API RP 1161

The purpose of this recommended practice is to provide guidance for developing and maintaining an Operator Qualification (OQ) program compliant with OQ regulations. Note: Operators should be aware that the OQ regulation is applicable only to United States Department of Transportation (DOT) jurisdictional pipelines Operators may elect to use all, part, or none of this document. Additionally, many components of this recommended practice apply to Gas Transmission Lines regulated under 49 CFR 192. Therefore, Operators may elect to utilize the recommended practice as applicable for these lines.This document is written to provide guidance for achieving compliance with the regulation at the time of publication and is comprised of four individual components: the Guidance Document, the API Covered Task List (Annex A), the Covered Task Standards (Annex B) and the Evolution of the Covered Tasks (Annex C). For purposes of this document, the word “pipeline” is used interchangeably with pipeline, pipeline facility, and pipeline system and any and all jurisdictional pipeline components as defined in 49 CFR Part 195.

The redline option is a comparison between the original 2012 and 2000 editions.The purpose of this recommended practice is to provide guidance for developing and maintaining a compliant Operator Qualification (OQ) program. Operators may choose to use all, part or none of this document. Additionally, many components of this RP also apply to Gas Transmission Lines regulated under 49 CFR 192. Therefore, operators may choose to utilize the RP as applicable for these lines.Operators should be aware that the OQ rule is applicable only to United States Department of Transportation (DOT) jurisdictional pipelines. For purposes of this document, the word pipeline is used interchangeably with pipeline, pipeline facility and pipeline system and any and all jurisdictional pipeline components as defined in 49 CFR Part 195.This document is written to provide guidance for achieving compliance with the regulation at the time of publication and is comprised of two individual components: the Guidance Document and the API Covered Task List (Annex A). A separate publication, the API Covered Task Standards, will contain guidance on the individual Covered Tasks. This guidance will include knowledge and skill components, span of control and abnormal operating conditions.