Outdated Exemption List, Subchapter O - July 16, 1997

30 TAC 106 - Subchapter O Oil and Gas

106.351 Salt Water Disposal (Petroleum) (Previously SE65)
106.352 Oil and Gas Production Facilities (Previously SE66)
106.353 Temporary Oil and Gas Facilities (Previously SE67)
106.354 Iron Sponge Gas Treating Unit (Previously SE79)
106.355 Metering, Purging and Maintenance of Pipelines (Previously SE100)

106.351 Salt Water Disposal (Petroleum) (Previously SE 65)

Salt water disposal facilities used to handle aqueous liquid wastes from petroleum production operations and water injection facilities are exempt, provided that the following conditions of this section are met.

(1) Any facility processing salt water which emits a sour gas shall be located at least 1/4 mile from any recreational area or residence or other structure not occupied or used solely by the owner or operator of the facility or the owner of the property upon which the facility is located.

(2) Any open storage of salt water shall be operated in such a manner as to prevent the occurrence of a nuisance condition off-property.

(3) All plant roads and truck loading and unloading areas must be operated and/or maintained as necessary to prevent dust emissions from the property which would cause or contribute to a nuisance condition. Appropriate operating activities may include reduction of speed of vehicles, use of alternate routes, and covering of dust-producing loads being hauled. Appropriate maintenance activities may include watering, treatment with dust suppressant chemicals, oiling, paving, and cleaning dust-producing surfaces.

106.352 Oil and Gas Production Facilities (Previously SE 66)

Any oil or gas production facility, carbon dioxide separation facility, or oil or gas pipeline facility consisting of one or more tanks, separators, dehydration units, free water knockouts, gunbarrels, heater treaters, natural gas liquids recovery units, or gas sweetening and other gas conditioning facilities, including sulfur recovery units at facilities conditioning produced gas containing less than two long tons per day of sulfur compounds as sulfur are exempt, provided that the following conditions of this section are met. This section applies only to those facilities named which handle gases and liquids associated with the production, conditioning, processing, and pipeline transfer of fluids found in geologic formations beneath the earth's surface.

(1) Compressors and flares shall meet the requirements of 106.512 and 106.492 of this title (relating to Stationary Engines and Turbines (Previously SE 6) and Flares (Previously SE 80)).

(2) Total emissions, including process fugitives, combustion unit stacks, separator, or other process vents, tank vents, and loading emissions from all such facilities constructed at a site under this section shall not exceed 25 tons per year (tpy) each of sulfur dioxide (SO2), all other sulfur compounds combined, or all volatile organic compounds (VOC) combined; and 250 tpy each of nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide. Emissions of VOC and sulfur compounds other than SO2 must include gas lost by equilibrium flash as well as gas lost by conventional evaporation.

(3) Any facility handling sour gas shall be located at least 1/4 mile from any recreational area or residence or other structure not occupied or used solely by the owner or operator of the facility or the owner of the property upon which the facility is located.

(4) Total emissions of sulfur compounds, excluding sulfur oxides, from all vents shall not exceed 4.0 pounds per hour (lb/hr) and the height of each vent emitting sulfur compounds shall meet the following requirements, except in no case shall the height be less than 20 feet:

Total as Hydrogen Sulfide, lb/hr	Minimum vent height, feet
0.27	20
0.60	30
1.94	50
3.00	60
4.00	68

NOTE: Other values may be interpolated.

(5) Before operation begins, facilities handling sour gas shall be registered with the commission's Office of Air Quality in Austin using Form PI-7 along with supporting documentation that all requirements of this section will be met. For facilities constructed under 106.353 of this title (relating to Temporary Oil and Gas Facilities (Previously SE 67)), the registration is required before operation under this section can begin. If the facilities cannot meet this section, a permit under Chapter 116 of this title (relating to Control of Air Pollution by Permits for New Construction or Modification) is required prior to continuing operation of the facilities.

106.353 Temporary Oil and Gas Facilities (Previously SE 67)

Temporary separators, tanks, meters, and fluid-handling equipment used for a period not to exceed 90 operating days are exempt, provided that all the following conditions of this section are satisfied.

(1) The purpose of the 90-day period is to test the content of a subsurface stratum believed to contain oil or gas and/or to establish the proper design of a permanent fluid-handling facility.

(2) Any sour gas produced during this test period shall be burned in a smokeless flare which meets the requirements of conditions of 106.492(1)(C) and (2)(A) and (C) of this title (relating to Flares (Previously SE 80)).

(3) Total emissions of reduced sulfur compounds, excluding sulfur oxides, but including hydrogen sulfide, shall not exceed 4.0 pounds per hour and the emission point height of any vent of reduced sulfur compounds shall meet the requirements of 106.352(4) of this title (relating to Oil and Gas Production Facilities (Previously SE 66)).

(4) Operation of a facility authorized by this section beyond the 90-day period shall not be allowed unless such operation is authorized under exemption from permitting or is permitted under Chapter 116 of this title (relating to Control of Air Pollution by Permits for New Construction or Modification).

106.354 Iron Sponge Gas Treating Unit (Previously SE 79)

Iron sponge gas treating units processing streams containing less than 60 pounds per hour of hydrogen sulfide are exempt provided that the following conditions of this section are satisfied:

(1) the plant is located at least 1/4 mile from any recreational area or residence or other structure not occupied or used solely by the owner of the facility or the owner of the property upon which the facility is located;

(2) during replacement of the iron oxide impregnated chips, the unit is:

(A) isolated from the main system and the pressure is reduced to 0.5 psia or less through a gas-fired flare; or

(B) sulfur compound emissions to the atmosphere do not exceed one ton per replacement;

(3) the spent iron oxide chips being replaced are properly handled to avoid spontaneous ignition and avoid an odor nuisance.

106.355. Metering, Purging, and Maintenance of Pipelines (Previously SE 100)

Metering, purging, and maintenance operations for gaseous and liquid petroleum pipelines (including ethylene, propylene, butylene, and butadiene pipelines) are exempt provided that operations are conducted according to the following conditions of this section:

(1) emissions of volatile organic compounds, except fugitive emissions, are burned in a smokeless flare; or

(2) total emissions of any air contaminant will not exceed one ton during any metering, purging, or maintenance operation;

(3) venting of sweet, commercial grade natural gas from pipelines is exempt from paragraphs (1) and (2) of this section. Care must be taken not to vent the gas in an area where an ignition source may exist or where accidental ignition of the venting gas may increase risk of fire at nearby tanks or other facilities.

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