Steffes Variable Orifice Flares Help Producers Meet Environmental Regulations with Pragmatic Solutions
Future Regulation Uncertainty and Quad Ob/c Definition Reminder
Trying to stay ahead of the curve regarding environmental regulations in the oil and gas industry can sometimes feel like trying to read tea leaves. Perhaps you’ve made changes to make your operations compliant with Quad Ob regulations (taken in effect almost a year ago for any emission source that was constructed or modified before Dec. 5, 2022) or Quad Oc regulations (scheduled to go into effect Mar. 8, 2026 for all “existing sources” that were constructed before Dec. 5, 2022).
But now you’re hearing industry chatter regarding how there may be changes to these regulations by the current federal administration to perhaps make environmental regulations less stringent. How can you be sure you’re making a long-term, financially prudent decision regarding flare and flare accessory purchases during this uncertain time?
At Steffes, we understand that regulatory compliance is critical to your operations. That’s why our flares are purposefully designed to help you meet—and often exceed— regulatory standards, including those outlined in Quad Ob and Oc. We don’t just build to meet requirements—we continuously invest in product enhancements, rigorous testing, and apply real-world validation to help you stay ahead of compliance needs with confidence.
To meet Quad Ob regulations, operators must have recorded proof that a pilot or combustion flame is always present during flaring operations. For that, you need a reliable flare. Look no further than Steffes Variable Orifice Flares, some of the most reliable flares on the market.
Choosing the Steffes Variable Orifice Flare means choosing a solution that balances compliance, efficiency, and operational reliability. Whether regulations tighten or loosen (ebbing and flowing like a well site), Steffes Variable Orifice Flares are built to deliver long-term value, minimizing downtime risks and optimizing site performance today and into the future. We stand with you, providing support to effectively and efficiently operate your flare in your journey to compliance.
As a reminder, “Quad O” refers to the series of New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) under 40 CFR, Part 60, Subpart OOOO (Quad O) released by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2012. These standards were designed to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations. In December 2023, the EPA finalized two NSPS regulation additions – OOOOb and OOOOc – to extend oversight and compliance to a broader range of oil and gas sources.
Steffes Variable Orifice Flare: A History of Helping Operators Meet Regulations Efficiently and Effectively
Steffes revolutionized flares when it engineered the now-patented technology that went into its Variable Orifice Flares. When the original Quad O regulations were released by the EPA in 2012, operators in the Williston Basin realized they would have a difficult time meeting the regulations with the existing flaring technology, which often was just an open pipe with a spark plug. Gas flow rates at their well sites varied widely, cycling from very low to very high throughout the day, which often left a trail of black smoke tailing off into the sky. Steffes recognized this problem and quickly created a flare that could efficiently destroy waste gases while accommodating the varying flow rates on their sites to meet the new regulations.
Creating a flare capable of efficiently and effectively burning waste gas for both high- and low-pressure gas flows was a significant challenge. High gas flow rates could build too much back pressure, causing the flare to malfunction and forcing the well to shut in until the flare was serviced. Low gas flow rates, on the other hand, often led to visible smoke, resulting in a failure of the EPA’s Method 22 testing. This part of the Quad O regulations requires no visible emissions from the flaring system.
To solve this problem, Steffes designed the Variable Orifice Flare. The modular flare system uses high-pressure, high-capacity, and/or low-pressure flare tips in single, dual, triple, or quadruple flare tip combinations. These different flare tips enable efficient, smokeless destruction of waste gas at production well sites, which can be fed by a single pilot flame to handle varying gas flow rates; however, dual pilots are recommended for triple and quad flare tip setups to improve redundancy and uptime.
Steffes Variable Orifice Flares all use the patented variable orifice technology to vary the outlet opening so that the vent gas can be destroyed. The pressure of the vent gas stream is used to adjust the distance between the main flare barrel and the pilot assembly. At high gas flow rates, the pressure pushes a plunger to widen the gap between the two assemblies, allowing more gas to flow without causing a pressure backup. At lower flow rates, the plunger remains in place, reducing the gap to burn the gas without visible smoke. This results in a smokeless, low-radiation flame with efficient combustion.
Proven Industry Standard
Steffes Variable Orifice Flares have become the industry standard for flaring with a proven destruction efficiency and a wide range of operation from 18 MSCFD to 40 MMSCFD. These flares have been proven to have 99% DRE (destruction and removal efficiency) and meet EPA 40 CFR 60.18, Quad-O, and Quad-Ob requirements.
At Steffes, we understand how critical reliable flare operation is for operators. That’s why we take it upon ourselves to rigorously validate performance through combustion testing and real-world, in-the-field validation to help you stay ahead of compliance needs with confidence. We’ve voluntarily invested in third-party PFTIR testing to ensure our flares meet—and often exceed—both state and federal requirements. This level of verification reflects our commitment to providing robust, efficient solutions that operators can trust. Additionally, the Steffes support team is unmatched in the industry for its responsiveness, with boots-on-the-ground teams serving the Anadarko, Eagle Ford, Niobrara, Permian, and Williston basins.
The bottom line is that despite the uncertainty regarding regulation changes, you can be confident that installing a Steffes Variable Orifice Flare on your site is not only a smart decision but also a long-term investment in compliance, operational efficiency, and peace of mind. It signals to your shareholders that you are committed to reducing your operations’ emission rates and striving to be good environmental stewards.
As with any equipment, proper operation and maintenance in accordance with Steffes guidelines is essential to achieving optimal performance and regulatory compliance, a responsibility that ultimately rests with the site operator.