An extensive quality assurance / quality control (QA/QC) study was conducted to ensure the quality of the 2021 draft emissions data submitted by offshore oil and gas operators under the jurisdiction of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) under NTL No. 2020-N03 (see the blue shaded areas of Figure 1). Because there was no oil or gas activity on the North Slope Borough of Alaska, all 2021 emissions data was in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The emissions data were submitted by the operators using the new web-based Outer Continental Shelf Air Quality System (OCS AQS). Although OCS AQS automatically performs baseline checks at the time of operator input and submission, a forensic-level QA/QC was necessary afterwards to identify potential outliers, discrepancies, and errors that might require correction. The investigators used statistical and visual inspection methods, including built-in analytics and reporting tools within OCS AQS. A thorough follow-up with the operators verified potential issues and ensured that all requested corrections were completed to finalize the 2021 draft inventory. To ensure that the inventory is complete, the QA/QC also compared the list of facilities in OCS AQS against the Technical Information Management System (TIMS) database to identify and follow up with facilities that did not report emissions.

USD: $366,000

2021-06-03 → 2023-03-31