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June 30, 2014

MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: Technical Corrections to the Final Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source 

Performance Standards 

FROM: Bruce Moore

Senior Technical Advisor, Oil and Natural Gas Sector

Sector Policies and Programs Division

Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards

TO: Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2010-0505

The Final Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National 

Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants Reviews was published in the Federal Register 

on August 16, 2012 (77 FR 49490). The final rule, which became effective on October 13, 2012, 

established standards for certain oil and gas operations not covered by the existing standards and 

include volatile organic emissions from gas wells, centrifugal compressors, reciprocating 

compressors, pneumatic controllers, and storage vessels (40 CFR part 60, subpart OOOO). On 

September 23, 2013 (78 FR 58416), final amendments to subpart OOOO were published to make 

changes primarily affecting implementation of the storage vessel provisions of the NSPS.

The technical corrections in this memorandum do not change the basic requirements of the rule, 

but are intended to improve clarity and ensure consistency across the notification, monitoring, 

and reporting requirements. The technical corrections are made only to the final rule and are 

detailed in the following table. 

Technical Corrections to the Final Rule

There were two categorical sets of technical corrections that will be made to the abovereferenced final rule. The first set deals with the technical corrections to the rule to make the

regulatory text consistent with proposed amendments of the rule as discussed in the preamble 

and to correct inadvertent text errors and omissions in the 2012 and 2013 final actions. The 

second set of technical corrections covers a number of revisions that are editorial in nature, 

including, for example, typographical, grammatical errors, and incorrect references. The sets of 

technical corrections described above translate into the following set of 29 specific changes that 

will be made to the above-referenced final rule. The attached table identifies the citations and 

provides a summary of the changes to the regulatory text. 
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Table 1. Summary of Revisions Made to 40 CFR Part 60 Subpart OOOO for the Oil and Natural Gas Sector.

Section Cites Revision Summary

40 CFR Part 60, Subpart OOOO – Standards of Performance for Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production, Transmission and Distribution

40 CFR Part 60, Subpart OOOO –

Standards of Performance for Crude 

Oil and Natural Gas Production, 

Transmission and Distribution 

Outline of the 

subpart

 §60.5411 of the subpart outline is revised to include the term “reciprocating compressors.” 

 §60.5416 of the subpart outline is revised to include the term “reciprocating compressor affected 

facility.”

§60.5375 What standards apply to 

gas well affected facilities?

(a)  Paragraphs (a)(2) and (3) are revised to replace the term “flowback emissions” with “recovered gas” 

to be consistent with proposed revisions to this section.

 Paragraph (a)(3) is revised to remove the phrase “for the duration of flowback” from the end of the 

sentence, because the phrase is not needed.

(b)  Paragraph (b) is revised to replace the phrase “well completion operation” with “flowback period” to 

be consistent with proposed revisions to §60.5375(a).

(f)  Paragraphs (f)(1)(i) and (ii) are revised to remove the phrase “a gas well affected facility meeting the 

criteria for,” because the phrase is not needed in those paragraphs.

 Paragraphs (f)(2) is revised to replace the term “flowback emissions” with “recovered gas” to be 

consistent with proposed revisions to this section

 Paragraph (f)(2) is revised to remove the phrase “for the duration of flowback,” because the phrase 

is not needed.

 Paragraph (f)(2) is revised to add the sentence, “(A}s soon as the rate of flowback has declined and 

stabilized enough to allow separation and recovery of any crude oil, condensate or produced water,

route the recovered liquids to storage vessels.” This change is being made to clarify that proper 

handling of liquids is required for exploratory, delineation and low pressure gas well affected 

facilities.

§60.5390 What standards apply to 

pneumatic controller affected 

facilities?

(c)  This paragraph was revised by adding the phrase, “constructed, modified or reconstructed on or after 

October 15, 2013,” to clarify that there are no requirements for pneumatic controller affected 

facilities located in the oil and natural gas production segments that were constructed, modified or 

reconstructed prior to October 15, 2013.

§60.5395 What standards apply to 

storage vessel affected facilities?

(d)  Paragraph (d)(1)(i) is revised by adding “except as otherwise provided below in this paragraph. For 

storage vessels receiving liquids pursuant to the standards for gas well affected facilities in 

§60.5375, you must achieve the required emissions reductions within 60 days after the beginning of 

the production stage as defined in §60.5430.” This revision is needed to correspond with the 

proposed clarification of provisions for liquids handling in §60.5375.

(f)  Revised introductory paragraph by adding “No other provision of this subpart applies to a storage 

vessel affected facility while that storage vessel affected facility is removed from service.” to clarify 
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Section Cites Revision Summary

that there are no requirements, except for paragraphs (f)(1) and (2), that apply to storage vessel 

affected facilities during the period they are removed from service.

§60.5410 How do I demonstrate 

compliance with the standards for 

my gas well affected facility, my 

reciprocating compressor affected 

facility, my pneumatic controller 

affected facility, my storage vessel 

affected facility, and my equipment 

leaks and sweetening unit affected 

facilities at onshore natural gas 

processing plants?

(d)  This revision corrects a typographical error. A space is being inserted between the words “than” and 

“natural” in paragraph (d)(2).

§60.5411 What additional 

requirements must I meet to 

determine initial compliance for my 

covers and closed vent systems 

routing materials from storage

vessels and centrifugal compressor 

wet seal degassing systems?

Section heading  The heading of §60.5411 is revised to include the term “reciprocating compressors.”

(a)  The heading of paragraph (a) is revised to insert the phrase “reciprocating compressors and for” to 

be consistent with revisions to §60.5385.

 Paragraph (a)(1) is revised to insert the phrase “the reciprocating compressor or” to be consistent 

with revisions to §60.5385. 

(b)  The heading of paragraph (b) is revised to insert the phrase “reciprocating compressors” to be 

consistent with revisions to §60.5385.

§60.5412 What additional 

requirements must I meet for 

determining initial compliance with 

control devices used to comply with 

the emission standards for my 

storage vessel or centrifugal 

compressor affected facility?

(d)  The introductory paragraph is revised by inserting the phrase “to paragraph (d)(1) of this section” to 

clarify applicability of an alternative provided in the 2013 storage vessel amendments.

§60.5413 What are the performance 

testing procedures for control devices 

used to demonstrate compliance at 

my storage vessel or centrifugal 

compressor affected facility?

(e)  Introductory paragraph is revised to replace “(e)(1) through (6)” with “(e)(1) through (7).

 Paragraph (e)(7) is added to correct an omission in the 2013 storage vessel amendments to read “(7) 

(E)nsure that each enclosed combustion device is maintained in a leak free condition.”
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Section Cites Revision Summary

§60.5415 How do I demonstrate 

continuous compliance with the 

standards for my gas well affected 

facility, my centrifugal compressor 

affected facility, my stationary 

reciprocating compressor affected 

facility, my pneumatic controller 

affected facility, my storage vessel 

affected facility, and my affected 

facilities at onshore natural gas 

processing plants?

(c)  The introductory text is revised to be consistent with proposed amendments to §60.5385 by inserting 

the phrase “complying with §60.5385(a)(1) or (2)” in the first sentence and adding the second 

sentence, “(F)or each reciprocating compressor affected facility complying with §60.5385(a)(3), you 

must demonstrate continuous compliance according to paragraph (c)(4).”

 Paragraph (c)(4) is added as follows: “(4) (Y)ou must continuously comply with the closed vent and 

cover requirements in §60.5411(a) and (b).

§60.5416 What are the initial and 

continuous cover and closed vent 

system inspection and monitoring 

requirements for my storage vessel 

and centrifugal compressor affected 

facility?

Section heading  The section heading is revised by adding “and reciprocating compressor affected facilities” to be 

consistent with proposed amendments to §60.5385.

(a)  Introductory paragraph is revised by adding “or reciprocating compressor affected facility” to be 

consistent with proposed amendments to §60.5385.

(b)  Introductory paragraph is revised by adding “or reciprocating compressor” to be consistent with 

proposed amendments to §60.5385.

§60.5420 What are my notification, 

reporting, and recordkeeping 

requirements?

(b)  Paragraph (b)(6)(ii) is revised to clarify that determination of a storage vessel’s potential to emit 

VOC must be reported only in the first annual report by adding the phrase, “for each storage vessel 

that became an affected facility during the reporting period.”

 Paragraph (b)(6)(vi) is revised by adding the phrase, “, including the date the storage vessel affected 

facility was removed from service,” to be consistent with proposed amendments to§60.5395(f).

 Paragraph (b)(6)(vii) is revised by adding the phrase, “, including the date the storage vessel affected 

facility was returned to service,” to be consistent with proposed amendments to§60.5395(f).

(c)  Paragraph (c)(3)(ii) is revised by adding the phrase, “or date of installation of a closed vent system 

as specified in §60.5385(a)(3),” to be consistent with proposed amendments to §60.5385.