Codes and Standards

Codes and standards, to a significant degree, govern how natural gas delivery companies and their suppliers, manufacturers, and contractors do business. When adopted into regulation, they become requirements, but on their own, they make for useful reference points for companies to align with. Standards and codes are meant to enhance safety and efficiency and facilitate the development of technology, innovation, and trade.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC), a federal Crown corporation with a mandate to promote efficient and effective standardization in Canada, accredits “Standards Development Organizations” (SDOs).

SCC offers a number of useful online tools and resources, including:

• Notices of Intent – This page on the SCC website provides searchable information about new standards development including comment period dates.
• SCC Monthly Newsletter – This newsletter provides subscribers with updates on the latest news, events and opportunities in standardization that impact government, industry and consumers.

For more information on SCC, visit: www.scc.ca

Whereas in the USA there are hundreds of SDOs, in Canada, there are 12. They are listed on SCC’s website. Two are CGA members:

Canadian Standards Association (operating as CSA Group)

Current standards activities

Underwriters Laboratories of Canada Standards

Public review

Measurement Canada (MC) is a federal agency of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada that is responsible for ensuring fair and accurate measure in financial transactions involving goods and services. MC’s principal functions include:

• The development and administration of laws and requirements,
• The evaluation, approval and certification of measuring devices, and
• The investigation of complaints of suspected inaccurate measurement.

The two primary Acts that govern MC’s operations are:

• Weights and Measures Act
• Electricity and Gas Inspection Act

MC and industry work together under a formal structure called the Gas Process Advisory Committee (GPAC). GPAC provides a forum for collaboratively reviewing proposed regulatory requirements or amendments (i.e. new or revised specifications, bulletins, and procedures). GPAC members include representatives from MC, industry, and the CGA. For more information, please contact info@cga.ca.

1. CSA Z662:23 Oil and gas pipeline systems –  Addresses the safe design, construction, operation, maintenance, deactivation, and abandonment of pipeline systems. This standard applies to system components upstream of the meter for the delivery of:

• • Liquid hydrocarbons, including crude oil, multiphase fluids, condensate, liquid petroleum products, natural gas liquids, and liquefied petroleum gas;
  • Oilfield water;
  • Oilfield steam;
  • Liquid or dense phase carbon dioxide;
  • Gas (including vapour phase carbon dioxide, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen).

2. CSA B149.1:20 Natural gas and propane installation code –CSA B149.1 and CSA B149.2 provide guidance for the installation of appliances and equipment that burn natural gas and propane. CSA B149.1 deals specifically with natural gas and CSA B149.2 with propane. CSA B149.1 applies to the installation of:
   • Appliances, equipment, components, and accessories where gas is to be used for fuel purposes;
   • Piping and tubing systems extending from the termination of the utility installation or from the distributor’s propane tank;
   • Vehicle-refuelling appliances and associated equipment meeting the requirements of a general-purpose appliance to fill a natural-gas-fuelled vehicle; and
   • Stationary gas engines and turbines.

As a user of a standard, if ever clarifications are required on a particular standard, SDOs have mechanisms to resolve questions and provide formal interpretations. The following are some details which may help in requesting formal interpretations of certain standards:

Underwriters Laboratories of Canada Standards contact information:

Brian Murphy, Manager Standards
ULC Standards
171 Nepean Street, Suite 400, Ottawa, ON, K2P 0B4
E-mail: Brian.P.Murphy@ul.com
Phone: 613-755-2729 (61421)
Fax: 613-231-5977

CSA Group – contact information and process:

To submit a request for interpretation of a Standard, please send the following information to inquiries@csagroup.org and include “Request for interpretation” in the subject line:

1. Define the problem, making reference to the specific clause, and, where appropriate, include an illustrative sketch;
2. Provide an explanation of circumstances surrounding the actual field condition; and
3. Where possible, phrase the request in such a way that a specific “yes” or “no” answer will address the issue. Committee interpretations are processed in accordance with the CSA Directives and guidelines governing standardization and are available on the Current Standards Activities page.

A Canadian Registration Number (CRN) is an alpha-numeric identifier used in Canada to certify the satisfactory design of a particular boiler or pressure vessel. The CRN system in Canada has become a complex and costly system for applicants to navigate.

As uses of natural gas become more prevalent, including various forms of new applications such as those in CNG and LNG installations, the complexity and lack of clarity around the application of codes and standards including CRN requirements can present significant challenges to doing business.

The CGA has partnered with various stakeholders to develop a consortium to help increase the harmonization of CRNs across Canadian jurisdictions. The CRN Cross Industry Consortium presents a unified voice of industry sectors affected by the CRN process, specifically, sectors that are involved in the manufacture, distribution and application of pressurized vessels. Through a collaborative approach, the Consortium seeks outcomes that will lead to simplification of the CRN process and as a result will encourage innovation, increase economic activity and ultimately serve Canadian consumers with safer and more efficient products.

CRN Consortium partners include those manufacturers (boilers, pressure vessels and fittings, components), and end-users (refrigeration and air conditioning, propane, hydrogen and natural gas sectors). Government participants in the consortium include Natural Resources Canada and the Standards Council of Canada.

The Consortium has been working with a broad range of regulatory authorities, under the Canadian Free Trade Agreement’s regulatory reconciliation process. A reconciliation agreement was reached in late 2019 and is being implemented in 2020. More information is available here.

The CGA has also collected contact information for different jurisdictions in Canada to direct questions when encountering challenges with CRN applications. For more information, please contact info@cga.ca.

The Recommended Practice OCC-1-2013 has been produced by the Canadian Gas Association OCC-1 Task Force. It presents the essential requirements and minimum practices to control external corrosion found on buried or submerged metallic piping systems. These systems consist of pipe and associated components. However, it does not include the requirements and practices to control external corrosion found on above ground piping systems and structures. It does not address the control of internal corrosion.