American Oil and Gas Reporter - September 2017 - 21

IndustryDigest
for incidental take regulations under the
Marine Mammal Protection Act.
According to the National Ocean
Industries Association, BOEM
considered several alternative
mitigation measures for the final PEIS.
The one selected allows it to permit and
authorize G&G activities as they were
prior to the June 2013 settlement with
NRDC, with several additional
mitigation measures. Those include
expanding protected species observer
and passive acoustic monitoring (PAM)
programs, requiring PAM measures in
the Mississippi and De Soto canyons
area, changing the timing of coastal
seasonal restrictions, and adding survey
protocols for nonairgun high-resolution
geophysical surveys.
NOIA says it is concerned the
preferred alternative remains overly
precautionary, and rejects more than 50
years of safely demonstrated G&G
activities in the Gulf. It points out there
has been no documented evidence of
G&G activities harming marine
animals, and that basing mitigation
measures on unsubstantiated claims
may place prohibitive barriers on the
ability of companies to provide safe and
accurate seismic surveys.
The final PEIS is available on
BOEM's website at
http://www.boem.gov/GOM-G-G-PEIS.
r

show the accurate methane emissions
contributed by marginal wells."
RPSEA notes that EPA's final rule
did not-as anticipated-include an
exemption for marginal wells from leak
detection and repair requirements,
creating a significant economic burden,
especially for smaller oil and gas
producers.
RPSEA says the Independent
Petroleum Association of America and

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the U.S. Oil & Gas Association support
the proposed study, and it will work with
their members, as well as with state and
regional association member companies.
Work will commence when adequate
funding is secured, RPSEA adds.
Parties interested in participating in the
study or learning more should visit
RPSEA's website at www.rpsea.org or
contact Business Development Program
Director Jack Belcher at 832-248-2914. r

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RPSEA Proposes Study
Of Marginal Wells'
Methane Emissions

HOUSTON-The Research
Partnership to Secure Energy for
America is initiating a project with oil
and gas industry partners to conduct a
real-world study that RPSEA says will
determine the precise levels of methane
emitted from marginal oil and gas wells.
RPSEA says the survey is needed to
demonstrate that marginal wells' methane
emissions are much lower than estimates
the Environmental Protection Agency
used to update its Subpart OOOOa New
Source Performance Standards under
former President Barack Obama.
"EPA based this rule on
assumptions, with only limited accurate
and defensible data from marginal
wells," says RPSEA President Tom
Williams. "It is absolutely imperative
that we provide EPA with data that

Wellhead Systems Inc.

Phone:

785-421-2255
SEPTEMBER 2017 21
http://www.rpsea.org http://www.boem.gov/GOM-G-G-PEIS http://www.wellheadsystems.com
American Oil and Gas Reporter - September 2017

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