(a) You must request and receive approval from the Regional Supervisor to flare or vent natural gas at your facility, except in the following situations: ------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1) When the gas is lease use gas The volume of gas flared or
(produced natural gas which is used on vented may not exceed the
or for the benefit of lease operations amount necessary for its
such as gas used to operate production intended purpose. Burning
facilities) or is used as an additive waste products may require
necessary to burn waste products, such approval under other
as H2S. regulations.(2) During the restart of a facility Flaring or venting may not
that was shut in because of weather exceed 48 cumulative hours
conditions, such as a hurricane. without Regional Supervisor
approval.(3) During the blow down of (i) You must report the
transportation pipelines downstream of location, time, flare/vent
the royalty meter. volume, and reason for flaring/
venting to the Regional
Supervisor in writing within
72 hours after the incident is
over.
(ii) Additional approval may be
required under subparts H and
J of this part.(4) During the unloading or cleaning of You may not exceed 48
a well, drill-stem testing, production cumulative hours of flaring or
testing, other well-evaluation venting per unloading or
testing, or the necessary blow down to cleaning or testing operation
perform these procedures. on a single completion without
Regional Supervisor approval.(5) When properly working equipment You may not flare or vent more
yields flash gas (natural gas released than an average of 50 MCF per
from liquid hydrocarbons as a result day during any calendar month
of a decrease in pressure, an increase without Regional Supervisor
in temperature, or both) from storage approval.
vessels or other low-pressure
production vessels, and you cannot
economically recover this flash gas.(6) When the equipment works properly (i) For oil-well gas and gas-
but there is a temporary upset well flash gas (natural gas
condition, such as a hydrate or released from condensate as a
paraffin plug. result of a decrease in
pressure, an increase in
temperature, or both), you may
not exceed 48 continuous hours
of flaring or venting without
Regional Supervisor approval.
(ii) For primary gas-well gas
(natural gas from a gas well
completion that is at or near
its wellhead pressure; this
does not include flash gas),
you may not exceed 2
continuous hours of flaring or
venting without Regional
Supervisor approval.
(iii) You may not exceed 144
cumulative hours of flaring or
venting during a calendar
month without Regional
Supervisor approval.(7) When equipment fails to work (i) For oil-well gas and gas-
properly, during equipment maintenance well flash gas, you may not
and repair, or when you must relieve exceed 48 continuous hours of
system pressures. flaring or venting without
Regional Supervisor approval.
(ii) For primary gas-well gas,
you may not exceed 2
continuous hours of flaring or
venting without Regional
Supervisor approval.
(iii) You may not exceed 144
cumulative hours of flaring or
venting during a calendar
month without Regional
Supervisor approval.
(iv) The continuous and
cumulative hours allowed under
this paragraph may be counted
separately from the hours
under paragraph (a)(6) of this
section.------------------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Regardless of the requirements in paragraph (a) of this section, you must not flare or vent gas over the volume approved in your Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD) or your Development and Production Plan (DPP) submitted to BOEM.
(c) The Regional Supervisor may establish alternative approval procedures to cover situations when you cannot contact the BSEE office, such as during non-office hours.
(d) The Regional Supervisor may specify a volume limit, or a shorter time limit than specified elsewhere in this part, in order to prevent air quality degradation or loss of reserves.
(e) If you flare or vent gas without the required approval, or if the Regional Supervisor determines that you were negligent or could have avoided flaring or venting the gas, the hydrocarbons will be considered avoidably lost or wasted. You must pay royalties on the loss or waste, according to 30 CFR part 1202. You must value any gas or liquid hydrocarbons avoidably lost or wasted under the provisions of 30 CFR part 1206.
(f) Fugitive emissions from valves, fittings, flanges, pressure relief valves or similar components do not require approval under this subpart unless specifically required by the Regional Supervisor.