PHMSA Extends Federal Pipeline Safety Requirements to All Onshore Gas Gathering Pipelines

On November 2, 2021, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration published a final rule that revises the Federal Pipeline Safety Regulations to extend reporting and safety requirements to onshore gas gathering pipelines. Specifically, the rule extends reporting requirements to all gas gathering operators and applies a set of minimum safety requirements to certain gas gathering pipelines with large diameters and high operating pressures. The rule is designed to reduce the likelihood of gas gathering line failures, thus reducing the likelihood of greenhouse gas emissions releases during those failures.