An Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?

H. Wayne Harper, P.E.

Course Outline

This two hour course provides an overview of proposed interstate natural gas pipeline project development and the associated permitting process.  Complied by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the material details nine topics; 1) How the Process Begins, 2) Key Issues Involving Location of the Project, 3) Pipeline Installation Sequence, 4) Abandonment, 5) Storage Fields, 6) Noise Issues, 7) The Responsibilities of Gas Companies, 8) Important Safety Issues, and 9) Further Environmental Issues.  After completing this course, the student will have a greater understanding of how this type of linear project is generated, the effects on the properties they traverse, as well as, the rights of the impacted landowners.

This course includes a multiple-choice quiz at the end, which is designed to enhance the understanding of course materials.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will:

• Realize the role of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in relation to interstate natural gas pipeline projects;
• Learn how the location of a pipeline or other related facilities is decided;
• Understand what rights landowners have whose property may be crossed by an interstate natural gas pipeline project;
• Be knowledgeable of the permitting process for transmission pipeline projects;
• Be familiar with the acquisition of rights-of-way for transmission pipeline projects;
• Be knowledgeable of the various standard transmission pipeline construction techniques;
• Understand the constraints associated with natural gas pipeline abandonment;
• Be familiar with the various types of gas storage fields and their related features;
• Be aware of noise issues related to pipeline construction and facility operations;
• Understand the responsibilities of gas companies;
• Be familiar with the safety issues associated with natural gas pipelines; and,
• Be knowledgeable of the environmental features crossed by pipelines, the assessments undertaken to document these features, and the associated impact avoidance or minimization measures.

Intended Audience

This course is intended for civil, environmental, petroleum, and mechanical engineers.

Benefit for Attendee

Attendee of this course will understand how interstate natural gas pipelines are developed, landowner rights, their impact on the properties they traverse, and the associated consideration of sensitive environmental resources.  This knowledge could prove invaluable for landowners when negotiating with gas companies during the easement acquisition process associated with pipeline construction.

Course Introduction

Within the United States, over 304,000-miles transmission pipelines have been developed as part of an extensive natural gas network.  The construction of these pipelines has involved the crossing of over a million private properties.  This course provides an overview of how interstate natural gas pipelines are developed, landowner rights, their impact on the properties they traverse, and the associated consideration of sensitive environmental resources.  This knowledge could prove invaluable for landowners when negotiating with gas companies during the easement acquisition process associated with pipeline construction.

Course Content

The course content is contained in the following PDF file:

An Interstate Natural Gas Pipeline on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you still experience any difficulty in downloading or opening this file, you may need to close some applications or reboot your computer to free up some memory.

 

Course Summary

The development of our nation’s energy infrastructure can occur while protecting private landowner rights, their properties, and the associated sensitive environmental resources.   This is particularly true for the interstate natural gas transmission pipeline industry, which conforms to specific protocols developed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  Engineers should be aware of how this type of linear project is generated, the effects on the properties they traverse, as well as, the rights of the impacted landowners.

Related Links

For additional technical information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

NaturalGas.com via http://www.naturalgas.com/index.asp
The Interstate Natural Gas Association of America (INGAA) via http://www.ingaa.com/
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) via http://www.ferc.gov/about/about.asp

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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