Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Plants: New NOM in Mexico
The Mexican government published the draft Mexican Official Norm PROY-NOM-018-ASEA-2023, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Plants.
This decree was published in the Official Journal of the Federation (DOF) on June 16, 2023.
In general, it establishes the requirements and specifications for industrial safety, operational safety and environmental protection that liquefied petroleum gas distribution plants must comply with during the design, construction, operation and maintenance stages, in order to promote, take advantage of and develop in a sustainable manner the activity of liquefied petroleum gas distribution by means of a distribution plant.
These requirements are also intended to prevent damage to the population, facilities and the environment.
The project is applicable in all the national territory and zones where the Nation exercises its sovereignty and jurisdiction and is of general observance and mandatory for the regulated entities that carry out or for those that intend to carry out the activity of distribution of liquefied petroleum gas through distribution plants, during the design, construction, operation and maintenance.
The means of reception of Liquefied Petroleum Gas considered in this Draft Mexican Official Standard for Distribution Plants are by tank car, by tanker, by tanker, by land pipeline, by semi-trailer and by auto-tanker.
Meanwhile, the means of supply considered in this Draft Mexican Official Standard are by tank car, by portable and/or transportable containers subject to pressure in a delivery vehicle and by distribution pipeline.
Gas Distribution
In Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Plants where the petroleum product is received by pipeline, this Draft Mexican Official Standard applies from the point of interconnection with the pipeline transportation system or from the reception point for the tanker.
On the other hand, in distribution plants where the supply is through distribution pipelines, this draft Mexican Official Standard applies up to the block valve where the pipeline distribution system starts.
Likewise, in Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Plants, where the storage vessel or vessels are shared with a specific purpose service station, this draft Mexican Official Standard applies up to the interconnection point, in these cases, the storage vessel or vessels will be part of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Distribution Plant, without prejudice that the specific purpose service stations must comply with the applicable regulations.
