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Notice:

In accordance with our obligations under B.C.’s Election Act, this site will not be updated during the provincial election period, except in the case of emerging public health and safety information or topics that are statutory in nature.

The BC Energy Regulator (Regulator) is advising permit holders to review their security management plans and processes and ensure they have adequate security in place to prevent unauthorized access to their sites.

The BC Energy Regulator (Regulator) is advising permit holders to review their security management plans and processes and ensure they have adequate security in place to prevent unauthorized access to their sites.

This advisory follows recent media reports outlining a threat to oil and gas infrastructure in the United States. In the reports, unauthorized persons accessed and interfered with pipeline operations creating the potential for serious infrastructure damage, endangering public safety and imposing significant environmental risk. These incidents did not involve any infrastructure regulated by the Regulator.

Permit holders should reference the national standards CSA Z662 Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems and CSA Z246.1 Security Management for Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry Systems to ensure current security plans have adequately identified and considered the risks of unauthorized access. Excerpts are included below but companies should review the full standards:

CSA Z246.1

  • Specifies criteria for establishing a security management program for petroleum and natural gas industry systems to ensure security threats and associated risks are identified and managed.
  • Provides mitigation and response processes and procedures to prevent and minimize the impact of security incidents that could adversely affect people, the environment, assets, and economic stability.
  • Provides guidance on developing security management systems.

CSA Z662

  • States that the operating company shall identify the activities that could affect safety, system integrity, and environmental protection during the operation and maintenance of the pipeline system. The operating company shall plan those activities so that they are conducted under specified conditions by establishing and maintaining documented procedures and schedules for activities, and setting operating criteria in the procedures, as appropriate.
  • Annex N provides guidelines for the development, documentation, and implementation of a pipeline system integrity management program.
  • States that conditions that can adversely affect the security of the pipeline system shall be corrected; therefore, review CSA Z246.1 for guidance.

If you have any questions regarding this Safety and Environmental Advisory, please contact:

OGC.Communications@bcogc.ca