# Kim R. Henry — Pipeline Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** PI-83-007
- **title:** Kim R. Henry — Pipeline Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 1983-05-19
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** PI-83-007 concerning 192.3.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-83-007.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-83-007.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-pi-83-007
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/Pipeline/1983/PI83007.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

May 19, 1983
Mr. Kim R. Henry
10101 Slater Avenue, Suite 204
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Dear Mr. Henry:
This refers to your letter of May 10, 1983, asking whether the requirements of 49 CFR Part 192
would apply to a proposed hydrogen gas pipeline to be owned and operated by the Champlin
Petroleum Company. The pipeline will begin at a Shell refinery in Los Angeles and extend two
miles to a Champlin refinery.
I have issued the enclosed pipeline safety interpretation in response to your inquiry. It provides
that the pipeline in question would not be subject to Part 192.
Sincerely,
Richard L. Beam
Associate Director for
Pipeline Safety Regulation
Enclosure
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<<<PAGE 2>>>

No. 83-5
Date: May 19, 1983
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION
MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION BUREAU
Note: _
PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATORY INTERPRETATION
_
This pipeline safety regulatory interpretation applies a
particular rule to a particular set of facts and
circumstances, and as such, is binding only on the
operator to whom the interpretation is specially
addressed.
SECTION: 192.1, 192.3
SUBJECT: Part 192 Jurisdiction Over Proposed Hydrogen Pipeline
FACTS: Champlin Petroleum Company plans to purchase hydrogen gas from Shell
Oil Company for use in a Champlin refinery. Shell will deliver the gas to Champlin at a
dehydration plant located inside a Shell refinery where the gas is produced. From the dehydration
plant, the gas will be transported by Champlin in its own pipeline, which traverses public and
private lands for two miles inside Los Angles before reaching the Champlin refinery.
QUESTION: Is the proposed Champlin pipeline subject to Part 192?
INTERPRETATION: As provided in §192.1, Part 192 applies to the "transportation of gas",
which is defined in §192.3 to mean "the gathering, transmission, or distribution of gas by
pipeline... in or affecting interstate on foreign commerce." Under the definitions in §192.3 of
"gathering line" and "service line" (which is a "distribution line"), the transportation of gas that is
subject to Part 192 begins at the outlet of a production facility and runs to the point where
ownership of the gas passes to the consumer, or to where gas has been sold and delivered to the
consumer. Under the facts, Champlin is the consumer. Both the sale and delivery of hydrogen
gas to Champlin occur before the gas enters Champlin's pipeline. Therefore, the pipeline
transportation of gas to be conducted by Champlin falls outside the jurisdiction of Part 192.
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<<<PAGE 3>>>

Richard L. Beam
Associate Director for
Pipeline Safety Regulation
Materials Transportation Bureau
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<<<PAGE 4>>>

No. 83-8
Date: August 1, 1983
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION
MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION BUREAU
_
PIPELINE SAFETY REGULATORY INTERPRETATION
_
This pipeline safety regulatory interpretation applies to all
operators that are subject to the rule under Federal
or State law.
Note: SECTION: 192.179
SUBJECT: Valve Spacing
FACTS: None.
QUESTION: How far apart may sectionalizing block valves be placed on an onshore
transmission line being constructed in a Class 1 area?
INTERPRETATION: Section 192.179(a)(4) provides that "Each point on the pipeline in a Class
1 location must be within 10 miles of a valve." A spacing of not more than 20 miles between
valves will result in each point on the pipeline between valves being within 10 miles of a valves.
This allowable spacing is supported by the language of the proposed rule (35 FR 5713; April 8,
1970) upon which §192.179 is based, which stated that "Each sectionalizing block valve on a
transmission line must be installed at a spacing at a spacing not to exceed 20 miles within areas
conforming to Class 1 Location...."
Richard L. Beam
Associate Director for
Pipeline Safety Regulation
Materials Transportation Bureau
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<<<PAGE 5>>>

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<<<PAGE 6>>>

July 14, 1983
Dr. Robert L. Paullin
Associate Director
Office of Operations & Enforcement
Department of Transportation
2100 2nd Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20590
RE: D.O.T. Regulations Part 192.179
Dear Dr. Paullin:
Questions have developed on the interpretation of valve spacing under 192.179, and we
would like to have an official interpretation, hopefully as soon as possible. We have a pipeline
project going in within several weeks, and the valve spacing questions will be part of the problems
with that job.
The opening wording of 192.179 states that each transmission line must have
sectionalizing block valves spaced as follows:
Under sub (4) it states that each point on the pipeline in a Class 1 location must be within
ten miles of a valve.
A case of ambiguity exists as to whether the actual spacing between valves along a
transmission line should be ten, or twenty miles. As worded under (4) above, it could be
construed that if one valve is within ten miles, the requirements have been met. On the other
hand, if the opening wording of 192.179 referring to sectionalizing block valves it could also be
argued that each of the two valves required to sectionalize must be within ten miles of any point
on the transmission line.
Please provide our office with an interpretation as soon a possible, in view of our
imminent construction work where this will be arising.
Yours truly,
A. J. Schellenberg, P.E.
Lead Gas Engineer
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