250.1160—When may I flare or vent gas?
(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:
| Condition | Additional requirements |
|---|---|
| (1) When the gas is lease use gas (produced natural gas which is used on or for the benefit of lease operations such as gas used to operate production facilities) or is used as an additive necessary to burn waste products, such as H2S | The volume of gas flared or vented may not exceed the amount necessary for its intended purpose. Burning waste products may require approval under other regulations. |
| (2) During the restart of a facility that was shut in because of weather conditions, such as a hurricane | Flaring or venting may not exceed 48 cumulative hours without Regional Supervisor approval. |
| (3) During the blow down of transportation pipelines downstream of the royalty meter | (i) You must report the location, time, flare/vent 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 a well, drill-stem testing, production testing, other well-evaluation testing, or the necessary blow down to perform these procedures | You may not exceed 48 cumulative hours of flaring or venting per unloading or cleaning or testing operation on a single completion without Regional Supervisor approval. |
| (5) When properly working equipment yields flash gas (natural gas released from liquid hydrocarbons as a result of a decrease in pressure, an increase in temperature, or both) from storage vessels or other low-pressure production vessels, and you cannot economically recover this flash gas | You may not flare or vent more than an average of 50 MCF per day during any calendar month without Regional Supervisor approval. |
| (6) When the equipment works properly but there is a temporary upset condition, such as a hydrate or paraffin plug | (i) For oil-well gas and gas-well flash gas (natural gas released from condensate as a 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 properly, during equipment maintenance and repair, or when you must relieve system pressures | (i) For oil-well gas and gas-well flash gas, you may not exceed 48 continuous hours of 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).
(c)
The Regional Supervisor may establish alternative approval procedures to cover situations when you cannot contact the MMS 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 part 202 of this title. You must value any gas or liquid hydrocarbons avoidably lost or wasted under the provisions of part 206 of this title.
(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.