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 5 - General [49 CFR Part 192 Subpart A] › Section XIII-508 - How are Onshore Gathering Lines and Regulated Onshore Gathering Lines Determined? [49 CFR 192.8]

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. An
				  operator must use API RP 80 (incorporated by reference, see §507), to
				  determine if an onshore pipeline (or part of a connected series of pipelines)
				  is an onshore gathering line. The determination is subject to the limitations
				  listed below. After making this determination, an operator must determine if
				  the onshore gathering line is a regulated onshore gathering line under
				  Subsection B of this Section [
				49
				  CFR 192.8(a)].
1. The beginning of gathering, under Section
				  2. 2(a)(1) of API RP 80, may not extend beyond the furthermost downstream point
				  in a production operation as defined in Section 2.3 of API RP 80. This
				  furthermost downstream point does not include equipment that can be used in
				  either production or transportation, such as separators or dehydrators, unless
				  that equipment is involved in the processes of "production and preparation for
				  transportation or delivery of hydrocarbon gas" within the meaning of
				  "production operation" [
				49
				  CFR 192.8(a)(1)].
2. The endpoint of gathering, under Section
				  2. 2(a)(1)(A) of API RP 80, may not extend beyond the first downstream natural
				  gas processing plant, unless the operator can demonstrate, using sound
				  engineering principles, that gathering extends to a further downstream plant [
				49
				  CFR 192.8(a)(2)].
3. If the endpoint of gathering, under
				  Section 2. 2(a)(1)(C) of API RP 80, is determined by the commingling of gas
				  from separate production fields, the fields may not be more than 50 miles from
				  each other, unless the administrator/commissioner finds a longer separation
				  distance is justified in a particular case (see  49 CFR §
												190.9) [
				49
				  CFR 192.8(a)(3)].
4. The endpoint of gathering, under Section
				  2. 2(a)(1)(D) of API RP 80, may not extend beyond the furthermost downstream
				  compressor used to increase gathering line pressure for delivery to another
				  pipeline [
				49
				  CFR 192.8(a)(4)].
5. For new, replaced, relocated, or otherwise
				  changed gas gathering pipelines installed after May 16, 2022, the endpoint of
				  gathering under
				  sections
				  2.2(a)(1)(E) of
				  API RP 80 (incorporated by reference, see §507), also known as "incidental
				  gathering," may not be used if the pipeline terminates 10 or more miles
				  downstream from the furthermost downstream endpoint as defined in paragraphs
				  2.2(a)(1)(A) through (a)(1)(D) of API RP 80 (incorporated by reference, see
				  §507) and this section. If an "incidental gathering" pipeline is 10 miles
				  or more in length, the entire portion of the pipeline that is designated as an
				  incidental gathering line under 2.2(a)(1)(E) and 2.2.1.2.6 of API RP 80 shall
				  be classified as a transmission pipeline subject to all applicable regulations
				  in this chapter for transmission pipelines. [49 CFR
				  192.8(a)(5)]