Guided Wave Check List

Locations

Underground Natural Gas Storage: Facility Locations

The following map shows the various types and locations of U.S. underground natural gas storage facilities. (Map courtesy of U.S. Energy Information Administration.)

Pictures

The picture below illustrates the various types of geologic formations used for underground natural gas storage. As noted, the majority of underground gas storage facilities make use of depleted oil and gas fields. Other facilities are found...

State Participation

PHMSA is reaching out to state entities who have the safety authority over the downhole portion (wells/reservoir/salt cavern) of intrastate natural gas underground storage facilities to participate in our underground storage safety program. To participate, state...

Regulatory Drivers

Cased Crossings and Guided Wave Ultrasonics

When transmission pipelines traverse through areas of high consequence to people, property or the environment, they are required to follow PHMSA's Integrity Management (IM) requirements. An IM approach identifies specific threats to the pipeline that operators must address through a plan to...

UNGS Major Incidents

On October 23, 2015, an underground natural gas storage well, Southern California Gas Company’s (SoCal Gas) Aliso Canyon Well SS25, failed. The failure resulted in a sustained and uncontrolled natural gas leak in an area known as Porter Ranch in Los Angeles, California. Over 5,...

February 2018 presentation to the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil & Gas Association

Pipeline Safety: Safety of Underground Natural Gas Storage Facilities AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Department of Transportation (DOT). Interim final rule. 81 FR 91860 [Docket No. PHMSA–2016–0016; Amdt. Nos. 191–

Interim Guidelines for Confirming Pipe Strength in Pipe Susceptible to Low Yield Strength for Gas Pipelines, September 10, 2009