The Rule That Made It a Program
EPA's methane standards under 40 CFR 60, including Subpart OOOOb for oil and gas sources, require operators to find and fix leaks at well sites, tanks, and compressor stations. Monitoring runs on a schedule, and when a leak is found the clock starts: verification, repair, and a written record.
How the Survey Works
Surveys use optical gas imaging or EPA Method 21 instruments to scan components: valves, connectors, hatches, open-ended lines, pump seals. The survey is walked on a fixed interval, and the operator documents the components covered and the results, including the ones that pass.
The Repair Clock and the Record
When a component leaks above the threshold, the operator verifies the leak, attempts repair within a set window, and documents the repair or the reason it needs more time. The record is the program: survey dates, leak counts, repair dates. EPA's enforcement eyes the same file.
The record that closes the loop
LDAR Programs rests on the same field data as the rest of the operation: tickets, timesheets, approvals, and inspections. The same discipline shows up in Flare efficiency measurement and reporting and Drones for methane inspection and Vapor recovery units at tank batteries. If those records live in notebooks, email, and memory, start with an operations audit.