25-12.052. Corrosion Control Criteria for Cathodic Protection of Buried or Submerged Metallic Pipeline

(1) The only acceptable criteria for the determination of cathodic protection shall be I-A(1), I-A(3) and I-A(5) of Appendix D, of 49 C.F.R. 192 (2011).

(2) I-A(1) shall be the only criterion acceptable for determination of the degree of cathodic protection of externally coated buried or coated submerged pipelines installed after June 1, 1975. When requirements cannot be met due to ineffective insulating capabilities of the external coating, that portion of the pipeline may be isolated and protected using other criteria listed in subsection (1) above.

(3) Application of Criterion I-A(5) is restricted to bare and essentially bare ineffectively coated metallic gas pipelines installed prior to July 31, 1971.

(a) Prior to utilization of Criterion I-A(5), a proposed, comprehensive, written procedure for application and monitoring shall be submitted to the Commission’s Bureau of Safety.

(b) The effectiveness of the procedure shall be supported by test data obtained in actual field application of the procedure. An acceptable procedure shall demonstrate that the procedure can attain a protective net current flow from the surrounding electrolyte into the pipeline surface at all current discharge (anodic) points.

(c) All procedure qualification records shall be retained as long as the qualified procedure is used.

(d) If application of the qualified procedure fails to provide the required protective net current flow from the surrounding electrolyte into the pipeline surface for a segment of the pipeline, the procedure shall be modified accordingly and requalified for use in similar conditions.

(e) The placement of the electrodes for resurvey monitoring of the application of I-A(5) shall utilize the same electrode locations as the initial survey when practical.

(f) Each pipeline that is under cathodic protection utilizing Criterion I-A(5) shall be tested at least once each calendar year, but with intervals not exceeding 15 months, to determine whether the cathodic protection meets the requirements of these rules.

(4) If gas leakage results from active corrosion of a pipeline, remedial action shall include application of cathodic protection to meet one of the criteria of this rule, as described in subsection (1), unless the pipeline is replaced with non-metallic pipe. Cathodic protection for these remedial applications must be tested at least once every calendar year, but with intervals not exceeding 15 months, to determine whether the cathodic protection meets the requirements of this rule.

(5) Each operator must take remedial action within three (3) months to correct or make substantial progress toward correction of any deficiencies indicated by monitoring.

Rulemaking Authority 350.127(2), 368.03, 368.05(2) FS. Law Implemented 368.03, 368.05 FS. History–New 10-7-75, Amended 10-2-84, Formerly 25-12.52, Amended 1-7-92, 10-11-12.