Bill Text: NY A00939 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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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 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to environmental conservation [A00939 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A00939-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                           939
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    January 14, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced by M. of A. CROUCH, FINCH, MONTESANO -- Multi-Sponsored by --
          M.  of A.   BARCLAY, HAWLEY -- 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.
                                                                   LBD02765-01-9
        A. 939                              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    § 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.