§ 250.865 - Surface pumps.

§ 250.865 Surface pumps.

(a) You must equip pump installations with the protective equipment required in API RP 14C, Appendix A - A.7, Pumps (incorporated by reference as specified in § 250.198).

(b) You must use pressure recording devices to establish the new operating pressure ranges for pump discharge sensors at any time when the normalized system pressure changes by 50 psig or 5 percent, whichever is higher. Once system pressure has stabilized, pressure recording devices must be utilized to establish the new operating pressure ranges. 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. You must only maintain the most recent pressure recording information that 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.

(c) Pressure shut-in sensors must be set according to the following table (initial set points for pressure sensors must be set utilizing gauge readings and engineering design):

Type of sensor	Settings	Additional requirements
(1) PSH sensor	Must be no higher than 15 percent or 5 psi (whichever is greater) above the highest operating pressure of the discharge line	Must be set sufficiently below the maximum allowable working pressure of the discharge piping. The PSH must also be set at least 5 percent or 5 psi (whichever is greater) below the set pressure of the PSV to assure that the pressure source is shut-in before the PSV activates.
(2) PSL sensor	Must be set no lower than 15 percent or 5 psi (whichever is greater) below the lowest operating pressure of the discharge line in which it is installed

(d) The PSL must be placed into service when the pump discharge pressure has risen above the PSL sensing point, or within 45 seconds of the pump coming into service, whichever is sooner.

(e) You may exclude the PSH and PSL sensors on small, low-volume pumps such as chemical injection-type pumps. This is acceptable if such a pump is used as a sump pump or transfer pump, has a discharge rating of less than 1⁄2 gallon per minute (gpm), discharges into piping that is 1 inch or less in diameter, and terminates in piping that is 2 inches or larger in diameter.

(f) You must install a TSE in the immediate vicinity of all pumps in hydrocarbon service or those powered by platform fuel gas.

(g) The pump maximum discharge pressure must be determined using the maximum possible suction pressure and the maximum power output of the driver as appropriate for the pump type and service.