Bill Text: NY A02379 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Requires the department of environmental conservation to promulgate rules and regulations relating to gas flow meters at natural gas well sites.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 8-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-05-10 - held for consideration in environmental conservation [A02379 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A02379-Introduced.html

---

                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         2379
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   January 16, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. CROUCH, CORWIN, FINCH, MONTESANO -- Multi-Spon-
         sored by -- M. of A.  BARCLAY, HAWLEY, OAKS -- read once and  referred
         to the Committee on Environmental Conservation
       AN  ACT  to  amend  the  environmental  conservation law, in relation to
         requiring the department of environmental conservation  to  promulgate
         rules  and regulations relating to gas flow meters at natural gas well
         sites
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Section  23-0305 of the environmental conservation law is
    2  amended by adding a new subdivision 15 to read as follows:
    3    15. WITH RESPECT TO NATURAL  GAS  WELL  SITES,  THE  DEPARTMENT  SHALL
    4  PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT:
    5    A.  REQUIRE  THAT ALL GAS WELLS CAPABLE OF PRODUCTION BE EQUIPPED WITH
    6  AN ELECTRONIC FLOW METER ASSEMBLY FOR THE  PURPOSE  OF  MONITORING  SUCH
    7  PRODUCTION,  THE  FLOW  METER  ASSEMBLY  SHALL  CONSIST  OF A METER TUBE
    8  CONTAINING TEST PORTS TO BE UTILIZED  FOR  MEASUREMENT  AND  TESTING  OF
    9  EXTRACTED GAS, SHUTOFF VALVES TO BE UTILIZED FOR THE PURPOSE OF SHUTTING
   10  DOWN  PORTIONS  OF THE SYSTEM, AND A FLOW METERING ASSEMBLY, WHEREIN THE
   11  ORIFICE IS CAPABLE OF BEING REMOVED WITHOUT SHUTTING OFF THE SYSTEM.
   12    B. SHALL CAUSE TO BE COMPILED A LIST OF THIRD PARTY CONTRACTORS,  FROM
   13  WHICH  THE  GAS  COMPANIES  AND  WELL  OPERATORS  SHALL  SELECT FOR THIS
   14  SERVICE, THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE DEPARTMENT TO  PROVIDE  FOR  THE
   15  PURPOSE OF TESTING AND/OR CALIBRATING OF GAS FLOW METER ASSEMBLIES.
   16    C.  PROVIDE THAT ANY OWNER OR OPERATOR OF A NATURAL GAS WELL SITE MAY,
   17  AT SUCH OWNER'S OR OPERATOR'S OWN COST, ENGAGE THE SERVICES OF  A  THIRD
   18  PARTY CONTRACTOR FROM THE APPROVED LIST COMPILED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH B
   19  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION  FOR THE PURPOSE OF CAUSING AN INDEPENDENT TEST OR
   20  CALIBRATION TO BE CONDUCTED UPON THE GAS FLOW METER OR METERS  CONNECTED
   21  TO THE NATURAL GAS WELL SITE.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05077-01-5
       A. 2379                             2
    1    D.  REQUIRE THAT ORIFICE METERS AND PIPING BE INSTALLED TO COMPLY WITH
    2  AMERICAN GAS ASSOCIATION REPORT NO. 3, ORIFICE METERING OF  NATURAL  GAS
    3  AND  OTHER  RELATED HYDROCARBON FLUIDS, THIRD EDITION, PART 2 SPECIFICA-
    4  TION AND INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS. FOR PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION,
    5  "ORIFICE  METER"  MEANS A FLOW MEASURING DEVICE USED FOR CALCULATING THE
    6  PRESSURE DROP, FLOW RATE AND BEHAVIOR OF  THE  GAS  MOVING  THROUGH  THE
    7  PIPE.
    8    E.  REQUIRE  THAT TESTING AND CALIBRATION OF AN ORIFICE METER PROVIDED
    9  BY GAS COMPANIES OR WELL OPERATORS SHALL BE CONDUCTED ON A MONTHLY BASIS
   10  DURING THE INITIAL PRODUCTION STAGES AND ON A ROUTINE BASIS  THEREAFTER,
   11  THE  FREQUENCY  OF WHICH SHALL BE DEPENDENT ON THE DEGREE OF WEAR OF THE
   12  ORIFICE AND/OR FLOW CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WELL AND COMPLIANCE WITH  AGA
   13  SPECIFICATIONS.  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  THIS  PARAGRAPH  "INITIAL PRODUCTION
   14  STAGE" SHALL MEAN THE INITIAL THREE YEARS  FOLLOWING  INSTALLATION.  THE
   15  ORIFICE SHALL BE REPLACED IF THE DEGREE OF WEAR OF THE ORIFICE IS GREAT-
   16  ER THAN TWO PERCENT.
   17    F.  REQUIRE  THAT  COPIES  OF  ALL  REPORTS  AND  RESULTS OF THE TESTS
   18  CONDUCTED PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH E OF THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE  PROVIDED
   19  TO  THE  COMMISSIONER,  THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE AND MARKETS, THE
   20  CHIEF INSPECTOR OR DIRECTOR OF THE LOCAL BUREAU OF WEIGHTS AND  MEASURES
   21  REPRESENTING  THE  GEOGRAPHIC AREA IN WHICH SUCH TEST WAS CONDUCTED, AND
   22  THE ROYALTY OWNERS WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE UNIT SERVED BY THE WELL.
   23    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   24  it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,  amend-
   25  ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
   26  tation  of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made on or
   27  before such effective date.