then the pressure limit is:
Greater than 72 percent of SMYS MAOP plus 4 percent.
Unknown as a percentage of SMYS A pressure that will prevent unsafe operation of the pipeline considering its operating and maintenance history and MAOP.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982; Amdt. 192-93, 68 FR 53901, Sept. 15, 2003; Amdt. 192-96, 69 FR 27863, May 17, 2004]
(a) This section applies, except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, to any service line directly connected to a production, gathering, or transmission pipeline that is not operated as part of a distribution system.
(b) Each pressure regulating or limiting device, relief device (except rupture discs), automatic shutoff device, and associated equipment must be inspected and tested at least once every 3 calendar years, not exceeding 39 months, to determine that it is:
(3) Set to control or relieve at the correct pressure consistent with the pressure limits of § 192.197; and to limit the pressure on the inlet of the service regulator to 60 psi (414 kPa) gauge or less in case the upstream regulator fails to function properly; and
(c) This section does not apply to equipment installed on service lines that only serve engines that power irrigation pumps.
[Amdt. 192-123, 82 FR 7998, Jan. 23, 2017]
(a) Each distribution system supplied by more than one district pressure regulating station must be equipped with telemetering or recording pressure gauges to indicate the gas pressure in the district.
(b) On distribution systems supplied by a single district pressure regulating station, the operator shall determine the necessity of installing telemetering or recording gauges in the district, taking into consideration the number of customers supplied, the operating pressures, the capacity of the installation, and other operating conditions.
(c) If there are indications of abnormally high or low pressure, the regulator and the auxiliary equipment must be inspected and the necessary measures employed to correct any unsatisfactory operating conditions.
(a) Pressure relief devices at pressure limiting stations and pressure regulating stations must have sufficient capacity to protect the facilities to which they are connected. Except as provided in § 192.739(b), the capacity must be consistent with the pressure limits of § 192.201(a). This capacity must be determined at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year, by testing the devices in place or by review and calculations.
(b) If review and calculations are used to determine if a device has sufficient capacity, the calculated capacity must be compared with the rated or experimentally determined relieving capacity of the device for the conditions under which it operates. After the initial calculations, subsequent calculations need not be made if the annual review documents that parameters have not changed to cause the rated or experimentally determined relieving capacity to be insufficient.
(c) If a relief device is of insufficient capacity, a new or additional device must be installed to provide the capacity required by paragraph (a) of this section.
[Amdt. 192-93, 68 FR 53901, Sept. 15, 2003, as amended by Amdt. 192-96, 69 FR 27863, May 17, 2004]
(a) Each transmission line valve that might be required during any emergency must be inspected and partially operated at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year.
(b) Each operator must take prompt remedial action to correct any valve found inoperable, unless the operator designates an alternative valve.
[Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982, as amended by Amdt. 192-93, 68 FR 53901, Sept. 15, 2003]
(a) Each valve, the use of which may be necessary for the safe operation of a distribution system, must be checked and serviced at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year.
(a) Each vault housing pressure regulating and pressure limiting equipment, and having a volumetric internal content of 200 cubic feet (5.66 cubic meters) or more, must be inspected at intervals not exceeding 15 months, but at least once each calendar year, to determine that it is in good physical condition and adequately ventilated.
(b) If gas is found in the vault, the equipment in the vault must be inspected for leaks, and any leaks found must be repaired.
(c) The ventilating equipment must also be inspected to determine that it is functioning properly.
(d) Each vault cover must be inspected to assure that it does not present a hazard to public safety.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-43, 47 FR 46851, Oct. 21, 1982; Amdt. 192-85, 63 FR 37504, July 13, 1998]
(b) Gas or electric welding or cutting may not be performed on pipe or on pipe components that contain a combustible mixture of gas and air in the area of work.
(a) Each cast iron caulked bell and spigot joint that is subject to pressures of more than 25 psi (172kPa) gage must be sealed with:
(1) A mechanical leak clamp; or
(2) A material or device which:
(i) Does not reduce the flexibility of the joint;
(ii) Permanently bonds, either chemically or mechanically, or both, with the bell and spigot metal surfaces or adjacent pipe metal surfaces; and
(iii) Seals and bonds in a manner that meets the strength, environmental, and chemical compatibility requirements of §§ 192.53 (a) and (b) and 192.143.
(b) Each cast iron caulked bell and spigot joint that is subject to pressures of 25 psi (172kPa) gage or less and is exposed for any reason must be sealed by a means other than caulking.
[35 FR 13257, Aug. 19, 1970, as amended by Amdt. 192-25, 41 FR 23680, June 11, 1976; Amdt. 192-85, 63 FR 37504, July 13, 1998; Amdt. 192-93, 68 FR 53901, Sept. 15, 2003]
When an operator has knowledge that the support for a segment of a buried cast-iron pipeline is disturbed:
(a) That segment of the pipeline must be protected, as necessary, against damage during the disturbance by:
(1) Vibrations from heavy construction equipment, trains, trucks, buses, or blasting;
(2) Impact forces by vehicles;
(3) Earth movement;
(4) Apparent future excavations near the pipeline; or
(5) Other foreseeable outside forces which may subject that segment of the pipeline to bending stress.
(b) As soon as feasible, appropriate steps must be taken to provide permanent protection for the disturbed segment from damage that might result from external loads, including compliance with applicable requirements of §§ 192.317(a), 192.319, and 192.361(b)-(d).
[Amdt. 192-23, 41 FR 13589, Mar. 31, 1976]