Current through Reg. 49, No. 12; March 22, 2024
(a) Odorization of
gas.
(1) Each gas company shall continuously
odorize gas by the use of a malodorant agent as set forth in this section
unless the gas contains a natural malodor or is odorized prior to delivery by a
supplier.
(2) Unless required by
RSA
192.625<subdiv>(B)</subdiv> or by
this section, odorization is not required for:
(A) gas in underground or other
storage;
(B) gas used or sold
primarily for use in natural gasoline extraction plants, recycling plants,
chemical plants, carbon black plants, industrial plants, or irrigation pumps;
or
(C) gas used in lease and field
operation or development or in repressuring wells.
(3) Gas shall be odorized by the user if:
(A) the gas is delivered for use primarily in
one of the activities or facilities listed in paragraph (2) of this subsection
and is also used in one of those activities for space heating, refrigeration,
water heating, cooking, and other domestic uses; or
(B) the gas is used for furnishing heat or
air conditioning for office or living quarters.
(4) In the case of lease users, the supplier
shall ensure that the gas will be odorized before being used by the
consumer.
(b)
Odorization equipment. Gas companies shall use commercially available
odorization equipment in any installation made on or after February 4, 2009.
Shop-made or other odorization equipment previously approved by the Commission
and in use as of February 4, 2009, may continue to be used in its current
service, but may not be re-installed in a different location. Each operator
shall be required to maintain a list of odorization equipment used in its
particular operations, including the location of the odorization equipment, the
brand name, model number, and the date last serviced. The list shall be
available for review during safety evaluations by the Division.
(c) Malodorants. Gas companies shall use
commercially available malodorants which shall meet the following criteria.
(1) The malodorant when blended with gas in
the amount specified for adequate odorization of the gas shall not be
deleterious to humans or to the materials present in a gas system and shall not
be soluble in water to a greater extent than 2 1/2 parts by weight of
malodorant to 100 parts by weight of water.
(2) The products of combustion from the
malodorant shall be nontoxic to humans breathing air containing the products of
combustion and the products of combustion shall not be corrosive or harmful to
the materials to which such products of combustion would ordinarily come in
contact.
(3) The malodorant agent
to be introduced in the gas, or the natural malodor of the gas, or the
combination of the malodorant and the natural malodor of the gas shall have a
distinctive malodor so that when gas is present in air at a concentration of
one-fifth of the lower explosive limit, the malodor is readily detectable by an
individual with a normal sense of smell.
(4) The level of natural malodor or the
injection rate of approved malodorant shall be sufficient to achieve the
requirement of paragraph (3) of this subsection.
(d) Malodorant tests and reports.
(1) Malodorant injection report. Each gas
company shall record as frequently as necessary to maintain adequate
odorization but not less than once each quarter the following malodorant
information for all odorization equipment, except farm tap odorizers. The
required information shall be recorded and retained in the company's files:
(A) odorizer location;
(B) brand name and model of
odorizer;
(C) name of malodorant,
concentrate, or dilute;
(D)
quantity of malodorant at beginning of month/quarter;
(E) amount added during
month/quarter;
(F) quantity at end
of month/quarter;
(G) MMcf of gas
odorized during month/quarter; and
(H) injection rate per MMcf.
(2) Each natural gas operator
shall check, test, and service farm tap odorizers at intervals not exceeding 15
months, but at least once each calendar year. Each gas company shall maintain
records to reflect the date of service and maintenance on file for at least two
years.
(e) Malodorant
concentration tests and reports.
(1) Each gas
company shall conduct the following concentration tests on the gas supplied
through its facilities and required to be odorized. Test points shall be
distant from odorizing equipment, so as to be representative of the odorized
gas in the system. Tests shall be performed at intervals not exceeding 15
months, but at least once each calendar year or at such other times as the
Division may reasonably require. The results of these tests shall be recorded
and retained in each company's files for at least two years. Malodorant
concentration test results shall include the following:
(A) odorizer name and location;
(B) malodorant concentration meter make,
model, and serial number;
(C) date
test performed, test time, odorizer tested, and distance from
odorizer;
(D) test results
indicating percent gas in air when malodor is readily detectable; and
(E) signature of person performing the
test.
(2) Wick-type farm
tap odorizers shall be exempt from the odorization equipment reporting
requirements of paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection.
(3) Gas companies that obtain gas into which
malodorant previously has been injected or gas which is considered to have a
natural malodor and therefore do not odorize the gas themselves shall be
required to conduct quarterly malodorant concentration tests and retain records
for a period of two years.