18 AAC 75.080. Facility piping requirements for oil terminal, crude oil transmission pipeline, exploration, and production facilities

(a) All facility oil piping associated with an oil terminal, crude oil transmission pipeline, exploration, or production facility must meet the requirements of this section.

(b) Buried steel piping containing oil must be maintained in accordance with a corrosion control program, approved by the department and,

(1) for a new installation, must be

(A) protected from corrosion by installing protective wrapping or coating and cathodic protection appropriate for local soil conditions; and

(B) of all welded construction with no clamped, threaded, or similar connections for lines larger than a one inch nominal pipe size; and

(2) for an existing installation, must

(A) undergo a corrosion survey;

(B) be carefully examined for deterioration any time a section of buried line is exposed for any reason;

(C) undergo an additional examination and corrective action to repair the damaged pipe and control future corrosion if corrosion damage is found; and

(D) be replaced with piping that meets the requirements of (1) of this subsection, if feasible, when significant repairs or replacements are made.

(c) Buried or insulated transfer piping and hoses that are located outside of secondary containment areas and that are used to transfer oil to or from docks or vessels must be leak tested at least annually, at or above the normal operating pressures, or must be subjected to another verification method approved by the department. The testing medium used must be in accordance with API RP 1110, Second Edition, 1981, or another applicable published safety standard. The owner or operator shall keep records of the results of these tests. Piping and hoses must be stenciled or tagged with the date of the last test and the allowable operating pressure. An oil discharge resulting from testing is not exempted from legal action under applicable state law.

(d) All aboveground transfer piping that is used to transfer oil to or from docks or vessels must be visually checked before and during each transfer or monthly, whichever is less frequent.

(e) Pipes removed from service for more than one year must be drained, identified as to origin, marked with the words "Out of Service", and capped or blank flanged.

(f) Aboveground piping and valves must be visually checked for leaks or damage during routine operations or at least monthly.

(g) Piping supports must be designed to be seismically stable and composed of materials to minimize corrosion and prevent chafing.

(h) Appropriate measures must be taken to protect aboveground piping from damage by vehicles.

History: Eff. 5/14/92, Register 122

Authority: AS 46.03.020

AS 46.04.030

AS 46.04.070

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