[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 2, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38024-38025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14953]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
[Docket ID PHMSA-2008-0162]
Pipeline Safety: Dynamic Riser Inspection, Maintenance, and
Monitoring Records on Offshore Floating Facilities.
AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA),
DOT.
ACTION: Notice; Issuance of Advisory Bulletin.
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SUMMARY: To remind owners and operators of the importance of retaining
inspection, maintenance, and monitoring records for dynamic risers
located on offshore floating facilities.
[[Page 38025]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Elizabeth Komiskey at 202-366-3169, or
by e-mail to [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background
A recent natural gas leak from a steel catenary export riser in the
Gulf of Mexico created significant and unexpected risk, as well as
major supply disruption. Though a root cause analysis of this incident
is not yet complete, visual inspection by divers has determined that
the source of the leak was a flexible joint on the riser. PHMSA
regularly monitors pipeline incidents and operator performance
nationwide and responds as incident trends necessitate, through an
array of regulatory measures including advisory bulletins.
In 2004, another offshore riser flexible joint failure resulted in
a small oil spill. Subsequent preemptive visual inspections performed
on other steel catenary riser flexible joints in the Gulf of Mexico
discovered damage to the elastomeric seal area near the rotating ball
and drove the replacement of four flexible joints. The flexible joint
riser failures described above have created potential safety risks on
floating production facilities, and have impacted delivery of energy
supplies from the Gulf of Mexico.
The national consensus standard for dynamic risers, American
Petroleum Institute Recommended Practice 2RD, is currently under
revision. The revised version will directly address concerns raised in
this Advisory Bulletin by including guidance for integrity management
of dynamic risers. PHMSA will consider adopting the revised standard
into its regulations for both natural gas and hazardous liquid
pipelines.
Advisory Bulletin (ABD-08-06)
To: Owners and operators of hazardous liquid and natural gas
pipelines located on offshore floating facilities.
Subject: Dynamic Riser Inspection, Maintenance, and Monitoring
Records on Offshore Floating Facilities.
Purpose: To remind owners and operators of the importance of
retaining inspection, maintenance, and monitoring records for dynamic
risers located on offshore floating facilities.
PHMSA advises operators of hazardous liquid and natural gas
pipelines with dynamic risers, such as steel catenary risers on
offshore floating production facilities, to perform regular inspection
and maintenance of these risers, monitor nearby environmental
conditions, and maintain records of these activities. Failure of a
dynamic riser could significantly impact safety, the environment, and
delivery of an important source of natural gas and petroleum products
used in the United States. PHMSA strongly urges operators to perform
the above-listed actions and any other actions needed to ensure the
safe and reliable operation of these systems.
Issued in Washington, DC on June 25, 2008.
Jeffrey D. Wiese,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. E8-14953 Filed 7-1-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P