U.S. 
Department 400 Seventh Street, S.W. 
of Transportation Washington. D.C. 20590 
Pipeline and 
Hazardous Materials Safety 
Administration 
JUN 2 1 2030 
Mr. 
John W. Gibson I 
Oneok, Inc./Norteno Pipeline Company 
Tulsa, OK 74103 ~. 
President I 
Oneok Plaza I 
100 W 5th Street I 
Re: CPF No. 4-2005- 1003 
Dear Mr. Gibson: 
Enclosed is a decision on the petition for reconsideration filed in above-referenced 
case. 
The Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety has denied the petition. Accordingly, 
the payment of the remaining $27,500 civil penalty is due immediatelt. In addition, please be 
advised that appropriate corrective action regarding the Warning Item specified in the Final 
Order must also be taken if such action has not already been . Your receipt of this 
decision constitutes service under 49 C.F.R. $ 190.5. 
Sincerely, ~ 
James Reynolds I 
Pipeline Compliance ~ e ~ i s t d 
Office of Pipeline Safety 
Enclosure 1 
Cc: Sue Griffin, Assoc. General Counsel and Asst. Corporate secretary 
CERTIFIED MAIL -RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 
PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY AD INISTRATION 
OFFICE OF PIPELINE SAFETY 
WASHINGTON, DC 20590 
) 
In the Matter of 
Norteno Pipeline Company, 
a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oneok, Inc. ) 
CPF No. 4-2005-1003 
Petitioner. ) 
DECISION ON PETITION FOR REcONSIDE~TION 
On February 16,2006, pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 8 601 12, the Associate fidministrator for 
Pipeline Safety (Associate Administrator) issued a Final Order in thiy case finding 
Petitioner had violated the pipeline safety regulations and assessing q civil penalty in the 
amount of $27,500. The Final Order warned Petitioner to take appropriate corrective 
action regarding some of Petitioner's practices for examining exposeid pipe and recording 
data. 
On March 6,2006, Petitioner filed a petition for reconsideration of the Final Order. In its 
petition, Petitioner sought reconsideration of one finding of violatioq in the Final Order, 
identified as "Item 1B" for the failure to maintain a record of each tebt, survey, or 
inspection required by 49 C.F.R. 8 192.481 in sufficient detail to dewonstrate the 
adequacy of atmospheric corrosion control measures. 
Petitioner argues: "Norteno has no exposed 'pipeline or portion of pbpeline', only 
meters/regulators which are annually inspected for atmospheric corr@sion." In 
response to Item lB, Petitioner submitted copies of its ''Meter/Regul~tor Station 
Safety Inspection Reports" for five meterlregulator stations for the time period from 
1998 to 2005. Petitioner states there are only five meterlregulator st@tions in the 
pipeline system, and therefore, those records are the only records required to 
demonstrate the adequacy of its atmospheric corrosion control measpres. 
Section 192.48 1 requires each operator to inspect "each pipeline or fiortion of 
pipeline that is exposed to the atmosphere for evidence of atmosphetic corrosion." 
A pipeline is "all parts of those physical facilities through which gas moves in 
transportation, including pipe, valves, and other appurtenance attachpd to pipe, 
compressor units, metering stations, regulator stations, delivery stations, holders, 

and fabricated assemblies."' Any pipeline that is above ground is ''exposed to the 
atmosphere." All above-ground pipe must be inspected, including pi e that is 
intentionally above ground -not only pipe that has become exposed hrough natural 
causes. Therefore, Petitioner is required to inspect for atmospheric c rrosion on all 
f 
parts of those physical facilities through which gas moves in transporftation and are 
above ground. 
Section 192.491 requires each operator to maintain records of the inspections 
performed under section 192.48 1. Petitioner states it has only five meterlregulator 
stations and submitted records demonstrating inspection for atmosphtjric corrosion 
of those five regulatorslmeters. Petitioner indicates that those record$ are the only 
records required to show it performed the inspections required under bection 
192.48 
1. 
Petitioner's statement that it has no exposed "'pipeline or portion of pipeline', only 
meters/regulators" is incorrect. Petitioner's pipeline clearly has more than five 
locations where pipe is above ground. Petitioner's "System Protectiob Department 
Exposed Mains Patrol Checklist" identifies seventeen pages of locati4ns where pipe 
is exposed. Although some document indicates the pipe condition at pome 
locations, it does not indicate the condition at others. Petitioner also qubmitted 
photos of above ground pipe at locations other than the five regulatorlmeter sites. 
Section 192.48 1 requires Petitioner to inspect all of the locations with exposed pipe 
for atmospheric corrosion, not just the regulatorlmeter sites. Petitionqr produced 
records of atmospheric corrosion inspections of five regulators/meter$, which are 
exposed pipeline subject to section 192.481. Petitioner did not produpe complete 
records for atmospheric corrosion inspections of all pipeline located dbove ground. 
Of particular note, none of the documents produced by Petitioner recc/rd inspections 
of the Del Norte # 1 line. 
The records Petitioner submitted do not demonstrate that it maintained complete 
records of its atmospheric corrosion inspections at all locations wherel it has 
exposed pipeline. 
Relief Denied 
I have considered Petitioner's request for reconsideration and the additional records 
it submitted with its request. Petitioner has failed to demonstrate thatit maintained 
complete records of atmospheric corrosion inspections in sufficient dqtail to 
demonstrate the adequacy of atmospheric corrosion control measures. Therefore, 
all terms of the Final Order remain in effect, including assessment of b e civil 
penalty in the amount of $27,500. 
Payment of the civil penalty must be made within 20 days of service. Federal 
regulations (49 C.F.R. 5 89.21 (b)(3)) require this payment be made by wire transfer, 
I 
'49 C.F.R. 5 192.3. 

through the Federal Reserve Communications System (Fedwire), to 
the U.S. Treasury. Questions concerning wire transfers should be 
Financial Operations Division (AMZ- 120), Federal Aviation 
Monroney Aeronautical Center, P.O. Box 25082, Oklahoma 
(405) 
954-471 9. 
Failure to pay the civil penalty will result in accrual of interest at the i,xrrent annual 
rate in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 5 3717,31 C.F.R. 5 901.9 and 49 C.F.R. 5 89.23. 
Pursuant to those same authorities, a late penalty charge of six perceqt (6%) per 
m u m will be charged if payment is not made within 1 10 days of seqice. Failure 
to pay the civil penalty may result in referral of the matter to the Attobey General 
for appropriate action in a United States District Court. 
This decision on reconsideration is the final administrative action in @is 
proceeding. 
I 
/1 
JUN 2 1 20hd 
ta ey Gerard bate Issued 
A s ciate Administrator 
Y r Pipeline Safety