The new 2012 EPA Oil and Natural Gas Air pollution standards, enacted April 17, 2012, are designed to reduce harmful emissions of VOCs from hydraulically fractured wells. VOCs in the presence of sunlight promote the formation of smog (grade-level ozone) near areas where oil and gas production occurs. The four-targeted areas of VOC reduction in oil and gas production will affect some 25,000 wells per year as well as storage tanks and other processing equipment. Flare systems are proposed as one of the preferred control devices to meet these new regulations.

Complicating the hydraulic fracturing production picture further, the industry expects new EPA flare regulations to be proposed shortly. These regulations are currently under review with public comment underway via the TCEQ and EPA Flare Stakeholder Task Force.

This paper will address specifics of both new regulations and provide guidance for cost-efficient and effective flare system designs.

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