A 976: Requires the department of environmental conservation to promulgate rules and regulations relating to gas flow meters at natural gas well sites.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 976 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ANGELINO, LEMONDES, McDONOUGH, MORINELLO -- 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 16 to read as follows: 3 16. 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. LBD02688-01-5 
 A. 976 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 are authorized to be made and 27 completed on or before such effective date.