New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production, Transmission and Distribution (40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO)

Applicability to natural gas industry

This new source performance standard regulates volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from specific sources within the oil and natural gas industry which include new, modified, and reconstructed sources. This action also regulates VOC emissions from leaking components at onshore natural gas processing plants and provides standards for sulfur dioxide emissions from natural gas processing plants.

You are subject to the applicable provisions of this subpart if you are the owner or operator of one or more of the onshore affected facilities that commenced construction, modification or reconstruction after August 23, 2011, and on or before September 18, 2015:

• natural gas wells
• centrifugal compressors
• reciprocating compressors
• oil production segment
• storage vessel
• group of all equipment, except compressors, within a process unit
• sweetening units
• natural gas well facilities that are hydraulically refractured

Compliance information

Beginning October 15, 2012, gas well completion notification provisions under EPA's 2012 oil and gas standards took effect. Companies can meet this provision by complying with state advance notification requirements. If a state does not have an advance notification requirement, companies must inform EPA no later than two days before the well completion using hydraulic fracturing begins. Owners or operators that need to notify EPA may send a notification email to the appropriate region at the address listed on EPA’s website.

More information

US EPA. Rule summary, rule history, compliance information and links to additional resources.