OIL FIELD & NATURAL GAS STORGE SERVICES

NPDES Permitting & Hydrostatic Discharge Activities

Development of oil or gas production or development of gas storage fields often requires the installation of transmission pipelines.  The Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) requires, prior to the pipeline being put into service, that hydrostatic testing be conducted on each pipeline to verify it is liquid tight.  The hydrostatic testing is critical since each section of pipeline is field welded together and if the welding is not completed correctly, the pipeline could potentially leak.  In order to complete hydrostatic testing of one or more pipelines, the pipeline(s) must be capped on each end, filled with water and then pressure tested to verify they will hold the necessary pressure over a specified time as required by the MPSC.  Once the hydrostatic testing is complete, the contractor would need to either vacuum truck off the water for disposal at a licensed waste disposal facility or discharge the water to a creek or stream utilizing a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit.  Innovative completes the necessary NPDES Permit application paperwork, attaches the necessary color CAD maps and Hydrostatic Testing Work Plan and tracks the approval of the NPDES Permit through the RRD of the MDEQ.  Innovative provides hydrostatic discharge monitoring, sampling, analytical testing and reporting services to assist our clients in maintaining compliance with the NPDES Permit.