California Air Resources Board

The Greenhouse Gas Emission Standards for Crude Oil and Natural Gas Facilities, or the Oil and Gas Methane Regulation, is designed to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas production, processing, storage, and transmission compressor stations, which account for four percent of methane emissions in California. Regulated entities are required to take actions to limit intentional (vented) and unintentional (leaked or fugitive) emissions from equipment and operations.

The provisions of the regulation are:

1. Collection and use (or destruction) of methane and associated gases from uncontrolled oil and water separators and storage tanks with emissions above a set methane standard;
2. Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) requirements for components, such as valves, flanges, and connectors, currently not covered by local air district rules;
3. Inspection and repair requirements when notified by CARB of emission plumes detected using approved satellite-based instruments;
4. Methane emission standards for large reciprocating compressors in addition to LDAR for the other large compressor components and smaller compressors;
5. Collection and use (or destruction) of methane and associated gases from specified centrifugal compressors, or replacement of higher emitting “wet seals” with lower emitting “dry seals”;
6. Use of “no bleed” pneumatic pumps and “no bleed” continuous bleed pneumatic devices with limited exemptions and restrictions on intermittent bleed pneumatic devices;
7. Enhanced monitoring for underground natural gas storage facilities including leak detection and ambient air monitoring; and
8. Reporting requirements for liquids unloading and well casing vents.