{"operation":"document","citation":"PI-77-021","title":"ADB 77-9 — Pipeline Safety Interpretation","source_type":"guidance","agency":"Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration","status":"guidance","official":true,"published_on":"1977-09-30","effective_on":null,"summary":"PI-77-021 response to ADB 77-9 concerning 192.147.","machine_formats":{"json":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-77-021.json","markdown":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-77-021.md"},"app_url":"https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-77-021","source_url":"https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Pipeline/1977/PI77021.pdf","body":"<<<PAGE 1>>>\n\nOPSO Advisory Bulletin No. 77-9 September 1977 page 2\nThe Congress has 60 legislative days in which to pass a joint resolution of approval before\nthe President's decision can take effect. The Alaska Natural Gas Transportation Act\nprovides dates for further executive and legislative review, if necessary. The El Paso\nAlaska Company had a proposal to pipeline North Slope gas from Prudhoe Bay to Point\nGravina, Alaska, liquefy it, and ship the liquefied natural gas by terminal to a California\nterminal. However, Congress can take no positive action regarding that proposal during\nits deliberations on the President's Alcan decision. (Note: El Paso announced on\nSeptember 22 that it was withdrawing its proposal.) Copies of the Decision and Report to\nCongress on the Alaska Natural Gas Transportation System may be obtained by directing\na request to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,\nWashington, D.C. 20402, Stock No. 060-000-00084-1 at $4.00 a copy, telephone number\n(202) 783-3238.\nRelates to 49 CFR §195.218\nOPSO PROPOSES DELETING REQUIREMENT THAT LONGITUDINAL SEAMS ON\nADJACENT PIPE LENGTHS BE OFFSET...On September 21, 1977, the Office\nof Pipeline Safety Operations (OPSO) issued Notice No. 77-6, Docket No. OPSO-48, in\nwhich it proposed revoking the requirements contained in Section 195.218 that\nlongitudinal seams on adjacent pipe lengths be offset.\nIn connection with construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, the Alyeska Pipeline\nService Company (Alyeska) twice requested waivers from compliance with the general\nrequirements of Section 195.218 for a total of eight girth welds. The information\nfurnished by Alyeska in support of their requests and by welding engineering experts\noutside the government supported the Materials Transportation Bureau's (MTB) granting\nthe requested waivers (41 Fed. Reg. 38202, September 9, 1976, and 42 Fed. Reg. 42943,\nAugust 25, 1977; also see August 1977 Advisory Bulletin). In addition to finding that the\nwaivers were not inconsistent with pipeline safety and were in the public interest, MTB\nconcluded that the requirement of Section 195.218 does not appear necessary for safety.\nBecause of the significance of these decisions and their impact on pipelines to be\nconstructed by others, MTB is proposing removing the requirement of Section 195.218\nfrom 49 CFR Part 195. MTB is of the opinion that the advancement of technology for\npipe manufacturing and pipe welding has made obsolete the need to offset the longitudinal\nseam when welding lengths of pipe together. MTB's opinion is based upon the following\nreasons:\n1. The ductility of the pipe and girth weld metals presently in general use provides for\nlocalized yielding where high residual stresses may exist and thereby prevents fracture\ndal\\192\\147\\77-09\n1\n\n<<<PAGE 2>>>\n\ninitiation and failure of the weld. (Section 195.218 was adopted when pipe and weld\nmaterials in general use were less ductile than materials in general use at present.)\n2. The similarity of mechanical properties between the girth weld and pipe metals that\nare presently in general use minimizes the likelihood of any concentration of residual\nstresses existing at the intersection of welds and the surrounding heat affected zone.\n3. The fact that longitudinal seams are ground flush with the inside pipe\ncircumference at the joint mitigates the likelihood of any concentration of residual stresses\ncaused by excess metal at the intersection of welds.\nMTB invites all interested persons to participate in this proposed rulemaking by submitting\nin triplicate such written comments, data, and information as they may desire not later than\nNovember 1, 1977. All comments received by the close of the comment period will be\nconsidered so far as practicable in developing the final rule. Communications should\nidentify the Docket and Notice numbers and be submitted to: Director, Office of Pipeline\nSafety Operations, Department of Transportation, Trans Point Building, 2100 Second\nStreet, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20590. Reprints of the Notice were sent to those on the\nappropriate OPSO mailing lists.\nTWO FEDERAL/STATE REGIONAL MEETINGS HELD...The Third Annual Southwest\n(September 7-8) and Western (September 21-22) Regional Meetings of State Agency\nPipeline Safety Staff Officials were held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Salt Lake City,\nUtah, respectively. The meetings\n(continued)\ndal\\192\\147\\77-09\n2","truncated":false,"body_characters":4425}