Three energy firms operating in New Mexico’s San Juan Basin have been hit with nearly $700,000 in penalties from the EPA for air quality violations discovered through helicopter flyovers.
The firms were Logos Operating, LLC, DJR Operating, LLC and Enduring Resources, LLC. They not only have to pay the civil penalties but also carry out corrective actions that the EPA contends will result in a combined reduction of nearly 105,000 pounds of volatile organic compound emissions.
Logos Operating, LLC, formed in 2016 and owner of 230,000 net acres with production of nearly 105 MMcfe a day, will conduct site-specific tank pressure and vapor recovery unit (VRU) monitoring and pay a civil penalty of $84,546 for unauthorized emissions from storage tanks at two facilities.
DJR Operating, LLC, headquartered in Aztec, New Mexico, will conduct site-specific tank pressure monitoring and pay a civil penalty of $426,000 for unauthorized emissions from storage tanks at 12 facilities.
Enduring Resources, LLC, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, will conduct site-specific tank pressure monitoring, combustion control device monitoring, and VRU monitoring and pay a civil penalty of $185,000 for unauthorized emissions at five facilities from storage tanks and a combustor.
The EPA stated there also are climate change co-benefits achieved through these settlements in the form of an estimated combined reduction of over 377,000 pounds of methane emissions. Methane is a potent climate pollutant that also impacts human health. The combined penalty amount of the settlements is $695,546.
“The flyovers continue to be a critical component in holding companies accountable to Clean Air Act standards and for safeguarding the air quality of nearby communities,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance.
“The reduction of VOC’s and methane is an achievement and is consistent with previous flyover settlements. These settlements and the flyovers demonstrate EPA’s commitment to ensure companies are complying with environmental laws which are imperative to protecting human health.”
The three Consent Agreements and Final Orders address violations identified using optical gas imaging technology during helicopter flyovers conducted by an EPA contractor in September and October 2020. The settlements require that each facility undergo a facility review, complete site-specific corrective actions, and conduct monthly OGI inspections.
In addition to these actions, EPA’s helicopter flyovers of oil and gas facilities in the Permian Basin and San Juan Basin have been instrumental in reducing emissions from oil and gas facilities. By using state of the art optical gas imaging technology, EPA has been able to identify unauthorized emissions from facilities and take enforcement actions to address these emissions.
Source: EPA release