You are subject to the applicable provisions of this subpart if you are the owner or operator of one or more of the onshore affected facilities listed in paragraphs (a) through (j) of this section for which you commence construction, modification, or reconstruction after September 18, 2015.

(a) Each well affected facility, which is a single well that conducts a well completion operation following hydraulic fracturing or refracturing. The provisions of this paragraph do not affect the affected facility status of well sites for the purposes of §60.5397a. The provisions of paragraphs (a)(1) through (4) of this section apply to wells that are hydraulically refractured:

(1) A well that conducts a well completion operation following hydraulic refracturing is not an affected facility, provided that the requirements of §60.5375a(a)(1) through (4) are met. However, hydraulic refracturing of a well constitutes a modification of the well site for purposes of paragraph (i)(3)(iii) of this section, regardless of affected facility status of the well itself.

(2) A well completion operation following hydraulic refracturing not conducted pursuant to §60.5375a(a)(1) through (4) is a modification to the well.

(3) Except as provided in §60.5365a(i)(3)(iii), refracturing of a well, by itself, does not affect the modification status of other equipment, process units, storage vessels, compressors, pneumatic pumps, or pneumatic controllers.

(4) A well initially constructed after September 18, 2015, that conducts a well completion operation following hydraulic refracturing is considered an affected facility regardless of this provision.

(b) Each centrifugal compressor affected facility, which is a single centrifugal compressor using wet seals. A centrifugal compressor located at a well site, or an adjacent well site and servicing more than one well site, is not an affected facility under this subpart.

(c) Each reciprocating compressor affected facility, which is a single reciprocating compressor. A reciprocating compressor located at a well site, or an adjacent well site and servicing more than one well site, is not an affected facility under this subpart.

(d) Each pneumatic controller affected facility:

(1) Each pneumatic controller affected facility not located at a natural gas processing plant, which is a single continuous bleed natural gas-driven pneumatic controller operating at a natural gas bleed rate greater than 6 scfh.

(2) Each pneumatic controller affected facility located at a natural gas processing plant, which is a single continuous bleed natural gas-driven pneumatic controller.

(e) Each storage vessel affected facility, which is a single storage vessel with the potential for VOC emissions equal to or greater than 6 tpy as determined according to this section. The potential for VOC emissions must be calculated using a generally accepted model or calculation methodology, based on the maximum average daily throughput determined for a 30-day period of production prior to the applicable emission determination deadline specified in this subsection. The determination may take into account requirements under a legally and practically enforceable limit in an operating permit or other requirement established under a federal, state, local or tribal authority.

(1) For each new, modified or reconstructed storage vessel you must determine the potential for VOC emissions within 30 days after liquids first enter the storage vessel, except as provided in paragraph (e)(3)(iv) of this section. For each new, modified or reconstructed storage vessel receiving liquids pursuant to the standards for well affected facilities in §60.5375a, including wells subject to §60.5375a(f), you must determine the potential for VOC emissions within 30 days after startup of production of the well.

(2) A storage vessel affected facility that subsequently has its potential for VOC emissions decrease to less than 6 tpy shall remain an affected facility under this subpart.

(3) For storage vessels not subject to a legally and practically enforceable limit in an operating permit or other requirement established under federal, state, local or tribal authority, any vapor from the storage vessel that is recovered and routed to a process through a VRU designed and operated as specified in this section is not required to be included in the determination of VOC potential to emit for purposes of determining affected facility status, provided you comply with the requirements in paragraphs (e)(3)(i) through (iv) of this section.

(i) You meet the cover requirements specified in §60.5411a(b).

(ii) You meet the closed vent system requirements specified in §60.5411a(c) and (d).

(iii) You must maintain records that document compliance with paragraphs (e)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section.

(iv) In the event of removal of apparatus that recovers and routes vapor to a process, or operation that is inconsistent with the conditions specified in paragraphs (e)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section, you must determine the storage vessel's potential for VOC emissions according to this section within 30 days of such removal or operation.

(4) The following requirements apply immediately upon startup, startup of production, or return to service. A storage vessel affected facility that is reconnected to the original source of liquids is a storage vessel affected facility subject to the same requirements that applied before being removed from service. Any storage vessel that is used to replace any storage vessel affected facility is subject to the same requirements that apply to the storage vessel affected facility being replaced.

(5) A storage vessel with a capacity greater than 100,000 gallons used to recycle water that has been passed through two stage separation is not a storage vessel affected facility.

(f) The group of all equipment within a process unit is an affected facility. (1) Addition or replacement of equipment for the purpose of process improvement that is accomplished without a capital expenditure shall not by itself be considered a modification under this subpart.

(2) Equipment associated with a compressor station, dehydration unit, sweetening unit, underground storage vessel, field gas gathering system, or liquefied natural gas unit is covered by §§60.5400a, 60.5401a, 60.5402a, 60.5421a, and 60.5422a if it is located at an onshore natural gas processing plant. Equipment not located at the onshore natural gas processing plant site is exempt from the provisions of §§60.5400a, 60.5401a, 60.5402a, 60.5421a, and 60.5422a.

(3) The equipment within a process unit of an affected facility located at onshore natural gas processing plants and described in paragraph (f) of this section are exempt from this subpart if they are subject to and controlled according to subparts VVa, GGG, or GGGa of this part.

(g) Sweetening units located at onshore natural gas processing plants that process natural gas produced from either onshore or offshore wells.

(1) Each sweetening unit that processes natural gas is an affected facility; and

(2) Each sweetening unit that processes natural gas followed by a sulfur recovery unit is an affected facility.

(3) Facilities that have a design capacity less than 2 long tons per day (LT/D) of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the acid gas (expressed as sulfur) are required to comply with recordkeeping and reporting requirements specified in §60.5423a(c) but are not required to comply with §§60.5405a through 60.5407a and §§60.5410a(g) and 60.5415a(g).

(4) Sweetening facilities producing acid gas that is completely re-injected into oil-or-gas-bearing geologic strata or that is otherwise not released to the atmosphere are not subject to §§60.5405a through 60.5407a, 60.5410a(g), 60.5415a(g), and 60.5423a.

(h) Each pneumatic pump affected facility:

(1) For natural gas processing plants, each pneumatic pump affected facility, which is a single natural gas-driven diaphragm pump.

(2) For well sites, each pneumatic pump affected facility, which is a single natural gas-driven diaphragm pump. A single natural gas-driven diaphragm pump that is in operation less than 90 days per calendar year is not an affected facility under this subpart provided the owner/operator keeps records of the days of operation each calendar year and submits such records to the EPA Administrator (or delegated enforcement authority) upon request. For the purposes of this section, any period of operation during a calendar day counts toward the 90 calendar day threshold.

(i) Except as provided in §60.5365a(i)(2), the collection of fugitive emissions components at a well site, as defined in §60.5430a, is an affected facility.

(1) [Reserved]

(2) A well site that only contains one or more wellheads is not an affected facility under this subpart. The affected facility status of a separate tank battery surface site has no effect on the affected facility status of a well site that only contains one or more wellheads.

(3) For purposes of §60.5397a, a “modification” to a well site occurs when:

(i) A new well is drilled at an existing well site;

(ii) A well at an existing well site is hydraulically fractured; or

(iii) A well at an existing well site is hydraulically refractured.

(j) The collection of fugitive emissions components at a compressor station, as defined in §60.5430a, is an affected facility. For purposes of §60.5397a, a “modification” to a compressor station occurs when:

(1) An additional compressor is installed at a compressor station; or

(2) One or more compressors at a compressor station is replaced by one or more compressors of greater total horsepower than the compressor(s) being replaced. When one or more compressors is replaced by one or more compressors of an equal or smaller total horsepower than the compressor(s) being replaced, installation of the replacement compressor(s) does not trigger a modification of the compressor station for purposes of §60.5397a.


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