49 CFR Part 191

49 CFR Part 191

Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline; Annual, Incident, and Other Reporting

Part 191 establishes reporting requirements for operators who transport natural gas or other gas by pipeline. It covers immediate notice of certain incidents, incident and annual reports for distribution systems, transmission systems, gathering systems, liquefied natural gas facilities, and underground natural gas storage facilities, reporting of safety-related conditions, and participation in the National Registry of Operators and National Pipeline Mapping System.

§ 191.1(a)

This part requires operators of underground natural gas storage facilities and natural gas pipeline facilities in the United States or Puerto Rico (including the Outer Continental Shelf) to report incidents, safety-related conditions, annual pipeline summary data, National Operator Registry information, and other miscellaneous conditions. It applies to offshore gathering lines (with exceptions in paragraph (b)) and to onshore gathering lines, including Type R gathering lines as determined in § 192.8.

§ 191.1(b)(1)

This part does not apply to offshore gathering of gas in State waters upstream from the outlet flange of each facility where hydrocarbons are produced or where produced hydrocarbons are first separated, dehydrated, or otherwise processed (whichever facility is farther downstream).

§ 191.1(b)(2)

This part does not apply to producer-operated pipelines on the Outer Continental Shelf that cross into state waters without first connecting to a transporting operator's facility on the OCS, upstream (generally seaward) of the last valve on the last production facility on the OCS. Safety equipment protecting PHMSA-regulated pipeline segments is still covered. Producing operators for those upstream segments may petition the Administrator (or designee) for approval to operate under PHMSA regulations governing pipeline design, construction, operation, and maintenance under 49 CFR 190.9.

§ 191.3 “Confirmed Discovery”

A confirmed discovery happens when an operator can reasonably determine, based on information available at the time (even if only from a preliminary evaluation), that a reportable event has occurred.