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Canadian Energy Regulator Onshore Pipeline Regulations (SOR/99-294)

Regulations are current to 2024-03-06 and last amended on 2022-09-27. Previous Versions

Operation and Maintenance (continued)

[
  • SOR/2013-49, s. 22
]

Operation and Maintenance Manuals (continued)

 A company shall inform all persons associated with operation activities on the pipeline of the practices and procedures to be followed and make available to them the relevant portions of the operation and maintenance manuals.

Maintenance Safety

  •  (1) If a company contracts for the provision of services in respect of the maintenance of a pipeline, the company shall

    • (a) inform the contractor of all special conditions associated with the maintenance;

    • (b) inform the contractor of all special safety practices and procedures necessitated by the conditions or features specific to the maintenance;

    • (b.1) inform the contractor of the contractor’s responsibilities referred to in paragraph 6.5(1)(l);

    • (c) take all reasonable steps to ensure that maintenance activities are conducted in accordance with the manual developed under section 31; and

    • (d) authorize a person to halt a maintenance activity in circumstances where, in the person’s judgement, the maintenance activity is not being conducted in accordance with the manual developed under section 31 or is creating a hazard to anyone at the maintenance site.

  • (2) The person referred to in paragraph (1)(d) must have sufficient expertise, knowledge and training to competently carry out the obligations set out in that paragraph.

  • SOR/2013-49, s. 10

 A company shall, during the maintenance of a pipeline, take all reasonable steps so that

  • (a) the maintenance activities do not create a hazard to the public or the environment; and

  • (b) all persons at the maintenance site who are not involved in the maintenance of the pipeline are informed of the practices and procedures that are to be followed for their safety or for the protection of the environment.

  •  (1) A company shall develop a maintenance safety manual and shall submit it to the Regulator when required to do so.

  • (1.1) If a company contracts for the provision of services in respect of the maintenance of a pipeline, the maintenance safety manual shall set out the contractor’s responsibilities referred to in paragraph 6.5(1)(l).

  • (2) The company shall keep a copy of the maintenance safety manual or the relevant parts of it at each maintenance site of the pipeline, in a location where it is accessible to every person engaged in maintenance at the site.

Emergency Management Program

[
  • SOR/2013-49, s. 12
]
  •  (1) A company shall develop, implement and maintain an emergency management program that anticipates, prevents, manages and mitigates conditions during an emergency that could adversely affect property, the environment or the safety of workers or the public.

  • (1.1) The company shall develop an emergency procedures manual, review it regularly and update it as required.

  • (2) A company shall submit the emergency procedures manual and any updates that are made to it to the Regulator.

 A company shall establish and maintain liaison with the agencies that may be involved in an emergency response on the pipeline and shall consult with them in developing and updating the emergency procedures manual.

 A company shall take all reasonable steps to inform all persons who may be associated with an emergency response activity on the pipeline of the practices and procedures to be followed and make available to them the relevant information that is consistent with that which is specified in the emergency procedures manual.

 A company shall develop a continuing education program for the police, fire departments, medical facilities, other appropriate organizations and agencies and the public residing adjacent to the pipeline to inform them of the location of the pipeline, potential emergency situations involving the pipeline and the safety procedures to be followed in the case of an emergency.

  • SOR/2007-50, s. 14(F)

General Operation Requirements

 A company shall

  • (a) maintain communication facilities for the safe and efficient operation of the pipeline and for emergency situations;

  • (b) periodically test instruments and equipment at the pipeline stations to verify their proper and safe operation;

  • (c) continually record the suction and discharge pressures of the pipeline pump and compressor stations;

  • (d) clearly mark the open and closed positions of sectionalizing valves on any main line;

  • (e) clearly mark the open and closed positions and the function of isolating valves, blow-down valves and other major valves within a pipeline station; and

  • (f) post along the boundaries of the pipeline stations signage indicating the name of the company and the telephone number to call in the event of an emergency involving the pipeline.

Pipeline Control System

 A company shall develop and implement a pipeline control system that

  • (a) comprises the facilities and procedures used to control and monitor the operation of the pipeline;

  • (b) records historical pipeline operation data, messages and alarms for recall; and

  • (c) includes a leak detection system that, for oil pipelines, meets the requirements of CSA Z662 and reflects the level of complexity of the pipeline, the pipeline operation and the products transported.

  • SOR/2007-50, s. 15(F)

Maintenance Welding

  •  (1) A company shall not perform welding on a liquid-filled pipeline with a carbon equivalent of 0.50% or greater except if it has been demonstrated that no other practical alternative is available.

  • (2) If a company performs welding referred to in subsection (1), the company shall treat the weld as a temporary installation and replace that installation with a permanent one as soon as is practicable.

  • (3) Despite subsections (1) and (2) and section 16, if a company intends to perform welding on a liquid-filled pipeline with a carbon equivalent of 0.50% or greater and to treat it as a permanent installation, the company shall submit the welding specifications and procedures and the results of the procedure qualification tests to the Commission for approval.

Surveillance and Monitoring

 A company shall develop a surveillance and monitoring program for the protection of the pipeline, the public and the environment.

  • SOR/2007-50, s. 16

Integrity Management Program

 A company shall develop, implement and maintain an integrity management program that anticipates, prevents, manages and mitigates conditions that could adversely affect safety or the environment during the design, construction, operation, maintenance or abandonment of a pipeline.

  • SOR/2007-50, s. 17(F)
  • SOR/2013-49, s. 15
  •  (1) If a company finds a level of defect in excess of that allowed by CSA Z662 on its pipeline, the company shall document the particulars of the defect, its likely cause and the corrective action taken or planned to be taken.

  • (2) A company shall submit the documentation referred to in subsection (1) to the Regulator when required to do so.

Change in Class Location

 If the class location of a section of a pipeline changes to a higher designation that has a more stringent location factor, the company shall, within six months after the change, submit the proposed plan to deal with the change to the Regulator.

Change of Service or Increase in Maximum Operating Pressure

 If a company proposes a change of service or an increase in the maximum operating pressure for the pipeline, the company shall submit an application for the change or increase to the Commission.

Deactivation and Reactivation

  •  (1) If a company proposes to deactivate a pipeline or part of one for 12 months or more, has maintained a pipeline or part of one in a deactivated mode for 12 months or more or has not operated a pipeline or part of one for 12 months or more, the company shall submit an application for deactivation to the Commission.

  • (2) The company shall include in the application the reasons, and the procedures that were or are to be used, for the activity that is the subject of the application.

  •  (1) If a company proposes to reactivate a pipeline or part of one that has been deactivated for 12 months or more, the company shall submit an application for the reactivation to the Commission.

  • (2) The company shall include in the application the reasons, and the procedures that are to be used, for the reactivation.

Decommissioning

  •  (1) If a company proposes to decommission a pipeline or part of one, the company shall submit an application for the decommissioning to the Commission.

  • (2) The company shall include in the application the reasons, and the procedures that are to be used, for the decommissioning.

Training Program

  •  (1) A company shall develop and implement a training program for any employee of the company who is directly involved in the operation of the pipeline.

  • (2) The training program shall instruct the employee on

    • (a) the safety regulations and procedures applicable to the day-to-day operation of the pipeline;

    • (a.1) the security processes, procedures and measures applicable to the day-to-day operation of the pipeline;

    • (b) responsible environmental practices and procedures in the day-to-day operations of the pipeline;

    • (c) the procedures for the proper operation of the equipment that the employee could reasonably be expected to use; and

    • (d) the emergency procedures set out in the manual developed under section 32 and the procedures for the operation of all emergency equipment that the employee could reasonably be expected to use.

  • (3) The company shall use reasonable efforts to ensure that any employee who attends a training program has a working knowledge of the subject-matter of the program at the end of the program.

  • SOR/2013-49, s. 16

Safety Management Program

 A company shall develop, implement and maintain a safety management program that anticipates, prevents, manages and mitigates potentially dangerous conditions and exposure to those conditions during all activities relating to construction, operation, maintenance, abandonment and emergency situations.

Security Management Program

 A company shall develop, implement and maintain a security management program that anticipates, prevents, manages and mitigates conditions that could adversely affect people, property or the environment.

  • SOR/2013-49, s. 17

Damage Prevention Program

 A company shall develop, implement and maintain a damage prevention program that anticipates, prevents, manages and mitigates damage to its pipeline and meets the requirements set out in section 16 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Pipeline Damage Prevention Regulations — Obligations of Pipeline Companies.

Environmental Protection Program

 A company shall develop, implement and maintain an environmental protection program that anticipates, prevents, manages and mitigates conditions that could adversely affect the environment.

  • SOR/2007-50, s. 20(F)
  • SOR/2013-49, s. 18

Commission Authority

 When the protection of property and the environment and the safety of the public and the company’s employees warrant it, the Commission may direct a company to test, inspect or assess a pipeline in accordance with CSA standards or any other comparable standards.

Abandonment

[
  • SOR/2013-49, s. 22
]

Application for Leave to Abandon

 A company shall include in an application made under section 241 of the Act for leave to abandon a pipeline or part of one the reasons, and the procedures that are to be used, for the abandonment.

Reporting

[
  • SOR/2013-49, s. 22
]

Crossing Reports

 If a company constructs a pipeline that crosses a utility or private road, the company shall

  • (a) immediately notify the Regulator of the details of unplanned interruption in the operation of the utility or any unplanned closure of the road if the interruption or closure results from the construction of the crossing; and

  • (b) on request, submit a crossing report to the Regulator that sets out

    • (i) the description and location of the utility or road, and

    • (ii) the name of the authority having control over the utility or the name of the owner of the road.

Incident Report

  •  (1) A company shall immediately notify the Regulator of any incident relating to the construction, operation or abandonment of its pipeline and shall submit a preliminary and detailed incident report to the Regulator as soon as is practicable.

  • (2) After notification of an incident, an inspection officer may partially or completely relieve a company from the requirement to submit a preliminary and detailed incident report.

Audits and Inspections

[
  • SOR/2013-49, s. 22
]

General Compliance

  •  (1) A company shall conduct inspections on a regular basis and audits, with a maximum interval of three years, to ensure that its pipeline is designed, constructed, operated and abandoned in compliance with

    • (a) Parts 2 and 3 of the Act;

    • (b) Part 6 of the Act as it relates to the safety and security of persons and for the protection of property and the environment;

    • (c) these Regulations; and

    • (d) the terms and conditions of any certificate or order issued by the Commission, as it relates to the safety and security of persons and for the protection of property and the environment.

  • (2) The audit shall document

    • (a) all non-compliance noted; and

    • (b) any corrective action taken or planned to be taken.

 

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