August 24, 2026

Blog

This Week in Pipeline Safety – Week Ending August 23, 2026

Week ending August 23, 2026

Each week we flag the developments that actually touch the requirements pipeline operators and their contractors manage, across federal rules, state programs, and industry standards. No commentary and no spin: just the item, a short source-based “At a glance,” and a direct link so you can read it and decide for yourself. Everything in the “At a glance” boxes is drawn from the rule’s own text and applicability, and linked to the source.

No new federal requirement changed the rules you manage this week. What did happen: API published the second edition of RP 1176, the crack assessment and management standard, which API says PHMSA’s July repair-criteria proposal cites more than 20 times; and the NTSB is reported to have released preliminary findings on a gas distribution explosion in Michigan that destroyed a commercial building and seriously injured one person, pointing at a butt fusion joint on a 1988 main. The one item in this issue that could actually force a procedure change is a state one: Louisiana’s amended damage prevention law, which is reported to have taken effect August 1 and which reaches operators and excavators alike. Below those are the comment window closing August 31, the one closing September 8, and the meetings ahead.

Federal Rules & Federal Register

We found no PHMSA Federal Register document published between August 17 and August 23, 2026. PHMSA’s own Federal Register index shows its most recent published document as August 7, 2026, and its most recent pipeline documents as the July 31, 2026 standards-update batch; the Federal Register’s own PHMSA agency listing agrees. (PHMSA notices and rulemaking documents; Federal Register PHMSA agency page)

Two Federal Register documents published in the window mention gas pipelines and neither changes a pipeline safety requirement: a FERC combined notice of filings covering a Northern Natural Gas tariff compliance filing (business-practice standards, protest date August 31, 2026), and EPA’s weekly environmental impact statement availability list, which contained no pipeline projects. Both are outside what this column covers.

Follow-up on last week’s lead item, the 2026 Unified Agenda. Last week we reported the August 14 publication of DOT’s regulatory and deregulatory agenda and its three PHMSA pipeline entries, and said we had not read each entry’s abstract or projected dates. We have now read the entry records. The three PHMSA entries are RIN 2137-AF53 (Safety of Gas Distribution Pipelines and Other Pipeline Safety Initiatives, Proposed Rule Stage), RIN 2137-AF51 (Gas Pipeline Leak Detection and Repair, Long-Term Actions, final rule listed as To Be Determined), and RIN 2137-AF52 (Pipeline Operational Status, Long-Term Actions, NPRM projected July 2027 and designated deregulatory). The single most useful fact for a gas operator: the leak detection and repair final rule was never published. PHMSA’s own PIPES Act status chart states the unpublished final rule was withdrawn from the Federal Register under the regulatory freeze issued January 20, 2025, and the Agenda now carries no date for it. If you have been planning to a 2025 leak detection final rule, there is no rule and no effective date to plan to. One more detail on the distribution entry, and it comes with a wrinkle: RIN 2137-AF53’s proposed rule published September 7, 2023 (88 FR 61746) and comments closed November 6, 2023, and the only later milestone the Agenda carries is a hearing or public meeting projected for July 2026. That projected date has now passed, and we found no separate AF53 public-meeting notice. Note that the GPAC and LPAC did meet jointly on July 30, 2026, but that meeting was noticed to review a different set of 13 proposals, and we have not confirmed whether AF53 was among the matters before the committees. So for a gas distribution operator the practical read is that this entry’s own timetable is already stale. Agenda dates are agency projections and agencies miss them; read the entries before relying on a timeline. (DOT agenda, FR Doc. 2026-16607; RINs at reginfo.gov)

PHMSA Guidance & Interpretations

No new PHMSA advisory bulletin, letter of interpretation, or guidance or FAQ item was posted in this window. PHMSA’s guidance portal shows its most recent item as July 13, 2026 (“Guidance for Enhancing the Effectiveness of Distribution Integrity Management Programs”), the most recent pipeline advisory bulletin remains the June 22, 2026 safe-digging bulletin correction, and PHMSA’s newsroom shows no item newer than July 6, 2026. (PHMSA Guidance; PHMSA press releases)

The most recent pipeline letter of interpretation we could date is April 23, 2026 (PI-25-0001); read the “none found” for this window as “none found,” not a proven nil, since PHMSA’s interpretations database did not return a date-sorted list this run. (PHMSA Interpretations)

State Programs

No new state pipeline-safety rule change that alters a tracked requirement was identified in this window, with one exception newly reported in the trade press and set out below.

One recent state requirement change surfaced in the trade press this week and is worth putting in front of anyone who operates buried facilities in Louisiana, or digs near them. It is reported to have taken effect three weeks ago, so it is not new activity, but it is newly reported, and it places duties on operators as well as on excavators.

Louisiana, Acts 161 and 902 of the 2026 Regular Session, amending the Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law (enacted state law)

Reported August 20, 2026 by RCP’s DOT Pipeline Compliance News. (RCP, August 2026 issue) Act text on the Louisiana legislature’s document server: Act 161 (HB 464) and Act 902 (SB 469).

At a glance

Applies to (per the law’s scope): GD, GT, GG, HL, and any other operator with underground facilities in Louisiana, plus excavators and demolishers and, newly, most municipal and parish governments. Louisiana’s damage prevention law (cited under “Relates to” below) applies by activity, excavation and demolition near underground facilities, rather than by commodity, so scope follows where you have buried facilities and who digs near them. Confirm your own applicability against the Act text.
What it is: Act 161 requires an excavator or demolisher that damages an underground facility to notify the regional notification center (Louisiana 811) in addition to notifying the owner or operator, so that Louisiana 811 can alert other facility owners in the area. Act 902 amends the damage prevention law on material provided to an excavator when utilities are present but not marked, positive response through Louisiana 811, mandatory participation by most municipality or parish governments, annual training requirements, and enforcement, and adds coordination and notification requirements for certain BEAD-funded broadband projects.
Key date(s): Both Acts were enacted in the 2026 Regular Session. We opened the Act 161 (HB 464) text and confirmed its core damage-notification duty (below). The Act does not state its own effective date, so it takes effect August 1, 2026 by default under Louisiana Constitution Article III, Section 19, under which an act of a regular session takes effect the following August 1 unless the act specifies otherwise. We did not open the Act 902 (SB 469) enrolled text this run, so confirm its operative provisions and effective date against the Act itself before you change a procedure.
Relates to: the Louisiana Underground Utilities and Facilities Damage Prevention Law (cited here as La. R.S. 40:1749 et seq.; the law is also commonly cited beginning at 40:1749.11, so confirm the exact section range against the Act); the operator damage prevention program requirements at 49 CFR 192.614 and 195.442; and state damage prevention program elements under 49 CFR Part 198 Subpart D.

Enforcement & NTSB

No new PHMSA enforcement action dated in this window was identified. PHMSA’s PRIMIS enforcement extract carries a source stamp of August 4, 2026 and is refreshed monthly, so the published dataset had not moved into this window as of today. (PHMSA enforcement)

NTSB preliminary findings, Union, Michigan natural gas distribution explosion, reported released Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The event occurred July 28, 2026 at about 6:28 a.m.; a commercial building was destroyed and one person was seriously injured. As reported, NTSB investigators found natural gas underground on nearby properties and in the sewer system consistent with a leak in the distribution system, and located a leaking butt fusion joint on a gas main about 60 feet from the building, on a main installed in 1988. The section was removed for laboratory testing. No probable cause has been determined and the investigation is open. Reported by WVPE, WNDU, WSBT, and ABC57.

Sourcing note: we could not locate the preliminary report itself, or a docket for this event, on ntsb.gov (rechecked August 24). The date and substance above are consistent across four independent outlets, but this item rests on secondary reporting, not a primary NTSB document; read the preliminary report yourself when NTSB posts it. (NTSB news; NTSB investigations)

Why an operator would care regardless of who reported it: a leaking butt fusion joint on a vintage-1988 main sits directly on top of distribution integrity management threat identification and risk evaluation (49 CFR 192.1005 to 192.1007), plastic pipe joining procedures and joiner qualification (49 CFR 192.273, 192.283, 192.285), and leak investigation and grading. Preliminary findings are preliminary; they are not a finding of violation and they are not a probable cause.

No new NTSB pipeline safety recommendation, safety alert, or final report dated in this window was identified.

Standards & Editions

API Recommended Practice 1176, 2nd Edition, Assessment and Management of Cracking in Pipelines (consensus standard, new edition)

Published August 18, 2026. (API announcement, August 18, 2026)

At a glance

Applies to (per the standard’s own stated scope): HL and GT. API states that RP 1176 “serves hazardous liquid and natural gas transmission operators across diverse regulatory and geographic environments.” Note the applicability limit that matters most: this is a recommended practice, not a regulation, and it is not incorporated by reference into 49 CFR. It creates no requirement by itself. It becomes binding on an operator only where the operator adopts it into its own program, or where a regulation incorporates that edition by reference.
What it is: API announced publication of the second edition, stating the updated standard “gives pipeline operators a comprehensive framework for managing cracking-related threats and reducing the risk of pipeline failure.” API lists the key updates as: enhanced crack classification guidance distinguishing likely active cracks from stable anomalies; more detailed coverage of stress corrosion cracking causes and conditions and of circumferential crack threat management; expanded risk-informed decision making based on crack growth assessment and remaining life; improved integration of in-line inspection data, hydrotest results, operating history, coating condition, cathodic protection data and metallurgical findings; expanded discussion of modern in-line inspection and nondestructive examination technologies; improved guidance on preventive and mitigative measures including pressure cycling reduction, recoating and cathodic protection; and more detail on manufacturing-related threats including electric resistance welding seam issues, hook cracks, lack of fusion and hard spots.
Key date(s): Published August 18, 2026. First edition was 2016. There is no effective date; a recommended practice takes effect for an operator when the operator adopts it, or when a rule incorporates that edition.
Relates to: crack and anomaly management under 49 CFR 192 Subpart O (gas transmission integrity management, including threat identification at 192.917 and anomaly response at 192.933) and 49 CFR 195.452 (hazardous liquid integrity management); and, alongside it, the two standards API names in the same announcement, API RP 1160 (Managing System Integrity for Hazardous Liquid Pipelines) and API RP 1193 (Pipeline Pressure Cycle Management). API also states that the preamble to PHMSA’s July 2026 anomaly-response and repair-criteria proposal cites RP 1176 more than 20 times; that proposal is open for comment through September 8, 2026 (see below).

Looking ahead (not new this week, calendar reminder): the consensus-standard edition updates PHMSA confirmed on July 31, 2026 take effect January 1, 2027, when the updated NACE, NFPA, ASTM, and MSS editions incorporated by reference into 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195 become the versions operators must work to. Those updates were issued as a batch of separate notices, one standard per notice; linked here is the NACE SP0502 notice from that batch. (PHMSA standards update, NACE SP0502, July 31, 2026)

No new edition, addendum, errata, or public-review item dated in this window was identified from ASME (B31.4, B31.8, B31Q, B31.8S), ISO (45001, 55001, 19011, 31000), AMPP or NACE, ANSI/GPTC Z380.1, CGA, NFPA, or ASTM.

One edition question, now closed. API RP 1162, on public awareness programs, is incorporated by reference at 49 CFR 192.616 and 195.440, which makes its edition a compliance question rather than a bibliographic one. The CFR incorporates the first edition, December 2003; that remains the compliance edition until PHMSA updates the incorporation. API has since published a 3rd edition of RP 1162, which is not new in this window and is not incorporated into 49 CFR, so it changes no requirement by itself. If your public awareness program cites RP 1162, note the gap and comply to the edition the CFR pins, the 2003 first edition, even where a newer edition exists. (API RP 1162 first edition, as incorporated by reference; API 3rd edition announcement)

Comment Deadlines Closing Soon

Three blocks below: what closes inside roughly the next two weeks, what is further out on the calendar, and what has just closed. Every date was read from the Federal Register notice cited, on August 23, 2026. Confirm the docket before filing.

Closing inside roughly the next two weeks:

PHMSA joint meeting of the Gas and Liquid Pipeline Advisory Committees, written public comments on the July 30, 2026 proceedings (notice) – comments close August 31, 2026. (Federal Register; meeting Docket PHMSA-2026-1156). Worth knowing: this deadline appears in the notice’s ADDRESSES section and Section III text, not in the Federal Register DATES field, so an automated deadline feed keyed to Federal Register metadata will not show it. The notice directs that comments on any individual proposal be filed to that proposal’s own docket. Relates to: the 13 proposed rules the committees reviewed across 49 CFR Parts 191, 192, and 195, being special permit conditions, right-of-way patrol by remote sensing, the property damage definition for incident reporting, OPID notifications, rupture-mitigation valve timeframes, in-plant piping, annual report deadlines, welder limitations, class change pressure tests, MAOP reconfirmation records, incidental gathering lines, coating damage assessments, and atmospheric corrosion reassessment.

Next on the calendar (more than two weeks out, not “closing soon”):

PHMSA, Repair Criteria for Hazardous Liquid and Gas Transmission Pipelines (NPRM) – comments close September 8, 2026. (Federal Register; Docket PHMSA-2025-0019). Relates to: 49 CFR Parts 192 and 195 anomaly response and repair criteria. This is the proposal whose preamble API says cites RP 1176 more than 20 times, so the new second edition and this docket are the same conversation.

Recently closed:

The PHMSA information collection covering the incident, accident and annual report forms and the National Pipeline Mapping System closed August 17, 2026. (Federal Register; Docket PHMSA-2026-0529)

We found no other open PHMSA pipeline safety comment window, information collection, special permit, or petition closing between August 23 and roughly September 15, 2026.

Industry News

“Louisiana Updates Underground Utility Damage Prevention Law,” RCP DOT Pipeline Compliance News, August 2026 issue (issue page last modified August 20, 2026). rcp.com. Relates to: Louisiana R.S. 40:1749 et seq.; 49 CFR 192.614 and 195.442; 49 CFR Part 198 Subpart D. Covered in State Programs above.
“PHMSA Announces Summer Research & Development Public Debriefs,” RCP DOT Pipeline Compliance News, August 2026 issue. rcp.com. Relates to: research supporting 49 CFR 192 and 195 integrity and leak detection programs. The session schedule is in Upcoming Industry Events below.

No other requirement-affecting trade-press item dated in this window was identified from Pipeline & Gas Journal, Oil & Gas Journal, World Pipelines, or the Pipeline Safety Trust.

Upcoming Industry Events

Regulatory meetings and industry events over roughly the next six months, checked against the organizer’s own page on August 23, 2026 where that page was reachable; the exceptions are noted on the entry itself, and anything we could not reconfirm this week is marked tentative. Listed soonest-first within each group. The two entries dated February 22–26 and February 24, 2027 sit just past a strict six-month bound and are included deliberately. Several registration and hotel deadlines fall inside the next three weeks; reconfirm any deadline before you rely on it.

Regulatory meetings (federal and state)

PHMSA Office of Pipeline Safety, summer Research and Development public debriefs, 15 sessions – August 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 31 and September 2, 9, 11, 22, 2026 – Virtual, registration per session. Topics span nondestructive examination of aging plastic and non-metallic pipe, AI-enabled in-line inspection and risk management, distributed acoustic and fiber-optic sensing, geohazard risk, and gas distribution rehabilitation. Session list and per-session registration: RCP’s August 2026 summary; register through PHMSA’s PRIMIS meetings system. Session list read from RCP’s summary; PHMSA’s meetings site returned no readable content this run.
Pennsylvania PUC 2026 Safety Conference (pipeline, electric, cybersecurity) – September 9–10, 2026 – Penn Stater Hotel, State College, PA. Register by September 2; hotel block closed August 3. puc.pa.gov
FERC September Open Commission Meeting – September 10, 2026 – Washington, DC, webcast. ferc.gov
NAPSR National Meeting (National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives) – September 21–25, 2026 – Best Western Park Hotel, Madison, WI. Draft agenda dated August 7, 2026 is posted. napsr.org
FERC October Open Commission Meeting – October 15, 2026 – Washington, DC, webcast. ferc.gov
NARUC Fundamentals of Gas Regulation – October 20–22, 2026 – Virtual. Tentative, carried from a prior run and not reconfirmed this week. naruc.org
Kentucky Safety Connection 2026 (Kentucky PSC with Kentucky 811) – October 20–22, 2026 – Hilton Lexington Downtown, Lexington, KY. Hotel group rate by September 28. kentucky811.org
NARUC Annual Meeting & Education Conference – November 8–11, 2026 – San Juan, PR. Tentative, carried from a prior run. naruc.org
FERC November Open Commission Meeting – November 19, 2026 – Washington, DC, webcast. ferc.gov
FERC December Open Commission Meeting – December 17, 2026 – Washington, DC, webcast. ferc.gov
NARUC Winter Policy Summit – February 7–10, 2027 – Washington, DC. Tentative, carried from a prior run. naruc.org

No PHMSA advisory committee meeting is currently noticed; the GPAC and LPAC last met jointly on July 30, 2026, and written comments on that meeting close August 31 (see above). FERC has not yet posted its 2027 open-meeting schedule; it announced the 2026 schedule in October 2025, so January and February 2027 dates should be expected around October and will be added when they post. We did not reach the events and seminar calendars of several state commissions this run (Texas RRC, New Mexico PRC, California CPUC and OSFM, Ohio PUCO, Virginia SCC, Iowa, Minnesota OPS, Washington UTC); read that as not checked rather than as no events.

Industry association meetings (national, regional, and state)

Western Regional Gas Conference – August 25–26, 2026 – Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ. westernregionalgas.org
TXOGA Energy Elevated Technology Showcase – August 27, 2026 – Hyatt Regency Houston West, Houston, TX. Registration closed August 20. txoga.org
American School of Gas Measurement Technology (ASGMT), 61st – August 31 to September 3, 2026 – Woodlands Waterway Marriott, The Woodlands, TX. Pre-registration closed August 10; late registration open. asgmt.com
AGA Best Practices Emergency Preparedness and Response Roundtable – September 1–3, 2026 – Minneapolis, MN. Gas utility operators only. aga.org
Georgia 811 Damage Prevention Summit – September 2, 2026 – Savannah, GA. Free, space limited. georgia811.com
AGA Fall OSRAC Meeting (Operations Section Regulatory Action Committee) – September 9–10, 2026 – DTE Energy, Detroit, MI. No fee. aga.org
New York 811 Excavation Safety Expo – September 10, 2026 – Hyatt Regency Long Island, Hauppauge, NY. newyork-811.com
PBPA 64th Annual Meeting (Permian Basin Petroleum Association) – September 16–17, 2026 – Petroleum Museum and Petroleum Club, Midland, TX. business.pbpa.info
Texas Gas Association Damage and Safety Roundtable – September 16–17, 2026 – Texas811, Richardson, TX. texasgasassociation.com
MEA National Gas Rodeo & Expo – September 16–18, 2026 – Turfway Park, Florence, KY. Team registration closed August 21; banquet seating by September 3. nationalgasrodeo.org
GPA Midstream Convention – September 20–23, 2026 – Marriott Rivercenter, San Antonio, TX. Regular rate through September 18; refund cutoff August 28. gpamidstream.org
ASME International Pipeline Conference & Expo (IPCE) – September 21–25, 2026 (expo September 22–24) – BMO Centre, Calgary, AB, Canada. Early bird through September 3. ipceyyc.com
PODS Global Summit – September 22, 2026 – Platform, Calgary, AB, Canada. pods.org
Tennessee Gas Association Safety Summit – September 22–24, 2026 – Williamson Family Farm, Murfreesboro, TN. tngas.org
SGA Line Locator Workshop – September 23, 2026 – Port Huron, MI. sganaturalgas.org
AGA Policy Forum – September 28–30, 2026 – Dallas, TX. Member restricted. aga.org
AMPP Central Conference – September 28–30, 2026 – Saint Paul RiverCentre, Saint Paul, MN. Advance registration rate ended August 23; hotel cutoff August 31. ampp.org
Alabama Damage Prevention Summit – September 28–30, 2026 – The Lodge at Gulf State Park, Gulf Shores, AL. Rate rises after September 7; hotel cutoff August 28. actsnowinc.com
Georgia 811 Damage Prevention Summit, Braselton – October 1, 2026 – Braselton Civic Center, Braselton, GA. Free. A separate event from the September 2 Savannah summit; both dates are listed on the same organizer page. georgia811.com
Ohio Gas Association Regulator Fundamentals Seminar – October 1, 2026 – Union Rural Electric, Marysville, OH. members.ohiogasassoc.org
Gas Machinery Conference (GMC) – October 4–7, 2026 – Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN. Hotel block closes September 11. gmrc.org
APGA Public Natural Gas Week – October 4–10, 2026 – nationwide observance. apga.org
NMOGA Annual Meeting (New Mexico Oil & Gas Association) – October 5–7, 2026 – Santa Fe, NM. nmoga.org
AGA/EEI/INGAA Fall Security Conference and related events – October 5–8, 2026 – Louisville, KY. Members and invited guests. aga.org
AGA Operations Fall Committee Meetings, PSMS Workshop and Executive Leadership Safety Summit – October 5–9, 2026 – Louisville, KY. aga.org
WEI Safety Summit (includes a gas safety work methods track) – October 6–8, 2026 – city not yet published by the organizer. westernenergy.org
SGA Line Locator Workshop – October 7, 2026 – TECO Peoples Gas, Tampa, FL. sganaturalgas.org
AGA Fall Communications and Marketing Committee Meeting – October 7–8, 2026 – Washington, DC. aga.org
Texas811 Damage Prevention Summit – October 7–9, 2026 – Galveston Island Convention Center, Galveston, TX. Rate rises after September 10; hotel cutoff September 7; exhibit hall full. actsnowinc.com
Texas Pipeline Association Board of Directors Meeting – October 8, 2026 – ONEOK, Dallas, TX. texaspipelines.com
API Fall Committee on Petroleum Measurement Standards Meeting – October 12–16, 2026 – Hyatt Regency Austin, Austin, TX. Early RSVP September 4; refund September 11; hotel September 17. events.api.org
WEI Western Region Mutual Assistance Agreement Annual Meeting – October 13–14, 2026 – city not yet published. westernenergy.org
Pipeline Safety Trust Annual Conference – October 15–16, 2026 (pre-conference October 14) – New Orleans, LA. Presentation applications due September 1. pstrust.org
Colorado 811 Damage Prevention Summit and Expo – October 16, 2026 – Denver Marriott Tech Center, Denver, CO. Free in 2026. colorado811.org
AGA Executive Conference – October 18–19, 2026 – Irving, TX. Invitation only. aga.org
APGA Fall Board and Committee Meetings – October 18–20, 2026 – Savannah, GA. No cost, advance registration requested. apga.org
DCA Fall Meeting (Distribution Contractors Association) – October 19–21, 2026 – Renaissance Dallas Addison, Addison, TX. Adds $50 after September 28; hotel September 28; refund October 5. dcaweb.org
AMPP Eastern Conference: Pipeline Integrity – October 19–21, 2026 – Sheraton Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach, SC. Advance registration ends September 21; hotel September 10. ampp.org
API Storage Tank Conference & Expo – October 19–22, 2026 (conference proper October 21–22) – Hyatt Regency Austin, Austin, TX. Early registration ends August 28; hotel September 25; exhibit hall sold out. events.api.org
PODS Fall Forum – October 20–21, 2026 (forum October 21) – Topgolf Houston West, Houston, TX. pods.org
APGA Operations Conference – October 20–22, 2026 – Savannah, GA. Early bird ends September 30. apga.org
Mary Kay O’Connor Safety and Risk Conference, incorporating the 29th Process Safety Symposium – October 20–22, 2026 – Sonesta Houston IAH, Houston, TX. Early bird ends September 5; abstracts closed. mkosymposium.org
New Mexico Damage Prevention Summit – October 20–22, 2026 – Isleta Resort, Albuquerque, NM. Rate rises after September 29; hotel September 17. actsnowinc.com
AGA Underground Storage Committee Fall Meeting – October 21–23, 2026 – Park City, UT. aga.org
API Refrigerated Tank Conference (new, co-located with Storage Tank) – October 22, 2026 – Hyatt Regency Austin, Austin, TX. events.api.org
Northeast Gas Association Fall Operations Conference – October 26–27, 2026 – Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs, NY. Registration closes October 18, late adds $50; hotel September 26. northeastgas.org
Louisiana Gas Association Annual Operations Conference – October 26–28, 2026 – DoubleTree by Hilton, Lafayette, LA. Hotel by October 12. louisianagasassociation.org
AGA Gas Piping Technology Committee (GPTC) Winter Meeting – October 26–28, 2026 – Providence, RI. $475 per attendee. aga.org
AGA Best Practices Distribution Capital Construction Oversight Roundtable – October 27–29, 2026 – ONE Gas, Tulsa, OK. Gas utility operators only. aga.org
SGA Transmission Pipeline Design Workshop (Part 192, Mega Rule 1 and 2, rupture-mitigation valves, traceable verifiable and complete records) – October 27–30, 2026 – Williams, Houston, TX. sganaturalgas.org
UDig NY Damage Prevention Conference & Expo, 6th annual – October 28, 2026 – Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY. Closes at capacity. udigny.org
SGA Line Locator Workshop – October 28, 2026 – Atmos Energy, Plano, TX. sganaturalgas.org
TXOGA Lone Star Energy Forum – October 28–29, 2026 – JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country, San Antonio, TX. txoga.org
Fall 2026 EEI/AGA Taxation Committee Meeting – November 1–4, 2026 – Laguna Cliffs Resort, Dana Point, CA. aga.org
Mississippi Damage Prevention Summit (Locate Rodeo November 3) – November 4–6, 2026 – IP Casino Resort, Biloxi, MS. Early bird ends September 9, rises again October 14; hotel October 12. actsnowinc.com
API Fall Refining and Equipment Standards Meeting – November 9–13, 2026 – Hyatt Regency New Orleans, New Orleans, LA. Early registration October 9; hotel October 16. events.api.org
API Cybersecurity Conference for the Oil and Natural Gas Industry, 21st annual – November 10–11, 2026 – Woodlands Waterway Marriott, The Woodlands, TX. Early registration September 25; hotel October 19. events.api.org
API Pipeline Information eXchange (PIX) Workshop and Meeting – November 10–11, 2026 – Westin Houston Memorial City, Houston, TX. Abstracts close September 11; presentations due October 23; hotel October 12. events.api.org
Midwest Damage Prevention Training Conference (Indiana 811) – November 10–12, 2026 – French Lick Resort, French Lick, IN. Late registration after October 12. midwest811conference.com
API/AFPM Fall Operating Practices Symposium – November 11, 2026 – Hyatt Regency New Orleans, New Orleans, LA. Early registration October 9; hotel October 16. events.api.org
AMPP Western Conference, Extreme Environments – November 16–18, 2026 – Hyatt Regency Lake Washington, Renton, WA. Advance registration ends October 19; hotel October 26. The organizer’s event page and FAQ read November 16–18 while its technical program PDF is titled November 15–18; confirm before booking. ampp.org
NGA Energy Future Summit (inaugural) – November 17–18, 2026 – Springfield, MA. Tentative. northeastgas.org
AGA Best Practices DIMP Roundtable – November 17–19, 2026 – Henderson, NV. aga.org
North American Gas Forum – November 30 to December 2, 2026 – Washington, DC. energy-dialogues.com
Texas Gas Association Transmission Roundtable – December 3–4, 2026 – Drury Plaza Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX. Registration not yet open. texasgasassociation.com
International Utility Locate Rodeo (Missouri CGA) – December 7–8, 2026 – Springfield, MO. locaterodeo.net
Missouri CGA VacEx Rodeo – December 9, 2026 – Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, MO. mocommonground.org
Missouri CGA Damage Prevention and Excavation Safety Summit – December 9–10, 2026 – Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, Springfield, MO. Free, registration open. mocommonground.org
APGA Winter Board and Committee Meetings – January 25–27, 2027 (January 25 welcome reception) – Washington, DC. Registration opens late fall 2026, no cost. apga.org
PPIM 2027, 39th International Pipeline Pigging and Integrity Management Conference – January 25–28, 2027 – George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, TX. Abstract deadline was July 8, 2026. ppimconference.com
API Winter Exploration and Production Standards Meeting – January 25–29, 2027 – Hyatt Regency Dallas, Dallas, TX. events.api.org
Texas Gas Association Winter Board and Committee Meetings – January 26–27, 2027 – CPS Energy headquarters, San Antonio, TX. Tentative; the organizer’s site did not render for a full read. texasgasassociation.com
Louisiana Damage Prevention Summit – January 26–28, 2027 – L’Auberge Lake Charles, Lake Charles, LA. $289 through December 1, $329 after, $379 after January 5; hotel by January 3. actsnowinc.com
APGA Legislative Summit – January 27–28, 2027 – Washington, DC. Registration opens late fall 2026. apga.org
Iowa Excavation Safety Summit, 3rd annual – January 28, 2027 – Varied Industries Building, Iowa State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA. Free; award nominations due December 31, 2026. iowasafetysummit.com
Great Lakes Damage Prevention Conference & Expo (MISS DIG 811) – February 10–12, 2027 – DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI. Hotel cutoff January 11, 2027; call for abstracts open. greatlakes811expo.com
PLCA 79th Annual Convention (Pipe Line Contractors Association) – February 10–14, 2027 – Omni La Costa Resort, Carlsbad, CA. Save the date; registration not yet open. plca.org
SGA Technical Conference on Environmental Permitting and Construction – February 17–19, 2027 – DoubleTree Nashville Downtown, Nashville, TN. Registration not yet open. sganaturalgas.org
DCA 66th Annual Convention – February 22–26, 2027 – Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. Registration opens December 1, 2026. members.dcaweb.org
Nebraska Excavation Safety Summit – February 24, 2027 – Sandhills Global Event Center, Lincoln, NE. Free. nebraskasafetysummit.com

Also on the calendar and useful if you train to the rules: SGA runs a compliance-relevant virtual short-course slate through the window, including Management of Change (September 9), Control Room Management and Incorporated Regulations (September 16), a PSMS deep dive on damage prevention (September 22), and Safety Assurance and Management Review (October 6), all at sganaturalgas.org.

Dropped from last week’s list because it has now passed: the Global Damage Prevention Summit (August 18–20, Nashville). This list is refreshed weekly from our own events watchlist and will keep expanding as additional winter dates post.

Operator-type key: GT = gas transmission · GD = gas distribution · GG = gas gathering · HL = hazardous liquid · LNG = liquefied natural gas · UNGS = underground natural gas storage · MM = master meter · CO2 = carbon dioxide.

This post is a neutral, plain-language summary of the cited public sources, not legal advice or an SC analysis or interpretation. Applicability shown is drawn from each rule’s own scope. Confirm specifics against the linked source. Portions of this post were prepared with AI assistance and reviewed before publication.

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