Guidelines for Parallel Construction of Pipelines

In 2007, Foundation members elected to address the challenges posed by parallel construction near existing pipelines by providing guidance to designers, constructors, operators and regulators to prevent personal injury or property damage to either the existing or new pipeline. Workshops were held in July 2007 and November 2007 to identify the means to address the concerns that arise during parallel construction, and again in April 2008, to define a path forward in developing guidelines for parallel construction.

Guidelines were developed during 2008 using a consensus process involving a working group of Foundation members directed by a steering team chaired by Dan Martin of El Paso. The guidelines draw upon the experience of the full breadth of INGAA Foundation members as well as leading practices used throughout the industry. These included the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) Best Practices and API 1166 – Recommended Practice on Excavation Monitoring and Observation.

The guidelines were reviewed by both the broader Foundation and INGAA membership and our federal partners at the FERC, U.S. DOT-PHMSA, U.S. Army COE, U.S. DOI-BLM and U.S. Forest Service.

The Work Group strongly encourages members to adopt and implement these guidelines, incorporating them into procedures and work practices as well as contract agreements addressing parallel construction of pipelines.

You will notice that the guidelines are designated: ‘Version 1’.  These guidelines are considered to be a living document, and we expect to evaluate their effectiveness periodically and explore further refinements in the spirit of continuous improvement and our commitment to pipeline safety.