[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 55 (Wednesday, March 22, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14573-14575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-2831]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration

[Docket No. PHMSA-2006-23998; Notice 1]


Pipeline Safety: Request for Waiver; Rockies Express Pipeline

AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); 
DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to consider waiver request.

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SUMMARY: The Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (Rockies Express) has 
requested a waiver of compliance from the pipeline safety regulation 
that prescribes the design factor to be used in the design formula for 
steel pipe. The waiver will allow Rockies Express to operate at hoop 
stresses up to 80 percent specified minimum yield strength (SMYS) in 
Class 1 locations.

DATES: Persons interested in submitting comments regarding this waiver 
request must do so by April 21, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Comments should reference Docket No. PHMSA-2006-23998 and 
may be submitted in the following ways:

[[Page 14574]]

     The DOT Web site: http://dms.dot.gov. To submit comments 
on the DOT electronic docket site, click ``Comment/Submissions,'' click 
``Continue,'' fill in the requested information, click ``Continue,'' 
enter your comment, then click ``Submit.''
     Fax: 202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management System: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, 
Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: DOT Docket Management System; Room PL-401 
on the plaza level of the Nassif Building, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.
     E-Gov Web site: http://www.Regulations.gov. This site 
allows the public to enter comments on any Federal Register notice 
issued by any agency.
    Instructions for submitting comments: You should identify the 
docket number (PHMSA-2006-23998) at the beginning of your comments. If 
you submit your comments by mail, please submit two copies. If you wish 
to receive confirmation that PHMSA received your comments, please 
include a self-addressed stamped postcard. Internet users may submit 
comments at http://www.regulations.gov, and may access all comments 
received by DOT at http://dms.dot.gov by performing a simple search for 
the docket number.

    Note: All comments will be posted without changes or edits to 
http://dms.dot.gov, including any personal information provided.

    Privacy Act Statement: Anyone may search the electronic form of all 
comments received for any of our dockets. You may review DOT's complete 
Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on April 11, 
2000 (65 FR 19477) or you may visit http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Reynolds by telephone at 202-
366-2786; by fax at 202-366-4566; by mail at DOT, Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Pipeline Safety 
Program (PHP), 400 7th Street, SW., Room 2103, Washington, DC 20590; or 
by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Rockies Express Pipeline LLC (Rockies Express) requests a waiver of 
compliance from the regulatory requirements at 49 CFR 192.111. This 
regulation prescribes the design factor to be used in the design 
formula in Sec.  192.105. The design factors are found in the following 
table:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Design factor
                     Class location                             (F)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.......................................................            0.72
2.......................................................            0.60
3.......................................................            0.50
4.......................................................            0.40
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Rockies Express has begun construction on a 1,323-mile interstate 
natural gas pipeline. When complete, the 42-inch diameter pipeline will 
transport natural gas from Colorado and Wyoming to markets in the upper 
Midwest and Eastern United States. The waiver will allow Rockies 
Express to operate its pipeline at hoop stresses up to 80 percent SMYS 
in Class 1 locations. Rockies Express Pipeline LLC is a joint 
development of Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. and Sempra Pipelines 
& Storage, a unit of Sempra Energy. Rockies Express will operate its 
pipeline at a maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP) of 1480 
pounds per square inch gauge.
    Rockies Express' long-term plan is to construct the pipeline in two 
or three phases from west to east: Western, Central, and Eastern.
     The Western segment of the project is comprised of 
approximately 710 miles of 42-inch pipeline extending from the Cheyenne 
Hub to an interconnection with Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company in 
Audrain County, Missouri.
     The Central segment will be comprised of approximately 425 
miles of 42-inch pipeline extending from the terminus of the Western 
segment in Audrain County, Missouri to the Lebanon Hub in Lebanon, 
Ohio.
     The Eastern segment will be comprised of approximately 188 
miles of 42-inch pipeline extending from the terminus of the Central 
segment at Lebanon, Ohio to a terminus at or near Clarington, Ohio.

System Description

    The Rockies Express pipeline will be constructed of steel pipe 
utilizing Kinder Morgan's Material Standard M8270, X-70 and X-80 Grade 
High Strength, High Toughness Welded Line Pipe for High-Pressure 
Transmission Service. The Class 1 line pipe for the proposed Rockies 
Express pipeline will be API 5L Grade X80 or X70 longitudinal seam 
submerged arc welded pipe or helical seam welded pipe as specified in 
Kinder Morgan's Material Standard M8270. The pipe will be externally 
coated with fusion bond epoxy (FBE) and the field weld joints will be 
externally coated with field applied FBE.
    The welding process on Rockies Express Pipeline Project will be 100 
percent nondestructively tested. Any imperfections discovered will be 
repaired or removed prior to putting the line in-service. The Rockies 
Express Pipeline will be hydrostatically tested at no less then 100 
percent SMYS. Prior to commissioning the pipeline for gas service, the 
pipeline will be surveyed with a multi-channel geometry smart tool 
capable of detecting anomalies including dents and buckles.
    The Rockies Express pipeline will be located in a common right-of-
way with other pipelines for approximately 90 percent of the pipeline 
route. Kinder Morgan will install variable resistance bonds between the 
various pipelines and metallic structures sharing the right-of-way to 
eliminate stray electrical currents, and to equalize the voltage 
potentials between the Rockies Express pipeline and other underground 
metallic structures.

Risk Analysis

    Kinder Morgan conducted a risk analysis for Rockies Express and 
compared the risk associated with using a 0.80 design criteria to using 
a 0.72 design criteria. Kinder Morgan determined that there is no 
significant increase in the risk associated with using the 0.80 design 
criteria for this type of pipe. Kinder Morgan has taken under 
consideration the following nine risk areas: (1) Stress corrosion 
cracking; (2) manufacturing defects; (3) weather/outside factors; (4) 
welding and fabrication defects; (5) equipment failure; (6) equipment 
impact (third party damage); (7) external corrosion; (8) internal 
corrosion; and (9) incorrect operation.
    According to Kinder Morgan, only in the areas of external 
corrosion, internal corrosion, and, incorrect operation did the risk 
analysis show a slightly higher degree of risk associated with using a 
0.80 design factor. Kinder Morgan asserts that the pipe wall designed 
with a 0.80 design factor indicates a slightly higher risk factor 
because it is manufactured with a thinner wall pipe than the pipe 
designed with a 0.72 design factor. Kinder Morgan further states that 
because the pipe designed with a 0.80 design factor operates at higher 
stress levels, the factor of safety between the MAOP and the pipe's 
SMYS is reduced. Kinder Morgan and Rockies Express indicated that they 
will employ several control and prevention programs to mitigate these 
increased risks.

[[Page 14575]]

    For the reasons stated, Rockies Express is requesting a waiver from 
the regulatory requirements at 49 CFR 192.111 for its Rockies Express 
Pipeline Project, and is seeking to operate its new interstate Rockies 
Express pipeline at hoop stresses up to 80 percent SMYS in Class 1 
locations.
    PHMSA will consider Rockies Express' waiver request and whether its 
proposal will yield an equivalent or greater degree of safety than that 
currently provided by the regulations. After considering any comments 
received, PHMSA may grant Rockies Express' waiver request as proposed, 
with modifications and conditions, or deny the request. If the waiver 
is granted and PHMSA subsequently determines the effect of the waiver 
is inconsistent with pipeline safety, PHMSA reserves the right to 
revoke the waiver at anytime.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 60118(c) and 49 CFR 1.53.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 17, 2006.
Theodore L. Willke,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 06-2831 Filed 3-21-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P