General Overview
EPA’s Mandatory Greenhouse Gas Reporting Rule, 40 CFR Part 98, requires reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from certain industries in the U.S. The rule does not require control of GHG emissions. Under the rule, Subpart W applies to the petroleum and natural gas industry segment.
Am I required to report, and when is my report due to EPA?
Emissions are required to be reported if they exceed 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year for a given facility. CO2e includes carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O), with equivalencies assigned based on the global warming potential of each pollutant.
Reports must be submitted by March 31st for the preceding calendar year.
What equipment am I required to include in my reported emissions totals?
| Industry Segment | What is included under the given industry segment? | Emission Sources to Report | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onshore Petroleum and Natural Gas Production | Includes all equipment on a well pad or associated with a well pad, under common ownership or control, including leased or contracted activities by a production owner or operator located in a single hydrocarbon basin . | Pneumatic device venting | Equipment leaks |
| Pneumatic pump venting | Reciprocating compressor rod packing venting |
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| Well venting for liquids unloading | Centrifugal compressor venting |
||
| Gas well completion / workover venting | Dehydrator vent stack emissions |
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| Storage tank emissions | Acid gas removal vent stack emissions | ||
| Combustion emissions | EOR dissolved CO2 |
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| Flaring | EOR injection pump blowdowns |
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| Onshore Natural Gas Gathering and Boosting | Includes gathering pipelines and other equipment used to collect petroleum and/or natural gas from onshore production gas or oil wells and used to compress, dehydrate, sweeten, or transport petroleum and/or natural gas to natural gas processing facilities, natural gas transmission or distribution pipelines, or gas storage facilities. Gathering pipelines operating on a vacuum or with a GOR < 300 scf/bbl are excluded from applicability. | Pneumatic device venting | Associated gas venting / flaring |
| Pneumatic pump venting | Combustion equipment | ||
| Blowdown vent stacks | Equipment leaks | ||
| Storage tank emissions | Reciprocating compressor rod packing venting |
||
| Combustion emissions | Centrifugal compressor venting |
||
| Flaring | Dehydrator vent stack emissions |
||
| Acid gas removal vent stack emissions | |||
Is this a “once‐in‐always‐in” reporting program?
You may submit a notification to EPA of your intent to discontinue reporting, if reported emissions are:
- Less than 25,000 metric tons CO2e per year for five consecutive years; OR
- Less than 15,000 metric tons CO2e per year for three consecutive years.
Records must be retained, and reporting must resume if annual emissions subsequently increase above the reporting
threshold.
threshold.