§ 250.852 - Flowlines/Headers.

§ 250.852 Flowlines/Headers.

Cross Reference

Link to an amendment published at 83 FR 49259, Sept. 28, 2018.

(a) You must:

(1) Equip flowlines from wells with both PSH and PSL sensors. You must locate these sensors in accordance with section A.1 of API RP 14C (incorporated by reference as specified in § 250.198).

(2) Use pressure recording devices to establish the new operating pressure ranges of flowlines at any time when the normalized system pressure changes by 50 psig or 5 percent, whichever is higher. The pressure recording devices must document the pressure range over time intervals that are no less than 4 hours and no more than 30 days long.

(3) Maintain the most recent pressure recording information you used to determine operating pressure ranges at your field office nearest the OCS facility or at another location conveniently available to the District Manager for as long as the information is valid.

(b) Flowline shut-in sensors must meet the requirements in the following table (initial set points for pressure sensors must be set using gauge readings and engineering design):

Type of flowline sensor	Settings
(1) PSH sensor,	Must be set no higher than 15 percent or 5 psi (whichever is greater) above the highest operating pressure of the flowline. In all cases, the PSH must be set sufficiently below the maximum shut-in wellhead pressure or the gas-lift supply pressure to ensure actuation of the SSV. Do not set the PSH sensor above the maximum allowable working pressure of the flowline.
(2) PSL sensor,	Must be set no lower than 15 percent or 5 psi (whichever is greater) below the lowest operating pressure of the flowline in which it is installed.

(c) If a well flows directly to a pipeline before separation, the flowline and valves from the well located upstream of and including the header inlet valve(s) must have a working pressure equal to or greater than the maximum shut-in pressure of the well unless the flowline is protected by one of the following:

(1) A relief valve which vents into the platform flare scrubber or some other location approved by the District Manager. You must design the platform flare scrubber to handle, without liquid-hydrocarbon carryover to the flare, the maximum-anticipated flow of hydrocarbons that may be relieved to the vessel; or

(2) Two SSVs with independent PSH sensors connected to separate relays and sensing points and installed with adequate volume upstream of any block valve to allow sufficient time for the SSVs to close before exceeding the maximum allowable working pressure. Each independent PSH sensor must close both SSVs along with any associated flowline PSL sensor. If the maximum shut-in pressure of a dry tree satellite well(s) is greater than 11⁄2 times the maximum allowable pressure of the pipeline, a pressure safety valve (PSV) of sufficient size and relief capacity to protect against any SSV leakage or fluid hammer effect may be required by the District Manager. The PSV must be installed upstream of the host platform boarding valve and vent into the platform flare scrubber or some other location approved by the District Manager.

(d) If a well flows directly to the pipeline from a header without prior separation, the header, the header inlet valves, and pipeline isolation valve must have a working pressure equal to or greater than the maximum shut-in pressure of the well unless the header is protected by the safety devices as outlined in paragraph (c) of this section.

(e) If you are installing flowlines constructed of unbonded flexible pipe on a floating platform, you must:

(1) Review the manufacturer's Design Methodology Verification Report and the independent verification agent's (IVA's) certificate for the design methodology contained in that report to ensure that the manufacturer has complied with the requirements of ANSI/API Spec. 17J (incorporated by reference as specified in § 250.198);

(2) Determine that the unbonded flexible pipe is suitable for its intended purpose;

(3) Submit to the District Manager the manufacturer's design specifications for the unbonded flexible pipe; and

(4) Submit to the District Manager a statement certifying that the pipe is suitable for its intended use and that the manufacturer has complied with the IVA requirements of ANSI/API Spec. 17J (incorporated by reference as specified in § 250.198).

(f) Automatic pressure or flow regulating choking devices must not prevent the normal functionality of the process safety system that includes, but is not limited to, the flowline pressure safety devices and the SSV.

(g) You may install a single flow safety valve (FSV) on the platform to protect multiple subsea pipelines or wells that tie into a single pipeline riser provided that you install an FSV for each riser on the platform and test it in accordance with the criteria prescribed in § 250.880(c)(2)(v).

(h) You may install a single PSHL sensor on the platform to protect multiple subsea pipelines that tie into a single pipeline riser provided that you install a PSHL sensor for each riser on the platform and locate it upstream of the BSDV.

[81 FR 60918, Sept. 7, 2016, as amended at 83 FR 49259, Sept. 28, 2018]