The National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) is a dataset containing locations of and information about gas transmission and hazardous liquid pipelines, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plants, and breakout tanks which are under the jurisdiction of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). The data is used by PHMSA for emergency response, pipeline inspections, regulatory management and compliance, and analysis purposes. It is used by government officials, pipeline operators, and the general public for a variety of tasks including emergency response, smart growth planning, critical infrastructure protection, and environmental protection.

As a pipeline operator, do I have to participate in the NPMS?

The National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS) program began in 1999 and requires operators of certain pipeline facilities to submit geospatial, metadata, and attribute data to the NPMS. Section 191.29 of Title 49 in the code of federal regulations pertains to gas transmission pipeline and LNG plant operators and Section 195.61 pertains to hazardous liquid pipeline and breakout tank operators. This rule replaces the Pipeline Safety Improvement Act of 2002 as the NPMS requirement to submit. 

The regulations state that operators must annually submit:

• Data appropriate for use in the National Pipeline Mapping System (NPMS). A complete data submission includes the geospatial data, attribute data, and transmittal letter (metadata) for all LNG, hazardous liquid, and natural gas transmission pipeline systems operated by a company.
• The name and address of the person with primary operational control to be identified as its operator.
• Public contact information, which is used by members of the public to contact the operator for additional information about pipeline holdings.
• Annual updates of the above information to reflect changes.

Please refer to the NPMS Pipeline Operator website for more information, standards and submission instructions.