This document provides guidance for operations, inspection, and maintenance activities based on the operational status of a pipeline. This establishes:

four statuses: precommissioned, active/in-service, idled, and abandoned,
operations, inspections, and maintenance recommendations for various pipeline operational statuses,
pipeline status documentation requirements,
recommendations regarding safe transition between pipeline statuses.

For the purposes of this document, the word "pipeline" refers to transmission and regulated gathering pipelines and pipeline systems, although the principles may be applied to nonregulated gathering and flow lines.

Regulations, permits, and easement requirements may supersede the guidance given in this document.