Oil and Natural Gas Air Pollution Standards
White Papers
White Papers on Methane and VOC Emissions
On April 15, 2014, EPA released for external peer review five technical white papers on potentially significant sources of emissions in the oil and gas sector. The white papers focus on technical issues covering emissions and mitigation techniques that target methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). As noted in the Obama Administration’s Strategy to Reduce Methane Emissions (PDF) (15pp, 1.9 MB), EPA will use the papers, along with the input we receive from the peer reviewers and the public, to determine how to best pursue additional reductions from these sources. Read a summary of the white papers (PDF) (2pp, 282k)
The five white papers and peer review comments are posted below: Input from the public is being loaded to EPA's nonregulatory docket at www.regulations.gov, docket ID # EPA-HQ-OAR-2014-0557
- Compressors
- White paper (PDF) (51pp, 832k)
- Peer reviewer comments:
- David Allen, University of Texas at Austin (PDF) (4pp, 35k)
- Ramón Alvarez, Robert Harriss and David Lyon, Environmental Defense Fund (PDF) (20pp, 1.2 MB)
- John Cordaway, Transcanada Corporation (PDF) (9pp, 155k)
- Ned Jerabek, New Mexico Environmental Department (PDF) (4pp, 47k)
- Gary Reeves, Pioneer Natural Resources (PDF) (3pp, 74k)
- Emissions from completions and ongoing production of hydraulically fractured oil wells
- White paper (PDF) (82pp, 1.4 MB)
- Peer reviewer comments:
- David Allen, University of Texas at Austin (PDF) (9pp, 142k)
- Ramón Alvarez, Robert Harriss, and David Lyon, Environmental Defense Fund (PDF) (15pp, 256k)
- Joe Cardena, XTO Energy, Inc. (PDF) (7pp, 106k)
- Ned Jerabek, New Mexico Environmental Department (PDF) (8pp, 98k)
- Karen Olson, Southwestern Energy (PDF) (9pp, 172k)
- Steven Prince, Division of Natural Resources, Navajo Nation (PDF) (8pp, 84k)
- Leaks
- White paper (PDF) (63pp, 673k)
- Peer reviewer comments:
- David Allen, University of Texas at Austin (PDF) (8pp, 50k)
- Ramón Alvarez, Robert Harriss and David Lyon, Environmental Defense Fund (PDF) (21pp, 441k)
- Matt Harrison, URS Corporation (PDF) (11pp, 83k)
- Douglas Jordan, Southwestern Energy (PDF) (10pp, 189k)
- Dave Picard, Clearstone Engineering, Ltd. (PDF) (7pp, 49k)
- Curt Taipale, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (PDF) (6pp, 86k)
- Liquids Unloading
- White paper (PDF) (33pp, 464k)
- Peer reviewer comments:
- Pneumatic Devices
- White paper (PDF) (65pp, 692k)
- Peer reviewer comments
- David Allen, University of Texas at Austin (PDF) (8pp, 105k)
- Ramón Alvarez, Robert Harriss and David Lyon, Environmental Defense Fund (PDF) (15pp, 283k)
- Jim Bolander, Southwestern Energy (PDF) (10pp, 263k)
- Ned Jerabek, New Mexico Environmental Department (PDF) (4pp, 46k)
- Carrie Reese, Pioneer Natural Resources (PDF) (4pp, 95k)