There are major natural gas regulatory changes happening in California that are set to impact every system operator in the state as well as potentially foster broader rulemaking at federal and state levels.
These major rules include:
•The implementation of General Order 112 (effective in January 2017). It is set to transform operational and reporting metrics and will impact gas systems from design, construction and quality of materials, to locations, testing, operations and facility maintenance. In certain circumstances, California standards will be more stringent than federal requirements
•The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration's (PHMSA's) Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The agency is substantially revising its rules (at 49 CFR Part 192) around the testing and integrity of pipeline systems, validation of data and records as well as the expansion and additional regulation of gathering lines
•Tightening of underground natural gas storage rules. These new regulations would apply to federally regulated storage facilities that serve interstate pipelines - and would set a national standard for states regulating storage facilities that serve intrastate pipelines
In this training, we break down these new (and potential) regulations and their impacts to those with assets across the state. The goal is to identify how these rules are set to affect safety compliance, agency coordination, aging infrastructure concerns as well as operating procedures throughout the entire distribution and transmission network.
Agenda
7:30-8:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
 8:00-8:30 a.m. Introduction
 Session I - General Order 112-F
 8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Regulatory Overview and Perspective
 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. GO112 F Final Implementation - A PG&E Case Study
 9:45 - 10:00 a.m. Morning Break
 Session II - PHMSA Regulations
 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Gas Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM)
•Additional reporting
•Expansion of gathering regulations to "higher pressure-larger diameter" pipeline
•Removal of "grandfather provision"
•Reliable, verifiable, traceable, complete (RVTC)
•Integrity verification process requirements (IVP)
•Spike hydrostatic testing
•Creation of "Moderate Consequence Area" (MCA)
•Expansion of existing integrity management program requirements
•Corrosion mitigation
•Repair criteria
 12:00-1:00 p.m. Group Lunch
 1:00-2:00 p.m. Miscellaneous II
•Expansion of Operator Qualification
•Elimination of 4-part test
•New construction
•Emergency response
•Knowledge, skill, ability
•Scope to:
oGathering
oEffectiveness component Immediate notice of incidents
oControl room management - team training
oProcess to evaluate confidentiality of certain information
oCost recovery
oLarge projects
oNew technologies
oFarm taps
2:00-2:45 p.m. Miscellaneous I, Damage Prevention, Standards & NPMS
•Leak surveys for Type B gathering
• Alternative MAOP
• Activities relating to welding:
o Adopted by reference: RP 1104 - Welding
o Welding vs. welding operators
o Components fabricated by welding
• Calculating pressure reductions as a result of integrity anomalies
• Testing of non-pipe components
•NPMS Information Collection, Not Rulemaking
2:45-3:00 p.m. Afternoon Break
3:00-3:30 p.m. PIPES ACT 2016, Automatic Valves
Session III - Underground Storage and Issues to Watch
 3:30-4:30 p.m. California Issues
•Underground Storage
oPHMSA-ADB
oCA-DOGGER
oCA-Aliso Canyon - Porter Ranch
oCA-Emergency Order
•CASFM-Coastal - AB 264
•CASFM-Annual Inspections - SB 295
•CPUC
 4:30-5:00 p.m. Issues to Watch
 5:00 p.m. Final Q&A and Wrap Up
Â
This Training Is Useful For: O&G executives and managers; Pipeline project managers; Safety managers ;Compliance managers; Environmental professionals; Energy attorneys; Regulators and regulatory affairs personnel; Engineers; Risk-management consultants; Energy consultants.
There are no prerequisites.
PGS seminars are known for their clear explanations and in-depth content. Register for a PGS class today, and join the over 10,000 energy professionals who have already attended one of PGS's proven programs.