UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

AIR, PESTICIDES & TOXICS MANAGEMENT DIVISION

61 Forsyth St., S. W.

Atlanta, Georgia 30303

FACT SHEET

ACTION: Preliminary Determination and Draft Revised Outer Continental Shelf

(OCS) Air Permit, OCS-EPA-R4008-M2, for

BHP Billiton Petroleum, Inc. (BHPB), Sake Prospect Project

Public Notice & May 24, 2013: Publication in the Panama City News Herald, Mobile Press

Comment Period: Register, Pensacola News Journal, and Florida Register

June 24, 2013: Close of Public Comment Period

Public Hearing: Requests for a hearing must be received by June 10, 2013. If deemed 

necessary, a public hearing will be held the week of June 24th, 2013. Details of 

scheduled hearing will be posted by June 12, 2013, on EPA’s web site at:

http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/permits/ocspermits/ocspermits.html

Project: The permitted project, which has not yet begun drilling, will use one of two 

deepwater exploratory drilling vessels and associated support fleet that BHPB 

proposes to operate within contiguous DeSoto Canyon OCS lease blocks in the 

Gulf of Mexico. BHPB has requested the permit be amended to include 

revised best available control technology (BACT) limits for eight (8) engines 

on the Development Driller 1 (DD1) exploratory drilling vessel based on 

recent source test data that was not available at the time of permitting. The 

permit revision does not constitute a modification to the emission units or 

operation of the facility. 

This project is considered a temporary major source under the applicable 

Prevention of Significant Deterioration regulations 40 CFR part 52.21 and is 

subject to the title V program at 40 CFR part 71.

Project Location: The project is located on the OCS in the Gulf of Mexico within lease blocks 

499, 543-545, 586-592, 631-640, 676-685, 721-729, 768-773, and 815-817. 

These contiguous lease blocks are located approximately within latitude 28.15° 

to 28.50° N and longitude 86.68° to 87.27° W. The center of the contiguous 

lease block area is located at 28.31° N and longitude 86.96° W, approximately 

120 miles southeast of the nearest Louisiana shoreline, 139 miles south 

southeast of the nearest Mississippi shoreline, and 125 miles south of the 

nearest Alabama and Florida shorelines.

Authority: EPA is the agency responsible for implementing and enforcing Clean Air Act

(CAA) requirements for OCS sources in the Gulf of Mexico east of longitude 

87.5°W.
Emissions: The maximum potential annual emissions in tons per year for each operating 

scenario drillship and support vessels are summarized in the following table:

Potential to Emit for Regulated NSR Pollutants

Pollutant

C.R. Luigs

Potential to Emit, 

Tons per Year

DD1

Potential to Emit, 

Tons per Year

Significant

Emission Rate,

Tons per year

PSD Review 

Required?

PM 66.02 77.28 25 Yes

PM10 41.15 72.44 15 Yes

PM2.5 40.16 72.26 10 Yes

NOX

1

1,699.60 1,309.61 40 Yes

SO2

1

0.91 0.88 40 No

H2SO4 0.03 0.03 7 No

CO 373.69 310.64 100 Yes

VOC181.61 110.48 40 Yes

GHGs 

(CO2e) 101,574.72 111,088.86 75,000 (subject toregulation threshold) Yes

Lead 0.02 0.02 0.60 No

1 NOX and VOC are the measured precursors for the criteria pollutant ozone. NOX & SO2 are precursors for PM2.5.

Proposed Changes: The BACT emission limits for PM/PM10/PM2.5, VOC, and GHGs for the 

main engines of the DD1 are being revised. The respective control technology 

determinations for these engines are not being revised; however, highpressure fuel injection/high-efficiency fuel injection, which has already been 

deemed to be BACT for other pollutants, is now being included as BACT for 

CO2e emissions. Public comments are being accepted for these proposed 

changes only.

Additional Information: The draft permit and preliminary determination document that explains the 

changes to the permit conditions are available on EPA Region 4’s website at: 

http://www.epa.gov/region4/air/permits/ocspermits/ocspermits.html

EPA Contact: For questions or comments on the draft permit and public hearing contact:

Art Hofmeister

EPA Region 4, APTMD

61 Forsyth Street, SW

Atlanta, GA 30303

(404) 562-9115

Fax: (404) 562-9066

Email: hofmeister.art@epa.gov