About Pipelines
For the purposes of regulation under 49 CFR Parts 191, 192, 193, 194, and 195, PHMSA’s Office of Pipeline Safety or its State partner agencies perform inspections on the following types of operators and facilities:
Gas Transmission Operators – Gas transmission pipeline operators are inspected to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable sections of 49 CFR Part 192, Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline. This includes a review to ensure that all operation and maintenance procedures, abnormal and emergency operating procedures, damage prevention and public education programs, and pipeline inspection, repair, and operations are in compliance.
Gas Distribution Operators – Gas distribution pipeline operators are inspected to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable section of 49 CFR Part 192 Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline. This includes a review to ensure that all operation and maintenance procedures, abnormal and emergency operating procedures, damage prevention and public education procedures, and pipeline installation, connection, repair and operations are in compliance.
Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Operators – Hazardous liquid pipeline operators are inspected to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable sections of 49 CFR Part 195, Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline. This includes a review to ensure that all operation and maintenance procedures, abnormal and emergency operating procedures, damage prevention and public education programs, and pipeline inspection, repair, and operations are in compliance. In addition, onshore oil pipelines are inspected to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable sections of 49 CFR Part 194, Response Plans for Onshore Oil Pipelines.
Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities – Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities are inspected to ensure they are in compliance with all applicable sections of 49 CFR Part 193, Liquefied Natural Gas Facilities. This includes a review to ensure that all operation and maintenance procedures, emergency operating procedures, corrosion control, and repair and operations are in compliance.
Breakout Tanks – Breakout storage tanks associated with hazardous liquid pipelines are inspected to ensure they are in compliance with the applicable sections of 49 CFR Part 195, Transportation of Hazardous Liquids by Pipeline. This includes a review of the Facility Response Plan; operation and maintenance procedures; corrosion control; over-pressure and over-fill protection; impoundment (containment in the event of a spill or rupture); the operator’s in-service inspection program; and safety procedures.
Gas Storage Fields – Gas storage fields are inspected to ensure they are in compliance with applicable sections of 49 CFR Part 192, Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline. This includes a review of overpressure protection, corrosion control, repairs and maintenance, environmental sampling, internal erosion control, and gas and fire detection, along with applicable provisions of API RP 1170, Design and Operation of Solution-mined Salt Caverns Used for Natural Gas Storage, and API RP 1171, Functional Integrity of Natural Gas Storage in Depleted Hydrocarbon Reservoirs and Aquifer Reservoirs.
Construction of Pipelines, LNG Facilities, and Gas Storage Fields – Inspections are performed on construction projects involving gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines and pipeline facilities, LNG facilities, and gas storage fields to ensure they are in compliance with applicable design, construction, testing, and pre-operational sections of 49 CFR Parts 192, 193, and 195. The inspections include a review of material and component design specifications; welding procedures and welder qualifications; construction specifications; pipe installation; non-destructive testing results; corrosion protection; and, post-construction testing and commissioning. LNG facility construction inspections also include a review of the siting analysis and wind loads, and for compliance with NFPA requirements. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has regulatory jurisdiction over planning, siting, and permitting, and approves construction for interstate gas pipelines and storage facilities, and for LNG facilities. This approval includes a determination of need, a siting/routing evaluation (including alternative routes), and a project-wide environmental review. For intrastate gas pipelines and storage facilities and all hazardous liquid pipelines, no single entity has this same regulatory authority, and the requirements and permitting processes vary for each state. For gas and hazardous liquid pipelines and storage facilities, and for LNG facilities, the United States Army Corp of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other federal, state, and local agencies and entities also retain jurisdiction over certain aspects of new pipeline construction. This jurisdiction depends on the potential impacts and/or physical location of the proposed pipeline. For example, the Corps regulates siting and other aspects of pipelines and LNG facilities when they potentially impact navigable waterways, and the Forest Service will have jurisdiction over new pipelines that cross Forest Service lands. Pipelines that cross the U.S.’s international boundaries are subject to approval by the State Department. More information on pipeline construction can be found here.
For more information about regulated facilities, see Pipeline Library - Pipeline Facilities.
Regulated Commodities
Gas means natural gas, flammable gas, or gas which is toxic or corrosive. These gases include, but are not limited to, natural gas, synthetic gas, synthetic natural gas, hydrogen gas, propane gas, chlorine gas, landfill gas, and biogas. [§ 192.3 Definitions.]
Hazardous liquid means petroleum, petroleum products, anhydrous ammonia, or ethanol. Petroleum means crude oil, condensate, natural gasoline, natural gas liquids, and liquefied petroleum gas. Petroleum product means flammable, toxic, or corrosive products obtained from distilling and processing of crude oil, unfinished oils, natural gas liquids, blend stocks and other miscellaneous hydrocarbon compounds. Hazardous liquids include, but are not limited to, motor gasoline, aviation gasoline, fuel oil, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, kerosene, transmix, fuel grade ethanol, ethanol blended gasoline, biodiesel, benzene, methanol, MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether), ethane, ethylene, propane, propylene, pentane, butylene, butadiene, and acetone. Some of these liquids are an HVL, or highly volatile liquid, and are a specifically defined subset of hazardous liquids subject to special regulatory requirements. Highly volatile liquid means a hazardous liquid which will form a vapor cloud when released to the atmosphere and which has a vapor pressure exceeding 276 kPa (40 psia) at 37.8 °C (100 °F). [§ 195.2 Definitions.]
Carbon dioxide is regulated as a commodity transported by pipeline under 49 CFR Part 195, though it is not by definition considered a “hazardous liquid”. Carbon dioxide means a fluid consisting of more than 90 percent carbon dioxide molecules compressed to a supercritical state. [§ 195.2 Definitions.]
Liquefied natural gas or LNG means natural gas or synthetic gas having methane (CH4) as its major constituent which has been changed to a liquid. [§ 193.2007 Definitions.]
For more information about commodities transported in pipelines, click here.