The U.S. Transportation Department's Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) is reconsidering parts of a rule requiring new and replacement pipelines to be built to allow the use of "smart Pius."
Since it issued the rule last spring (OGJ, Apr. 18, P. 76), industry groups have strongly objected to various provisions.
The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America urged RSPA to reschedule the May 12, 1994, effective date of the rule to at least Jan. 1, 1995, because operators are working on pipeline replacement and rehabilitation projects.
Ingaa also said offshore gas pipelines should be exempt from the rule and RSPA should not require entire line sections to be modified to accept smart pigs when work is done on only one part of the line.
The American Gas Association also urged that the rule be delayed. It said RSPA should reconsider the costs, benefits, and practicality of the rule.
RSPA notified Ingaa, AGA, and the American Petroleum Institute May 12 that it was suspending enforcement of the "line section" part of the rule until further notice. Specifically, gas pipeline operators still must accommodate smart pigs when they replace pipe, valves, fittings, and other components, but they are no longer required to change other obstructions in the fine section to allow use of the pigs.
RSPA stressed that operators are still required to design and build any new pipelines to accommodate smart pigs. It granted no exemptions for repairs to hazardous liquids and carbon dioxide pipelines.
RSPA said about 42% of gas pipelines in 1989 could not accommodate smart pigs for reasons other than lack of launchers or receivers, while 10.5% of hazardous liquids lines were not piggable.
