When may an operator deviate its program from certain requirements of this subpart?

§ 192.913 When may an operator deviate its program from certain requirements of this subpart?#

(a)General. ASME/ANSI B31.8S (incorporated by reference, see § 192.7) provides the essential features of a performance-based or a prescriptive integrity management program. An operator that uses a performance-based approach that satisfies the requirements for exceptional performance in paragraph#

(b)of this section may deviate from certain requirements in this subpart, as provided in paragraph#

(c)of this section.#

(b)Exceptional performance. An operator must be able to demonstrate the exceptional performance of its integrity management program through the following actions.#

(1)To deviate from any of the requirements set forth in paragraph#

(c)of this section, an operator must have a performance-based integrity management program that meets or exceed the performance-based requirements of ASME/ANSI B31.8S and includes, at a minimum, the following elements:#

(i)A comprehensive process for risk analysis;#

(ii)All risk factor data used to support the program;#

(iii)A comprehensive data integration process;#

(iv)A procedure for applying lessons learned from assessment of covered pipeline segments to pipeline segments not covered by this subpart;#

(v)A procedure for evaluating every incident, including its cause, within the sector of the pipeline industry for implications both to the pipeline system and to the integrity management program;#

(vi)A performance matrix that demonstrates the program has been effective in ensuring the integrity of the covered segments by controlling the identified threats to the covered segments;#

(vii)Semi-annual performance measures beyond those required in § 192.945 that are part of the performance plan. (See § 192.911(i).) An operator must submit these measures, by electronic or other means, on a semi-annual frequency to OPS in accordance with § 192.951; and#

(viii)An analysis that supports the desired integrity reassessment interval and the remediation methods to be used for all covered segments.#

(2)In addition to the requirements for the performance-based plan, an operator must:#

(i)Have completed at least two integrity assessments on each covered pipeline segment the operator is including under the performance-based approach, and be able to demonstrate that each assessment effectively addressed the identified threats on the covered segment.#

(ii)Remediate all anomalies identified in the more recent assessment according to the requirements in § 192.933, and incorporate the results and lessons learned from the more recent assessment into the operator's data integration and risk assessment.#

(c)Deviation. Once an operator has demonstrated that it has satisfied the requirements of paragraph#

(b)of this section, the operator may deviate from the prescriptive requirements of ASME/ANSI B31.8S and of this subpart only in the following instances.#

(1)The time frame for reassessment as provided in § 192.939 except that reassessment by some method allowed under this subpart (e.g., confirmatory direct assessment) must be carried out at intervals no longer than seven years;#

(2)The time frame for remediation as provided in § 192.933 if the operator demonstrates the time frame will not jeopardize the safety of the covered segment.#