Appendix D to Part 112 -- Determination of a Worst Case Discharge Planning Volume

1.1      An owner or operator is required to complete this worksheet if the facility meets the criteria, as presented in Appendix C to this part, or it is determined by the RA that the facility could cause substantial harm to the environment. The calculation of a worst case discharge planning volume is used for emergency planning purposes, and is required in 40 CFR 112.20 for facility owners or operators who must prepare a response plan. When planning for the amount of resources and equipment necessary to respond to the worst case discharge planning volume, adverse weather conditions must be taken into consideration. An owner or operator is required to determine the facility's worst case discharge planning volume from either part A of this appendix for an onshore storage facility, or part B of this appendix for an onshore production facility. The worksheet considers the provision of adequate secondary containment at a facility.

1.2      For onshore storage facilities and production facilities, permanently manifolded oil storage tanks are defined as tanks that are designed, installed, and/or operated in such a manner that the multiple tanks function as one storage unit (i.e., multiple tank volumes are equalized). In a worst case discharge scenario, a single failure could cause the discharge of the contents of more than one tank. The owner or operator must provide evidence in the response plan that tanks with common piping or piping systems are not operated as one unit. If such evidence is provided and is acceptable to the RA, the worst case discharge planning volume would be based on the capacity of the largest oil storage tank within a common secondary containment area or the largest oil storage tank within a single secondary containment area, whichever is greater. For permanently manifolded tanks that function as one oil storage unit, the worst case discharge planning volume would be based on the combined oil storage capacity of all manifolded tanks or the capacity of the largest single oil storage tank within a secondary containment area, whichever is greater. For purposes of this rule, permanently manifolded tanks that are separated by internal divisions for each tank are considered to be single tanks and individual manifolded tank volumes are not combined.

1.3      For production facilities, the presence of exploratory wells, production wells, and oil storage tanks must be considered in the calculation. Part B of this appendix takes these additional factors into consideration and provides steps for their inclusion in the total worst case discharge planning volume. Onshore oil production facilities may include all wells, flowlines, separation equipment, storage facilities, gathering lines, and auxiliary non-transportation-related equipment and facilities in a single geographical oil or gas field operated by a single operator. Although a potential worst case discharge planning volume is calculated within each section of the worksheet, the final worst case amount depends on the risk parameter that results in the greatest volume.

1.4      Marine transportation-related transfer facilities that contain fixed aboveground onshore structures used for bulk oil storage are jointly regulated by EPA and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and are termed "complexes." Because the USCG also requires response plans from transportation-related facilities to address a worst case discharge of oil, a separate calculation for the worst case discharge planning volume for USCG-related facilities is included in the USCG IFR (see Appendix E to this part, section 13, for availability). All complexes that are jointly regulated by EPA and the USCG must compare both calculations for worst case discharge planning volume derived by using the EPA and USCG methodologies and plan for whichever volume is greater.

¹"Storage facilities" represent all facilities subject to this part, excluding oil production facilities.

Part A of this worksheet is to be completed by the owner or operator of an SPCC-regulated facility (excluding oil production facilities) if the facility meets the criteria as presented in Appendix C to this part, or if it is determined by the RA that the facility could cause substantial harm to the environment. If you are the owner or operator of a production facility, please proceed to part B of this worksheet.

For facilities containing only one aboveground oil storage tank, the worst case discharge planning volume equals the capacity of the oil storage tank. If adequate secondary containment (sufficiently large to contain the capacity of the aboveground oil storage tank plus sufficient freeboard to allow for precipitation) exists for the oil storage tank, multiply the capacity of the tank by 0.8.

(1) FINAL WORST CASE VOLUME: ____ GAL

(2) Do not proceed further.

Are all aboveground oil storage tanks or groups of aboveground oil storage tanks at the facility without adequate secondary containment? ²

²Secondary containment is described in 40 CFR part 112, subparts A through C. Acceptable methods and structures for containment are also given in 40 CFR 112.7(c)(1).

____ (Y/N)

A.2.1      If the answer is yes, the final worst case discharge planning volume equals the total aboveground oil storage capacity at the facility.

(1) FINAL WORST CASE VOLUME: ____ GAL

(2) Do not proceed further.

A.2.2      If the answer is no, calculate the total aboveground oil storage capacity of tanks without adequate secondary containment. If all aboveground oil storage tanks or groups of aboveground oil storage tanks at the facility have adequate secondary containment, ENTER "0" (zero).

____ GAL

A.2.3      Calculate the capacity of the largest single aboveground oil storage tank within an adequate secondary containment area or the combined capacity of a group of aboveground oil storage tanks permanently manifolded together, whichever is greater, PLUS THE VOLUME FROM QUESTION A.2.2.

FINAL WORST CASE VOLUME: ³ ____ GAL

³All complexes that are jointly regulated by EPA and the USCG must also calculate the worst case discharge planning volume for the transportation-related portions of the facility and plan for whichever volume is greater.

Part B of this worksheet is to be completed by the owner or operator of an SPCC-regulated oil production facility if the facility meets the criteria presented in Appendix C to this part, or if it is determined by the RA that the facility could cause substantial harm. A production facility consists of all wells (producing and exploratory) and related equipment in a single geographical oil or gas field operated by a single operator.

B.1.1      For facilities containing only one aboveground oil storage tank, the worst case discharge planning volume equals the capacity of the aboveground oil storage tank plus the production volume of the well with the highest output at the facility. If adequate secondary containment (sufficiently large to contain the capacity of the aboveground oil storage tank plus sufficient freeboard to allow for precipitation) exists for the storage tank, multiply the capacity of the tank by 0.8.

B.1.2      For facilities with production wells producing by pumping, if the rate of the well with the highest output is known and the number of days the facility is unattended can be predicted, then the production volume is equal to the pumping rate of the well multiplied by the greatest number of days the facility is unattended.

B.1.3      If the pumping rate of the well with the highest output is estimated or the maximum number of days the facility is unattended is estimated, then the production volume is determined from the pumping rate of the well multiplied by 1.5 times the greatest number of days that the facility has been or is expected to be unattended.

B.1.4      Attachment D-1 to this appendix provides methods for calculating the production volume for exploratory wells and production wells producing under pressure.

(1) FINAL WORST CASE VOLUME: ____ GAL

(2) Do not proceed further.

Are all aboveground oil storage tanks or groups of aboveground oil storage tanks at the facility without adequate secondary containment?

___ (Y/N)

B.2.1      If the answer is yes, the final worst case volume equals the total aboveground oil storage capacity without adequate secondary containment plus the production volume of the well with the highest output at the facility.

(1) For facilities with production wells producing by pumping, if the rate of the well with the highest output is known and the number of days the facility is unattended can be predicted, then the production volume is equal to the pumping rate of the well multiplied by the greatest number of days the facility is unattended.

(2) If the pumping rate of the well with the highest output is estimated or the maximum number of days the facility is unattended is estimated, then the production volume is determined from the pumping rate of the well multiplied by 1.5 times the greatest number of days that the facility has been or is expected to be unattended.

(3) Attachment D-1 to this appendix provides methods for calculating the production volumes for exploratory wells and production wells producing under pressure.

(A) FINAL WORST CASE VOLUME: ____ GAL

(B) Do not proceed further.

B.2.2      If the answer is no, calculate the total aboveground oil storage capacity of tanks without adequate secondary containment. If all aboveground oil storage tanks or groups of aboveground oil storage tanks at the facility have adequate secondary containment, ENTER "0" (zero).

____ GAL

B.2.3      Calculate the capacity of the largest single aboveground oil storage tank within an adequate secondary containment area or the combined capacity of a group of aboveground oil storage tanks permanently manifolded together, whichever is greater, plus the production volume of the well with the highest output, PLUS THE VOLUME FROM QUESTION B.2.2. Attachment D-1 provides methods for calculating the production volumes for exploratory wells and production wells producing under pressure.

(1) FINAL WORST CASE VOLUME: ⁴ ____ GAL

⁴All complexes that are jointly regulated by EPA and the USCG must also calculate the worst case discharge planning volume for the transportation-related portions of the facility and plan for whichever volume is greater.

(2) Do not proceed further.

The owner or operator of a production facility with exploratory wells or production wells producing under pressure shall compare the well rate of the highest output well (rate of well), in barrels per day, to the ability of response equipment and personnel to recover the volume of oil that could be discharged (rate of recovery), in barrels per day. The result of this comparison will determine the method used to calculate the production volume for the production facility. This production volume is to be used to calculate the worst case discharge planning volume in part B of this appendix.

2.1      Method A

If the well rate would overwhelm the response efforts (i.e., rate of well/rate of recovery ≥1), then the production volume would be the 30-day forecasted well rate for a well 10,000 feet deep or less, or the 45-day forecasted well rate for a well deeper than 10,000 feet.

(1) For wells 10,000 feet deep or less:

Production volume=30 days × rate of well.

(2) For wells deeper than 10,000 feet:

Production volume=45 days × rate of well.

2.2      Method B

2.2.1      If the rate of recovery would be greater than the well rate (i.e., rate of well/rate of recovery <1), then the production volume would equal the sum of two terms:

Production volume=discharge volume1 + discharge volume2

2.2.2      The first term represents the volume of the oil discharged from the well between the time of the blowout and the time the response resources are on scene and recovering oil (discharge volume1).

Discharge volume1=(days unattended+days to respond) × (rate of well)

2.2.3      The second term represents the volume of oil discharged from the well after the response resources begin operating until the discharge is stopped, adjusted for the recovery rate of the response resources (discharge volume2).

(1) For wells 10,000 feet deep or less:

Discharge volume2=[30 days−(days unattended + days to respond)] × (rate of well) × (rate of well/rate of recovery)

(2) For wells deeper than 10,000 feet:

Discharge volume2=[45 days−(days unattended + days to respond)] × (rate of well) × (rate of well/rate of recovery)

3.1      A facility consists of two production wells producing under pressure, which are both less than 10,000 feet deep. The well rate of well A is 5 barrels per day, and the well rate of well B is 10 barrels per day. The facility is unattended for a maximum of 7 days. The facility operator estimates that it will take 2 days to have response equipment and personnel on scene and responding to a blowout, and that the projected rate of recovery will be 20 barrels per day.

(1) First, the facility operator determines that the highest output well is well B. The facility operator calculates the ratio of the rate of well to the rate of recovery:

10 barrels per day/20 barrels per day=0.5 Because the ratio is less than one, the facility operator will use Method B to calculate the production volume.

(2) The first term of the equation is:

Discharge volume1=(7 days + 2 days) × (10 barrels per day)=90 barrels

(3) The second term of the equation is:

Discharge volume2=[30 days -- (7 days + 2 days)] × (10 barrels per day) × (0.5)=105 barrels

(4) Therefore, the production volume is:

Production volume=90 barrels + 105 barrels=195 barrels

3.2      If the recovery rate was 5 barrels per day, the ratio of rate of well to rate of recovery would be 2, so the facility operator would use Method A. The production volume would have been:

30 days × 10 barrels per day=300 barrels

[59 FR 34110, July 1, 1994; 59 FR 49006, Sept. 26, 1994, as amended at 65 FR 40800, June 30, 2000; 67 FR 47152, July 17, 2002]