On November 15, 2021, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued a final rule for onshore gas gathering lines. The rule, initiated 10 years ago, puts into place new safety standards and regulatory requirements for previously unregulated onshore gas gathering lines. The rule requires all gas-gathering pipeline operators to begin following new safety standards and reporting filings.
The new rule is continuing to use existing gas gathering regulations but has added some additional categories of regulated onshore gas gathering lines. The new definitions also now limit the use of the incidental gathering provision to 10 miles. In addition to PHMSA’s existing regulated onshore gas gathering lines designations (Type A and Type B), the final rule creates:
- A new category of onshore gas gathering lines that are only subject to incident and annual reporting requirements (Type R); and
- Another new category of regulated onshore gas gathering lines in rural, Class 1 locations that are subject to certain Part 191 reporting and registration requirements and Part 192 safety standards (Type C).
