New Delhi: In a major step towards standardisation of practices and developing safety and operational standards in oil and gas infrastructure facilities, BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) together with GAIL (India) Ltd has formed an ''exclusive cell'' for the development of standards for high-pressure oil and gas transmission pipeline systems.

Supporting this proactive step on the part of GAIL, ministry of petroleum and natural gas has requested the department of consumer affairs to assign ''priority one'' to this task. GAIL has shared preliminary information and would provide necessary resources towards developing national standards.

Describing the occasion as a historic day for the energy sector in India, Proshanto Banerjee, chairman and managing director, GAIL, said, "The introduction of such standards would become specially relevant in the context of de-regulation of the gas business with multiple players in the transmission business and the crying need for a cross country national gas grid in place."

"Safety and environment parameters would be given paramount importance while formulating BIS standards for transmission of natural gas," Satwant Reddy, director general, BIS added. She also stressed "the role of weights and measures act under department of consumer affairs in the area of gas metering in the interest of the consumer at large."

These national standards would take the cognisance of the provisions made in other overseas standards such as the American Petroleum Institute (API), ASME and European Norms (EN). The technical and safety standards have important bearings on the pipeline cost, and the transportation tariffs.

The BIS standards will set minimum acceptable specifications for design, construction and procurement of oil and gas transmission pipeline systems. This is intended not only to ensure safety and security of pipeline infrastructure but also to lay down minimum technical compliance requirements. Further, BIS standards would bring parity in understanding of all interested parties in oil and gas transmission and eliminate divergent views on the subject.

The areas, which have been identified for development of standards and code of practice are line pipes for transportation of natural gas, line pipe coating internal / external, pipe line laying, laying of pipeline in crossings, Cathodic protection of pipeline, Gas metering system, SCADA, Centrifugal compressors for gas transmission, Pumps for transportation of LPG, Gas turbines, Construction and commissioning of gas dispatch terminal, commissioning of pipelines including swabbing / EGP, intelligent pigging of pipelines, Hot tapping of pipelines etc. BIS has already drawn a road map for completion of the development of standards with mutual co-operation.