N.M. Admin. Code § 20.2.50.7

Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 21, November 5, 2024

Section 20.2.50.7 - DEFINITIONS

In addition to the terms defined in 20.2.2 NMAC - Definitions, as used in this Part, the following definitions apply.

A.Definitions beginning with the letter"A": "Auto-igniter" means a device that automatically attempts to relight the pilot flame of a control device in order to combust VOC emissions, or a device that will automatically attempt to combust the VOC emission stream.

B.Definitions beginning with the letter"B": "Bleed rate" means the rate in standard cubic feet per hour at which gas is continuously vented from a pneumatic controller.

C.Definitions beginning with the letter"C":

(1)"Calendar year" means a year beginning January 1 and ending December 31.

(2)"Centrifugal compressor" means a machine used for raising the pressure of natural gas by drawing in low-pressure natural gas and discharging significantly higher-pressure natural gas by means of a mechanical rotating vane or impeller. A screw, sliding vane, and liquid ring compressor is not a centrifugal compressor.

(3)"Closed vent system" means a system that is designed, operated, and maintained to route the VOC emissions from a source or process to a process stream or control device with no loss of VOC emissions to the atmosphere during operation.

(4)"Commencement of operation" means for an oil and natural gas well site, the date any permanent production equipment is in use and product is consistently flowing to a sales line, gathering line or storage vessel from the first producing well at the stationary source, but no later than the end of well completion operation.

(5)"Component" means a pump seal, flange, pressure relief device (including thief hatch or other opening on a storage vessel), connector or valve that contains or contacts a process stream with hydrocarbons, except for components where process streams consist solely of glycol, amine, produced water, or methanol.

(6)"Connector" means flanged, screwed, or other joined fittings used to connect pipeline segments, tubing, pipe components (such as elbows, reducers, "T's" or valves) to each other; or a pipeline to a piece of equipment; or an instrument to a pipe, tube, or piece of equipment. A common connector is a flange. Joined fittings welded completely around the circumference of the interface are not considered connectors for the purpose of this Part.

(7)"Construction" means fabrication, erection, or installation of a stationary source, including but not limited to temporary installations and portable stationary sources, but does not include relocations or like-kind replacements of existing equipment.

(8)"Control device" means air pollution control equipment or emission reduction technologies that thermally combust, chemically convert, or otherwise destroy or recover air contaminants. Examples of control devices may include but are not limited to open flares, enclosed combustion devices (ECDs), thermal oxidizers (TOs), vapor recovery units (VRUs), fuel cells, condensers, catalytic converters (oxidative, selective, and non-selective), or other emission reduction equipment. A control device may also include any other air pollution control equipment or emission reduction technologies approved by the department to comply with emission standards in this Part. A VRU or other equipment used primarily as process equipment is not considered a control device.

D.Definitions beginning with the letter"D":

(1)"Department" means the New Mexico environment department.

(2)"Design value" means the 3-year average of the annual fourth-highest daily maximum 8-hour average ozone concentration.

(3)"Downtime" means the period of time when equipment is not in operation.

(4)"Drilling" or "drilled" means the process to bore a hole to create a well for oil and/or natural gas production.

(5)"Drill-out"means the process of removing the plugs placed during hydraulic fracturing or refracturing. Drill-out ends after the removal of all stage plugs and the initial wellbore cleanup.

E.Definitions beginning with the letter"E":

(1)"Enclosed combustion device" means a combustion device where waste gas is combusted in an enclosed chamber solely for the purpose of destruction. This may include, but is not limited to, an enclosed flare or combustor.

(2)"Existing" means constructed or reconstructed before the effective date of this Part.

F.Definitions beginning with the letter"F":

(1)"Flowback" means the process of allowing fluids and entrained solids to flow from a well following stimulation, either in preparation for a subsequent phase of treatment or in preparation for cleanup and placing the well into production. The term flowback also means the fluids and entrained solids flowing from a well after drilling or hydraulic fracturing or refracturing. Flowback ends when all temporary flowback equipment is removed from service. Flowback does not include drill-out.

(2)"Flowback vessel" means a vessel that contains flowback.

G.Definitions beginning with the letter"G".

(1)"Gathering and boosting station" means a facility, including all equipment and compressors, located downstream of a well site that collects or moves natural gas prior to the inlet of a natural gas processing plant; or prior to a natural gas transmission pipeline or transmission compressor station if no gas processing is performed; or collects, moves, or stabilizes crude oil or condensate prior to an oil transmission pipeline or other form of transportation. Gathering and boosting stations may include equipment for liquids separation, natural gas dehydration, and tanks for the storage of water and hydrocarbon liquids.

(2)"Glycol dehydrator" means a device in which a liquid glycol absorbent, including ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, or triethylene glycol, directly contacts a natural gas stream and absorbs water.

H.Definitions beginning with the letter"H":

(1)"High-bleed pneumatic controller" means a continuous bleed pneumatic controller that is designed to have a continuous bleed rate that emits in excess of 6 standard cubic feet per hour (scfh) of natural gas to the atmosphere.

(2)"Hydraulic fracturing" means the process of directing pressurized fluids containing any combination of water, proppant, and any added chemicals to penetrate tight formations, such as shale, coal, and tight sand formations, that subsequently requires flowback to expel fracture fluids and solids.

(3)"Hydraulic refracturing" means conducting a subsequent hydraulic fracturing operation at a well that has previously undergone a hydraulic fracturing operation.

(4)"Hydrocarbon liquid" means any naturally occurring, unrefined petroleum liquid and can include oil, condensate, and intermediate hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbon liquid does not include produced water.

I.Definitions beginning with the letter "I":

(1)"Inactive well site" means a well site where the well is not being used for beneficial purposes, such as production or monitoring, and is not being drilled, completed, repaired or worked over.

(2)"Injection well site" means a well site where the well is used for the injection of air, gas, water or other fluids into an underground stratum.

(3)"Intermittent pneumatic controller" means a pneumatic controller that is not designed to have a continuous bleed rate but is designed to only release natural gas above de minimis amounts to the atmosphere as part of the actuation cycle.

J.Definitions beginning with the letter"J".

K.Definitions beginning with the letter"K".

L.Definitions beginning with the letter"L":

(1)"Liquid unloading" means the removal of accumulated liquid from the wellbore that reduces or stops natural gas production.

(2)"Liquid transfer" means the unloading of a hydrocarbon liquid from a storage vessel to a tanker truck or tanker rail car for transport.

(3) "Local distribution company custody transfer station" means a metering station where the local distribution company receives a natural gas supply from an upstream supplier, which may be an interstate transmission pipeline or a local natural gas producer, for delivery to customers through the local distribution company's intrastate transmission or distribution lines.

(4)"Low-bleed pneumatic controller" means a continuous bleed pneumatic controller that is designed to have a continuous bleed rate that emits less than or equal to 6 scfh of natural gas to the atmosphere.

M.Definitions beginning with the letter"M".

N.Definitions beginning with the letter"N". "non-porous" means multi-use items such as metal, glass and plastic;

(1)"Natural gas-fired heater" means an enclosed device using a controlled flame and with a primary purpose to transfer heat directly to a process material or to a heat transfer material for use in a process.

(2)"Natural gas processing plant" means the processing equipment engaged in the extraction of natural gas liquid from natural gas or fractionation of mixed natural gas liquid to a natural gas product, or both. A Joule-Thompson valve, a dew point depression valve, or an isolated or standalone Joule-Thompson skid is not a natural gas processing plant.

(3)"New" means constructed or reconstructed on or after the effective date of this Part.

(4)"Non-emitting controller" means a device that monitors a process parameter such as liquid level, pressure, or temperature and sends a signal to a control valve in order to control the process parameter and does not emit natural gas to the atmosphere. Examples of non-emitting controllers include but are not limited to instrument air or inert gas pneumatic controllers, electric controllers, mechanical controllers and Routed Pneumatic Controllers.

O.Definitions beginning with the letter"O":

(1)"Occupied area" means the following:

(a) a building or structure used as a place of residence by a person, family, or families, and includes manufactured, mobile, and modular homes, except to the extent that such manufactured, mobile, or modular home is intended for temporary occupancy or for business purposes;

(b) indoor or outdoor spaces associated with a school that students use commonly as part of their curriculum or extracurricular activities;

(c) five-thousand (5,000) or more square feet of building floor area in commercial facilities that are operating and normally occupied during working hours; and

(d) an outdoor venue or recreation area, such as a playground, permanent sports field, amphitheater, or similar place of outdoor public assembly.

(2)"Operator" means the person or persons responsible for the overall operation of a stationary source.

(3)"Optical gas imaging (OGI)" means an imaging technology that utilizes a high-sensitivity infrared camera designed for and capable of detecting hydrocarbons.

(4)"Owner" means the person or persons who own a stationary source or part of a stationary source.

P.Definitions beginning with the letter"P":

(1)"Permanent pit or pond" means a pit or pond used for collection, retention, or storage of produced water or brine and is installed for longer than one year.

(2)"Pneumatic controller" means a device that monitors a process parameter such as liquid level, pressure, or temperature and uses pressurized gas (which may be released to the atmosphere during normal operation) and sends a signal to a control valve in order to control the process parameter. Controllers that do not utilize pressurized gas are not pneumatic controllers.

(3)"Pneumatic diaphragm pump" means a positive displacement pump powered by pressurized gas that uses the reciprocating action of flexible diaphragms in conjunction with check valves to pump a fluid. A pump in which a fluid is displaced by a piston driven by a diaphragm is not considered a diaphragm pump. A lean glycol circulation pump that relies on energy exchange with the rich glycol from the contactor is not considered a diaphragm pump.

(4)"Potential to emit (PTE)" means the maximum capacity of a stationary source to emit any air pollutant under its physical and operational design. Any physical or operational limitation on the capacity of a source to emit an air pollutant, including air pollution control equipment and restrictions on the hours of operation or on the type or amount of material combusted, stored or processed, shall be treated as part of its design if the limitation is federally enforceable. The PTE for nitrogen dioxide shall be based on total oxides of nitrogen.

(5)"Pre-production operations" means the drilling through the hydrocarbon bearing zones, hydraulic fracturing or refracturing, drill-out, and flowback of an oil and/or natural gas well.

(6)"Produced water" means a liquid that is an incidental byproduct from well completion and the production of oil and gas.

(7)"Produced water management unit" means a recycling facility or a permanent pit or pond that is a natural topographical depression, man-made excavation, or diked area formed primarily of earthen materials (although it may be lined with man-made materials), which is designed to accumulate produced water and has a design storage capacity equal to or greater than 50,000 barrels.

Q.Definitions beginning with the letter"Q". "Qualified Professional Engineer" means an individual who is licensed by a state as a professional engineer to practice one or more disciplines of engineering and who is qualified by education, technical knowledge, and experience to make the specific technical certifications required under this Part.

R.Definitions beginning with the letter"R":

(1)"Reciprocating compressor" means a piece of equipment that increases the pressure of process gas by positive displacement, employing linear movement of a piston rod.

(2)"Reconstruction" means a modification that results in the replacement of the components or addition of integrally related equipment to an existing source, to such an extent that the fixed capital cost of the new components or equipment exceeds fifty percent of the fixed capital cost that would be required to construct a comparable entirely new facility.

(3)"Recycling facility" means a stationary or portable facility used exclusively for the treatment, re-use, or recycling of produced water and does not include oilfield equipment such as separators, heater treaters, and scrubbers in which produced water may be used.

(4)"Responsible official" means one of the following:

(a) for a corporation: president, secretary, treasurer, or vice-president of the corporation in charge of a principal business function, or any other person who performs similar policy or decision-making functions for the corporation, or a duly authorized representative.

(b) for a partnership or sole proprietorship: a general partner or the proprietor, respectively.

(5)"Routed pneumatic controller" means a pneumatic controller of any type that releases natural gas to a process, sales line, or to a combustion device instead of directly to the atmosphere.

S.Definitions beginning with the letter"S":

(1)"Small business facility" means, for the purposes of this Part, a source that is independently owned or operated by a company that is a not a subsidiary or a division of another business, that employs no more than 10 employees at any time during the calendar year, and that has a gross annual revenue of less than $250,000. Employees include part-time, temporary, or limited-service workers.

(2)"Stabilized" means, when used to refer to stored condensate, that the condensate has reached substantial equilibrium with the atmosphere and that any emissions that occur are those commonly referred to within the industry as "working and breathing losses."

(3)"Standalone tank battery" means a tank battery that is not designated as associated with a well site, gathering and boosting station, natural gas processing plant, or transmission compressor station.

(4)"Startup" means the setting into operation of air pollution control equipment or process equipment.

(5)"Stationary source" or "source" means any building, structure, equipment, facility, installation (including temporary installations), operation, process, or portable stationary source that emits or may emit any air contaminant. Portable stationary source means a source that can be relocated to another operating site with limited dismantling and reassembly.

(6)"Storage vessel" means a single tank or other vessel that is designed to contain an accumulation of hydrocarbon liquid or produced water and is constructed primarily of non-earthen material including wood, concrete, steel, fiberglass, or plastic, which provide structural support. A well completion vessel that receives recovered liquid from a well after commencement of operation for a period that exceeds 60 days is considered a storage vessel. A storage vessel does not include a vessel that is skid-mounted or permanently attached to a mobile source and located at the site for less than 180 consecutive days, such as a truck or railcar; a process vessel such as a surge control vessel, bottom receiver, or knockout vessel; a pressure vessel designed to operate in excess of 204.9 kilopascals (29.72 psi) without emissions to the atmosphere; or a floating roof tank complying with 40 CFR Part 60, Subpart Kb.

T.Definitions beginning with the letter"T":

(1)"Tank battery" means a storage vessel or group of storage vessels that receive or store crude oil, condensate, or produced water from a well or wells for storage. The owner or operator shall designate whether a tank battery is a standalone tank battery or is associated with a well site, gathering and boosting station, natural gas processing plant, or transmission compressor station. The owner or operator shall maintain records of this designation and make them available to the department upon request. A tank battery associated with a well site, gathering or boosting station, natural gas processing plant, or transmission compressor station is subject to the requirements in this Part for those facilities, as applicable. Tank battery does not include storage vessels at saltwater disposal facilities or produced water management units.

(2)"Temporarily abandoned well site" means an inactive well site where the well's completion interval has been isolated. The completion interval is the reservoir interval that is open to the borehole and is isolated when tubing and artificial equipment has been removed and a bottom plug has been set.

(3)"Transmission compressor station" means a facility, including all equipment and compressors, that moves pipeline quality natural gas at increased pressure from a well site or natural gas processing plant through a transmission pipeline for ultimate delivery to the local distribution company custody transfer station, underground storage, or to other industrial end users. Transmission compressor stations may include equipment for liquids separation, natural gas dehydration, and tanks for the storage of water and hydrocarbon liquids.

U.Definitions beginning with the letter"U".

V.Definitions beginning with the letter"V": "Vessel measurement system" means equipment and methods used to determine the quantity of the liquids inside a vessel (including a flowback vessel) without requiring direct access through the vessel thief hatch or other opening.

W.Definitions beginning with the letter"W":

(1)"Wellhead only facility" means a well site that does not contain any production or processing equipment other than artificial lift natural gas driven pneumatic controllers and emergency shutdown device natural gas driven pneumatic controllers.

(2)"Well workover" means the repair or stimulation of an existing production well for the purpose of restoring, prolonging, or enhancing the production of hydrocarbons.

(3)"Well site" means the equipment under the operator's control directly associated with one or more oil wells or natural gas wells upstream of the natural gas processing plant or gathering and boosting station, if any. A well site may include equipment used for extraction, collection, routing, storage, separation, treating, dehydration, artificial lift, combustion, compression, pumping, metering, monitoring, and product piping. A well site does not include an injection well site.

N.M. Admin. Code § 20.2.50.7

Adopted by New Mexico Register, Volume XXXIII, Issue 14, July 26, 2022, eff. 8/5/2022