This subpart prescribes minimum requirements for constructing new pipeline systems with steel pipe, and for relocating, replacing, or otherwise changing existing pipeline systems that are constructed with steel pipe. However, this subpart does not apply to the movement of pipe covered by § 195.424.

Each pipeline system must be constructed in accordance with comprehensive written specifications or standards that are consistent with the requirements of this part.

Inspection must be provided to ensure that the installation of pipe or pipeline systems is in accordance with the requirements of this subpart. Any operator personnel used to perform the inspection must be trained and qualified in the phase of construction to be inspected. An operator must not use operator personnel to perform a required inspection if the operator personnel performed the construction task requiring inspection. Nothing in this section prohibits the operator from inspecting construction tasks with operator personnel who are involved in other construction tasks.

(a) Aboveground breakout tanks that have been repaired, altered, or reconstructed and returned to service must be capable of withstanding the internal pressure produced by the hazardous liquid to be stored therein and any anticipated external loads.

(b) After October 2, 2000, compliance with paragraph (a) of this section requires the following:

(1) For tanks designed for approximate atmospheric pressure, constructed of carbon and low alloy steel, welded or riveted, and non-refrigerated; and for tanks built to API Std 650 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3) or its predecessor Standard 12C; repair, alteration; and reconstruction must be in accordance with API Std 653 (except section 6.4.3) (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

(2) For tanks built to API Spec 12F (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3) or API Std 620 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3), repair, alteration, and reconstruction must be in accordance with the design, welding, examination, and material requirements of those respective standards.

(3) For high-pressure tanks built to API Std 2510 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3), repairs, alterations, and reconstruction must be in accordance with API Std 510 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

No pipe or other component may be installed in a pipeline system unless it has been visually inspected at the site of installation to ensure that it is not damaged in a manner that could impair its strength or reduce its serviceability.

(a) Railroad. In a pipeline operated at a hoop stress of 20 percent or more of SMYS, an operator may not use pipe having an outer diameter to wall thickness ratio of 70 to 1, or more, that is transported by railroad unless the transportation is performed in accordance with API RP 5L1 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

(b) Ship or barge. In a pipeline operated at a hoop stress of 20 percent or more of SMYS, an operator may not use pipe having an outer diameter to wall thickness ratio of 70 to 1, or more, that is transported by ship or barge on both inland and marine waterways, unless the transportation is performed in accordance with API RP 5LW (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

(c) Truck. In a pipeline to be operated at a hoop stress of 20 percent or more of SMYS, an operator may not use pipe having an outer diameter to wall thickness ratio of 70 to 1, or more, that is transported by truck unless the transportation is performed in accordance with API RP 5LT (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

Supports or braces may not be welded directly to pipe that will be operated at a pressure of more than 100 p.s.i. (689 kPa) gage.

(a) Pipeline right-of-way must be selected to avoid, as far as practicable, areas containing private dwellings, industrial buildings, and places of public assembly.

(b) No pipeline may be located within 50 feet (15 meters) of any private dwelling, or any industrial building or place of public assembly in which persons work, congregate, or assemble, unless it is provided with at least 12 inches (305 millimeters) of cover in addition to that prescribed in § 195.248.

(a) Pipe must not have a wrinkle bend.

(b) Each field bend must comply with the following:

(1) A bend must not impair the serviceability of the pipe.

(2) Each bend must have a smooth contour and be free from buckling, cracks, or any other mechanical damage.

(3) On pipe containing a longitudinal weld, the longitudinal weld must be as near as practicable to the neutral axis of the bend unless—

(i) The bend is made with an internal bending mandrel; or

(ii) The pipe is 12 3/4 in (324 mm) or less nominal outside diameter or has a diameter to wall thickness ratio less than 70.

(c) Each circumferential weld which is located where the stress during bending causes a permanent deformation in the pipe must be nondestructively tested either before or after the bending process.

(a) Welding must be performed by a qualified welder or welding operator in accordance with welding procedures qualified under section 5, section 12, Appendix A or Appendix B of API Std 1104 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3), or Section IX of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME BPVC) (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3). The quality of the test welds used to qualify the welding procedures must be determined by destructive testing.

(b) Each welding procedure must be recorded in detail, including the results of the qualifying tests. This record must be retained and followed whenever the procedure is used.

A miter joint is not permitted (not including deflections up to 3 degrees that are caused by misalignment).

(a) Each welder or welding operator must be qualified in accordance with section 6, section 12, Appendix A or Appendix B of API Std 1104 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3), or section IX of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME BPVC), (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3) except that a welder or welding operator qualified under an earlier edition than listed in § 195.3, may weld but may not requalify under that earlier edition.

(b) No welder or welding operator may weld with a welding process unless, within the preceding 6 calendar months, the welder or welding operator has—

(1) Engaged in welding with that process; and

(2) Had one weld tested and found acceptable under section 9 or Appendix A of API Std 1104 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

Welding must be protected from weather conditions that would impair the quality of the completed weld.

(a) Each arc burn must be repaired.

(b) An arc burn may be repaired by completely removing the notch by grinding, if the grinding does not reduce the remaining wall thickness to less than the minimum thickness required by the tolerances in the specification to which the pipe is manufactured. If a notch is not repairable by grinding, a cylinder of the pipe containing the entire notch must be removed.

(c) A ground may not be welded to the pipe or fitting that is being welded.

(a) Each weld and welding must be inspected to insure compliance with the requirements of this subpart. Visual inspection must be supplemented by nondestructive testing.

(b) The acceptability of a weld is determined according to the standards in section 9 or Appendix A of API Std 1104 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3). Appendix A of API Std 1104 may not be used to accept cracks.

(a) Each weld that is unacceptable under § 195.228 must be removed or repaired. Except for welds on an offshore pipeline being installed from a pipelay vessel, a weld must be removed if it has a crack that is more than 8 percent of the weld length.

(b) Each weld that is repaired must have the defect removed down to sound metal and the segment to be repaired must be preheated if conditions exist which would adversely affect the quality of the weld repair. After repair, the segment of the weld that was repaired must be inspected to ensure its acceptability.

(c) Repair of a crack, or of any defect in a previously repaired area must be in accordance with written weld repair procedures that have been qualified under § 195.214. Repair procedures must provide that the minimum mechanical properties specified for the welding procedure used to make the original weld are met upon completion of the final weld repair.

(a) A weld may be nondestructively tested by any process that will clearly indicate any defects that may affect the integrity of the weld.

(b) Any nondestructive testing of welds must be performed—

(1) In accordance with a written set of procedures for nondestructive testing; and

(2) With personnel that have been trained in the established procedures and in the use of the equipment employed in the testing.

(c) Procedures for the proper interpretation of each weld inspection must be established to ensure the acceptability of the weld under § 195.228.

(d) During construction, at least 10 percent of the girth welds made by each welder and welding operator during each welding day must be nondestructively tested over the entire circumference of the weld.

(e) All girth welds installed each day in the following locations must be nondestructively tested over their entire circumference, except that when nondestructive testing is impracticable for a girth weld, it need not be tested if the number of girth welds for which testing is impracticable does not exceed 10 percent of the girth welds installed that day:

(1) At any onshore location where a loss of hazardous liquid could reasonably be expected to pollute any stream, river, lake, reservoir, or other body of water, and any offshore area;

(2) Within railroad or public road rights-of-way;

(3) At overhead road crossings and within tunnels;

(4) Within the limits of any incorporated subdivision of a State government; and

(5) Within populated areas, including, but not limited to, residential subdivisions, shopping centers, schools, designated commercial areas, industrial facilities, public institutions, and places of public assembly.

(f) When installing used pipe, 100 percent of the old girth welds must be nondestructively tested.

(g) At pipeline tie-ins, including tie-ins of replacement sections, 100 percent of the girth welds must be nondestructively tested.

(a) All pipe installed in a ditch must be installed in a manner that minimizes the introduction of secondary stresses and the possibility of damage to the pipe.

(b) Except for pipe in the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets in waters less than 15 feet deep, all offshore pipe in water at least 12 feet deep (3.7 meters) but not more than 200 feet deep (61 meters) deep as measured from the mean low water must be installed so that the top of the pipe is below the underwater natural bottom (as determined by recognized and generally accepted practices) unless the pipe is supported by stanchions held in place by anchors or heavy concrete coating or protected by an equivalent means.

(a) Unless specifically exempted in this subpart, all pipe must be buried so that it is below the level of cultivation. Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the pipe must be installed so that the cover between the top of the pipe and the ground level, road bed, river bottom, or underwater natural bottom (as determined by recognized and generally accepted practices), as applicable, complies with the following table:

(b) Except for the Gulf of Mexico and its inlets in waters less than 15 feet (4.6 meters) deep, less cover than the minimum required by paragraph (a) of this section and § 195.210 may be used if—

(1) It is impracticable to comply with the minimum cover requirements; and

(2) Additional protection is provided that is equivalent to the minimum required cover.

Any pipe installed underground must have at least 12 inches (305 millimeters) of clearance between the outside of the pipe and the extremity of any other underground structure, except that for drainage tile the minimum clearance may be less than 12 inches (305 millimeters) but not less than 2 inches (51 millimeters). However, where 12 inches (305 millimeters) of clearance is impracticable, the clearance may be reduced if adequate provisions are made for corrosion control.

When a ditch for a pipeline is backfilled, it must be backfilled in a manner that:

(a) Provides firm support under the pipe; and

(b) Prevents damage to the pipe and pipe coating from equipment or from the backfill material.

(a) Any component may be installed above ground in the following situations, if the other applicable requirements of this part are complied with:

(1) Overhead crossings of highways, railroads, or a body of water.

(2) Spans over ditches and gullies.

(3) Scraper traps or block valves.

(4) Areas under the direct control of the operator.

(5) In any area inaccessible to the public.

(b) Each component covered by this section must be protected from the forces exerted by the anticipated loads.

The pipe at each railroad or highway crossing must be installed so as to adequately withstand the dynamic forces exerted by anticipated traffic loads.

(a) Each valve must be installed in a location that is accessible to authorized employees and that is protected from damage or tampering.

(b) Each submerged valve located offshore or in inland navigable waters must be marked, or located by conventional survey techniques, to facilitate quick location when operation of the valve is required.

(c) For all onshore hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline segments with diameters greater than or equal to 6 inches that are constructed after April 10, 2023, the operator must install rupture-mitigation valves (RMV) or an alternative equivalent technology whenever a valve must be installed to meet the appropriate valve spacing requirements of this section and § 195.260. An operator using alternative equivalent technology must notify PHMSA in accordance with the procedure in paragraph (e) of this section. All RMVs and alternative equivalent technology installed as required by this section must meet the requirements of § 195.419. An operator may request an extension of the installation compliance deadline requirements of this paragraph if it can demonstrate to PHMSA, in accordance with the notification procedures in § 195.18, that those installation deadline requirements would be economically, technically, or operationally infeasible for a particular new pipeline.

(d) For all entirely replaced onshore hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline segments with diameters greater than or equal to 6 inches that have been replaced after April 10, 2023, the operator must install RMVs or an alternative equivalent technology whenever a valve must be installed to meet the appropriate valve spacing requirements of this section. An operator using alternative equivalent technology must notify PHMSA in accordance with the procedure in paragraph (e) of this section. All valves installed as required by this section must meet the requirements of § 195.419. The requirements of this paragraph (d) apply when the applicable pipeline replacement project involves a valve, either through addition, replacement, or removal. An operator may request an extension of the installation compliance deadline requirements of this paragraph if it can demonstrate to PHMSA, in accordance with the notification procedures in § 195.18, that those installation deadline requirements would be economically, technically, or operationally infeasible for a particular pipeline replacement project.

(e) If an operator elects to use alternative equivalent technology in accordance with paragraph (c) or (d) of this section, the operator must notify PHMSA in accordance with § 195.18. The operator must include a technical and safety evaluation in its notice to PHMSA. Valves that are installed as alternative equivalent technology must comply with §§ 195.418, 195.419, and 195.420. An operator requesting use of manual valves as an alternative equivalent technology must also include within the notification submitted to PHMSA a demonstration that installation of an RMV as otherwise required would be economically, technically, or operationally infeasible. An operator may use a manual pump station valve at a continuously manned station as an alternative equivalent technology. Such a valve used as an alternative equivalent technology would not require a notification to PHMSA in accordance with § 195.18, but it must comply with §§ 195.419 and 195.420.

(f) The requirements of paragraphs (c) through (e) of this section do not apply to gathering lines.

A valve must be installed at each of the following locations:

(a) On the suction end and the discharge end of a pump station in a manner that permits isolation of the pump station equipment in the event of an emergency.

(b) On each pipeline entering or leaving a breakout storage tank area in a manner that permits isolation of the tank from other facilities.

(c) On each pipeline at locations along the pipeline system that will minimize or prevent safety risks, property damage, or environmental harm from accidental hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide discharges, as appropriate for onshore areas, offshore areas, and high-consequence areas (HCA). For newly constructed or entirely replaced onshore hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide pipeline segments, as that term is defined at § 195.2, that are installed after April 10, 2023, valve spacing must not exceed 15 miles for pipeline segments that could affect or are in HCAs, as defined in § 195.450, and 20 miles for pipeline segments that could not affect HCAs. Valves on pipeline segments that are located in HCAs or which could affect HCAs must be installed at locations as determined by the operator's process for identifying preventive and mitigative measures established pursuant to § 195.452(i) and by using the selection process in section I.B of appendix C of part 195, but with a maximum distance that does not exceed 7 1/2 miles from the endpoints of the HCA segment or the segment that could affect an HCA. An operator may request an exemption from the compliance deadline requirements of this section for valve installation at the specified valve spacing if it can demonstrate to PHMSA, in accordance with the notification procedures in § 195.18, that those compliance deadline requirements would be economically, technically, or operationally infeasible.

(d) On each lateral takeoff from a pipeline in a manner that permits shutting off the lateral without interrupting flow in the pipeline.

(e) On each side of one or more adjacent water crossings that are more than 100 feet (30 meters) wide from high water mark to high water mark, as follows:

(1) Valves must be installed at locations outside of the 100-year flood plain or be equipped with actuators or other control equipment that is installed so as not to be impacted by flood conditions; and

(2) The maximum spacing interval between valves that protect multiple adjacent water crossings cannot exceed 1 mile in length.

(f) On each side of a reservoir holding water for human consumption.

(g) On each highly volatile liquid (HVL) pipeline that is located in a high-population area or other populated area, as defined in § 195.450, and that is constructed, or where 2 or more miles of pipe have been replaced within any 5 contiguous miles within any 24-month period, after April 10, 2023, with a maximum valve spacing of 7 1/2 miles. The maximum valve spacing intervals may be increased by 1.25 times the distance up to a 9 3/8-mile spacing, provided the operator:

(1) Submits for PHMSA review a notification pursuant to § 195.18 requesting alternative spacing because installation of a valve at a particular location between a 7-mile to a 7 1/2-mile spacing would be economically, technically, or operationally infeasible, and that an alternative spacing would not adversely impact safety; and

(2) Keeps the records necessary to support that determination for the useful life of the pipeline.

(h) An operator may submit for PHMSA review, in accordance with § 195.18, a notification requesting site-specific exemption from the valve installation requirements or valve spacing requirements of paragraph (c), (e), or (f) of this section and demonstrating such exemption would not adversely affect safety. An operator may also submit for PHMSA review, in accordance with § 195.18, a notification requesting an extension of the compliance deadline requirements for valve installation and spacing of this section because those compliance deadline requirements would be economically, technically, or operationally infeasible for a particular new construction or pipeline replacement project.

(i) An operator of a gathering line must only comply with the requirements of 49 Cspan 195.260 effective as of October 4, 2022, and need not comply with the other requirements of this section.

(a) Adequate ventilation must be provided in pump station buildings to prevent the accumulation of hazardous vapors. Warning devices must be installed to warn of the presence of hazardous vapors in the pumping station building.

(b) The following must be provided in each pump station:

(1) Safety devices that prevent overpressuring of pumping equipment, including the auxiliary pumping equipment within the pumping station.

(2) A device for the emergency shutdown of each pumping station.

(3) If power is necessary to actuate the safety devices, an auxiliary power supply.

(c) Each safety device must be tested under conditions approximating actual operations and found to function properly before the pumping station may be used.

(d) Except for offshore pipelines, pumping equipment must be installed on property that is under the control of the operator and at least 15.2 m (50 ft) from the boundary of the pump station.

(e) Adequate fire protection must be installed at each pump station. If the fire protection system installed requires the use of pumps, motive power must be provided for those pumps that is separate from the power that operates the station.

(a) A means must be provided for containing hazardous liquids in the event of spillage or failure of an aboveground breakout tank.

(b) After October 2, 2000, compliance with paragraph (a) of this section requires the following for the aboveground breakout tanks specified:

(1) For tanks built to API Spec 12F, API Std 620, and others (such as API Std 650 (or its predecessor Standard 12C)), the installation of impoundment must be in accordance with the following sections of NFPA-30 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3);

(i) Impoundment around a breakout tank must be installed in accordance with section 22.11.2; and

(ii) Impoundment by drainage to a remote impounding area must be installed in accordance with section 22.11.1.

(2) For tanks built to API Std 2510 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3) , the installation of impoundment must be in accordance with section 5 or 11 of API Std 2510.

(c) Aboveground breakout tank areas must be adequately protected against unauthorized entry.

(d) Normal/emergency relief venting must be provided for each atmospheric pressure breakout tank. Pressure/vacuum-relieving devices must be provided for each low-pressure and high-pressure breakout tank.

(e) For normal/emergency relief venting and pressure/vacuum-relieving devices installed on aboveground breakout tanks after October 2, 2000, compliance with paragraph (d) of this section requires the following for the tanks specified:

(1) Normal/emergency relief venting installed on atmospheric pressure tanks built to API Spec 12F must be in accordance with section 4 and Appendices B and C of API Spec 12F (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3) .

(2) Normal/emergency relief venting installed on atmospheric pressure tanks (such as those built to API Std 650 or its predecessor Standard 12C) must be in accordance with API Std 2000 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

(3) Pressure-relieving and emergency vacuum-relieving devices installed on low-pressure tanks built to API Std 620 must be in accordance with Section 9 of API Std 620 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3) and its references to the normal and emergency venting requirements in API Std 2000 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

(4) Pressure and vacuum-relieving devices installed on high-pressure tanks built to API Std 2510 must be in accordance with sections 7 or 11 of API Std 2510 (incorporated by reference, see § 195.3).

A complete record that shows the following must be maintained by the operator involved for the life of each pipeline facility:

(a) The total number of girth welds and the number nondestructively tested, including the number rejected and the disposition of each rejected weld.

(b) The amount, location; and cover of each size of pipe installed.

(c) The location of each crossing of another pipeline.

(d) The location of each buried utility crossing.

(e) The location of each overhead crossing.

(f) The location of each valve and corrosion test station.