Q614. The applicability tool for Onshore Petroleum and Natural Gas has an operating factor for associated gas venting from produced hydrocarbons. How does this operating factor correlate with the barrels of crude oil produced?

A614. In the case of associated gas venting from produced hydrocarbons, the operating factor should represent the percentage of time during the calendar year during which the venting occurred. More specifically, EPA has provided guidance on the operating factor in the Notes section, where it states, “This is defined as the fraction of time the process unit is operating in a calendar year.  For example, a 90% operating factor would be entered as 0.9 because the unit is in operation for 90% of the year.”