Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 43 - NATURAL RESOURCES › Part XIII - Office of Conservation-Pipeline Safety › Subpart 3 - Transportation of Natural Gas or Other Gas by Pipeline: Minimum Safety Standards [49 CFR Part 192] › Chapter 33 - Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management [49 CFR Part 192 Subpart O] › Section XIII-3321 - How Is the Baseline Assessment to be Conducted [49 CFR 192.921]

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. Assessment
				  Methods. An operator must assess the integrity of the line pipe in each covered
				  segment by applying one or more of the following methods for each threat to
				  which the covered segment is susceptible. An operator must select the method or
				  methods best suited to address the threats identified to the covered segment
				  (See § 3317): [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)]
1. internal inspection tool or tools capable
				  of detecting those threats to which the pipeline is susceptible. The use of
				  internal inspection tools is appropriate for threats such as corrosion,
				  deformation and mechanical damage (including dents, gouges and grooves),
				  material cracking and cracklike defects (e.g., stress corrosion cracking,
				  selective seam weld corrosion, environmentally assisted cracking, and girth
				  weld cracks), hard spots with cracking, and any other threats to which the
				  covered segment is susceptible. When performing an assessment using an in-line
				  inspection tool, an operator must comply with §2145 In addition, an
				  operator must analyze and account for uncertainties in reported results (e.g.,
				  tool tolerance, detection threshold, probability of detection, probability of
				  identification, sizing accuracy, conservative anomaly interaction criteria,
				  location accuracy, anomaly findings, and unity chart plots or equivalent for
				  determining uncertainties and verifying actual tool performance) in identifying
				  and characterizing anomalies; [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)(1)];
2. pressure test conducted in accordance with
				  Chapter 23 of this Subpart. The use of Chapter 23 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 Table 3 of section
				  5 of ASME/ANSI B31.8S (incorporated by reference, see §507) to justify an
				  extended reassessment interval in accordance with
				  §
												3339 [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)(2)].
3. spike hydrostatic pressure test conducted
				  in accordance with §2306 The use of spike hydrostatic pressure testing is
				  appropriate for time- dependent threats such as stress corrosion cracking;
				  selective seam weld corrosion; manufacturing and related defects, including
				  defective pipe and pipe seams; and other forms of defect or damage involving
				  cracks or crack-like defects; [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)(3)]
4. excavation and in situ direct examination
				  by means of visual examination, direct measurement, and recorded
				  non-destructive examination results and data needed to assess all threats.
				  Based upon the threat assessed, examples of appropriate non-destructive
				  examination methods include ultrasonic testing (UT), phased array ultrasonic
				  testing (PAUT), inverse wave field extrapolation (IWEX), radiography, and
				  magnetic particle inspection (MPI); [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)(4)]
5. guided wave ultrasonic testing (GWUT) as
				  described in Appendix F. The use of GWUT is appropriate for internal and
				  external pipe wall loss; [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)(5)]
6. direct assessment to address threats of
				  external corrosion, internal corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking. The use
				  of direct assessment to address threats of external corrosion, internal
				  corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking is allowed only if appropriate for the
				  threat and the pipeline segment being assessed. Use of direct assessment for
				  threats other than the threat for which the direct assessment method is
				  suitable is not allowed. An operator must conduct the direct assessment in
				  accordance with the requirements listed in
				  §
												3323 and with the applicable
				  requirements specified in
				  §3325 and
				  3329; or [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)(6)]
7. other technology that an operator
				  demonstrates can provide an equivalent understanding of the condition of the
				  line pipe for each of the threats to which the pipeline is susceptible. An
				  operator must notify PHMSA in advance of using the other technology in
				  accordance with §518 [49 CFR
				  192.921(a)(7)]