This page last reviewed April 9, 2012


The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) establishes a comprehensive program of regulatory and market mechanisms to achieve real, cost-effective, quantifiable reductions of greenhouse gases (GHG).  AB 32 charges the Air Resources Board (ARB) as the agency responsible for monitoring and regulating many GHG emission sources to reduce state GHG emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. This is the main webpage for the Oil & Natural Gas Production, Processing, and Storage measure, intended to reduce GHG emissions from crude oil and natural gas operations. Currently, the ARB Stationary Source Division is conducting studies aimed at reducing GHG emissions from these operations. For questions related to the program, please contact Joseph Fischer at (916) 445-0071.

Draft Oil Field Distributed Generation Assessment (posted March 14, 2012)

The ARB staff has posted, for public review and comment, a draft white paper which discusses staff’s assessment of potential greenhouse gas reductions from using clean distributed generation technologies to generate electricity from fuel that is currently being flared at oil and gas production facilities.  (An example of clean distributed generation technology is a microturbine.)  We are seeking comments by March 29, 2011. For questions or comments, please contact Dave Mehl at dmehl@arb.ca.gov or 916-323-1491 or Grant Chin at gchin@arb.ca.gov or 916-327-5602.


Final Oil and Gas Survey Report (posted December 14, 2011)


Draft Oil and Gas Survey Report

The ARB staff has posted, for public review and comment, a draft report of the results from our 2007 Oil and Gas Industry Survey conducted in 2009. We are interested in all comments, but are especially interested in suggestions concerning how the data could be better summarized or displayed. We are seeking comments by September 2, 2011. For questions or comments, please contact Stephanie Detwiler at (916) 324-8024.


Draft Test Protocols to Quantify Emissions from Crude Oil and Natural Gas Systems

The ARB staff, in conjunction with stakeholders and instrument manufacturers, has developed draft test protocols to quantify fugitive and vented emissions from upstream oil & gas operations. These protocols are designed to take advantage of instruments and methodologies to quantify various emissions sources. The two protocols under development are 1) quantification of methane, carbon dioxide, and VOC emissions from crude oil and produced water separation and storage tank systems, and 2) quantification of fugitive and vented methane, carbon dioxide, and VOC emissions from crude oil and natural gas processes and equipment. Both protocols are currently being field tested and are still under development. For questions or comments, please contact Joseph Fischer at (916) 445-0071.


December 8, 2009, Workshop on Draft Survey Results
Crude Oil and Natural Gas Industry Survey

The ARB conducted a survey of the crude oil and natural gas industry to improve estimates of GHG emissions in California. We collected data for the 2007 calendar year to quantify equipment and operation processes. The following are the survey documents mailed to each California oil and gas operator:


On March 26, 2009, the ARB staff conducted a training class in Bakersfield, California to assist operators with completing the Oil & Natural Gas Industry Survey. You can download a copy of the Power Point presentation below:


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Local Air District Rules
For California air district rules and regulations regarding reduction of criteria pollutants, please see the District Rules Database.

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