N.J. Admin. Code § 14:7-1.25
Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 2024
Section 14:7-1.25 - Directional drilling operations(a) A pipeline operator shall develop guidelines for horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and shall include these guidelines, subject to review by the Board's Bureau of Pipeline Safety under N.J.A.C. 14:7-1.2 3, in the operator's operating and maintenance standards.(b) The guidelines required under (a) above shall establish minimum clearances between the pipeline to be installed by HDD and existing subsurface facilities.(c) Prior to beginning any natural gas pipeline HDD work that will be in proximity to and/or cross gas pipelines subjected to or intended to be subjected to pressure in excess of 125 psig, the pipeline operator shall prepare proposed horizontal directional drilling (HDD) plan and profile drawings. The drawings shall depict all known subsurface facilities in proximity to and/or crossing the proposed HDD alignment, including those identified through test-hole excavation in accordance with (d) below. The operator shall make these drawings available to Board staff for review upon request.(d) Prior to any proposed HDD operation, the operator shall locate all existing subsurface facilities by test-hole excavation to verify the proposed HDD alignment.(e) A pipeline operator shall ensure the safety of all gas lines and other subsurface facilities that will be crossed during an HDD operation, as follows: 1. Instrumentation that is approved by the operator to accurately locate the drilling/reaming head during HDD operations shall be provided, used, and maintained so as to assure appropriate clearances; or2. If the instrumentation required under (e)1 above is not used to accurately locate the drilling/reaming head, the facilities that will be crossed shall be exposed on the side that will be crossed, prior to the crossing, in order to ensure appropriate clearances.(f) A pipeline operator shall do one of the following to ensure the integrity of plastic pipe that is installed using HDD: 1. Utilize "window" excavations to view each section of plastic pipe as it is pulled in, so as to verify that the HDD pipe has not been damaged. An inspector shall witness the conditions of pipe at all "window" excavations and the operator shall retain documentation of the inspection. The operator shall determine the number of "window" excavations needed for pipe inspection commensurate with the length of the HDD operation;2. Submit to Board staff a written request for approval of an alternative method for verifying that the HDD pipe has not been damaged. The operator shall include documentation that the alternative method will be as effective as "window" excavations in enabling inspectors to verify that the HDD pipe has not been damaged and the alternative method shall not be used until Board staff have approved it; or3. Provide Bureau of Pipeline Safety staff with documentation to show that verification that the HDD pipe has not been damaged is not necessary because the soil characteristics and conditions will not adversely affect the plastic pipe during the HDD operations.(g) A pipeline operator shall ensure that any pipe that is to be pulled in an HDD operation is supported during the operation as follows: 1. All coiled pipe shall be supported by a turntable type device or similar mechanism that provides equivalent support; and2. All straight pipe shall be supported by roller assemblies.(h) A pipeline operator shall have an inspector physically present on site at all times when transmission pipelines are being crossed by HDD conducted under this section.N.J. Admin. Code § 14:7-1.25
Amended by R.1998 d.146, effective 3/16/1998.
See: 29 N.J.R. 5184(a), 30 N.J.R. 1050(a).
Repeal and New Rule, R.2009 d.69, effective 3/2/2009.
See: 40 N.J.R. 4915(a), 41 N.J.R. 1083(a).
Section was "Compressor stations: ventilation".
Amended by R.2009 d.291, effective 10/5/2009.
See: 41 N.J.R. 997(a), 41 N.J.R. 3844(b).
In (c), inserted "known" and ", including those identified through test-hole excavation in accordance with (d) below", and inserted the last sentence; in (f)1, inserted the second sentence, and deleted "or" from the end; added new (f)2; recodified former (f)2 as (f)3; in (f)3, substituted "verification that the HDD pipe has not been damaged is" for " 'window' excavations are"; in the introductory paragraph of (g), substituted "an" for "a"; in (g)1, inserted "or similar mechanism that provides equivalent support"; and in (h), substituted "transmission pipelines" for "subsurface facilities", and deleted ". An inspector shall also witness and document all pipe inspections at 'window excavations' " following "HDD".