Pipeline Safety

RRC's Oversight & Safety Program, ensuring compliance with safety regulations while promoting public safety & awareness

Pipeline Safety ANNOUNCEMENTS

Early Bird Registration Ends Soon for 2024 RRC Regulatory Conference


June 21, 2024

Early bird registration for the Railroad Commission of Texas’ (RRC) Regulatory Conference ends on Sunday, June 30, 2024. The registration fee for the conference is $450 per person if registered by June 30, 2024, and $550 per person if registered on or after July 1, 2024.

The conference will be held July 30-31 in Austin at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center.

The RRC is hosting this conference to inform and train industry representatives on the applicable laws, rules, and procedures for hydrocarbon production in Texas. Plus, it will feature over 60 sessions covering a variety of topics.

In addition to RRC presenters, the conference will feature presenters from Energy World, Industrial Training Services, Mears Group, Inc., National Transportation Safety Board, PHMSA, RCP Inc., RegSafe and Southern Methodist University.

Plus, this year’s conference will again feature exhibitors!

For additional conference information and to register, visit the RRC’s website at https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/organization-and-activities/activities/workshops-and-conferences/2024-rrc-regulatory-conference/.

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Overview

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What we do

The Oversight and Safety Division has responsibility for Alternative Fuels, Gas Services and Pipeline Safety.  This reorganization in January 2015 will bring even greater efficiency and consistency to these operations within the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC), allowing the agency to better serve the state.

Texas has the largest pipeline infrastructure in the nation, representing about 1/6 of the total pipeline mileage of the entire United States. Texas’ pipelines are divided into the categories of natural gas and LP-gas distribution lines, hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission lines, hazardous liquid and natural gas regulated gathering lines, intrastate production and gathering lines leaving a lease, and interstate lines. The RRC has safety responsibility over the first four categories.

Pipelines that cross between states are considered Interstate and would be under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) - Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The PHMSA southwest regional office located in Houston covers Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.

The Pipeline Safety department works to enforce compliance with federal and state laws and regulations by pipeline operators. These regulatory responsibilities extend to  operators of intrastate gathering, transmission, distribution, and master-metered systems. The RRC  continues to lead the nation in adopting and enforcing safety rules to enhance the integrity of pipelines throughout the state.

Pipeline Safety rules administered by the RRC are adopted in the Texas Administrative Code, containing State specific requirements and incorporates by reference the minimum Federal safety standards for transportation of gas and hazardous liquids by pipeline and liquefied natural gas facilities.

The RRC  also promotes and enforces an underground pipeline damage prevention program for Texas. The Pipeline Safety department is responsible for the enforcement of damage prevention regulations involving the movement of earth (excavation) surrounding pipeline facilities.

The goal of the Pipeline Safety department is to encourage an efficient, economical, and safe pipeline industry; to that end, we oversee pipeline activities to ensure compliance with state and federal safety regulations and promote public safety and awareness.

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