Trump announces rollback of US methane rules for oil and gas producers
The proposed changes target leak reporting, low-producing wells and flaring. The administration claims $45 billion in savings, but the rules must still go through a public process.
President Donald Trump announced in Lubbock, Texas, on October 27 that his administration would roll back US methane rules for oil and gas producers, according to AFP. The proposed changes could ease requirements on reporting major leaks, regulating low-producing wells and flaring gas, affecting controls on a potent greenhouse gas.
Trump said the move would save consumers and energy producers $45 billion. AFP reported that the Environmental Protection Agency had used the same figure earlier in October without providing a detailed breakdown. The savings remain an administration claim.
Which methane rules are targeted
AFP reported that the changes include a proposal to end the Super Emitter Program, which lets EPA-approved observers report leaks exceeding 100 kilograms of methane an hour. NBC News reported that satellites and thermal imaging cameras can detect leaks that are difficult to see with the naked eye, and that the administration paused implementation of the program last year.
Other proposed changes would weaken regulation of marginal wells producing no more than 15 barrels of oil equivalent a day and relax rules on routine flaring of associated gas, AFP reported. Associated gas comes up alongside oil and may be burned when capturing it costs more than its market value.
NBC News reported that low-producing wells account for roughly 7% to 8% of US natural gas production but could account for about half of methane leaking into the atmosphere, citing research. The National Stripper Well Association argued in a September letter that compliance costs could make such wells uneconomical to operate.
Why the proposed rollback matters
Methane is the main component of natural gas and the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide, AFP reported. It traps more heat than carbon dioxide but remains in the atmosphere for a shorter time. Citing the International Energy Agency, AFP said the United States leads the world in methane emissions from its oil and gas sector.
Environmental and health groups criticised the proposed rollback, saying it would increase pollution and worsen climate change, NBC News reported. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin argued that regulatory costs make it harder for Americans to afford heating and fuel.
The Biden administration finalised the methane rules in 2024, and the EPA previewed the proposed changes earlier this month, NBC News reported. The rollback must go through an EPA rulemaking process, including public comment, before it can take effect; a final rule could face legal challenges.
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Sources and context
- U.S. moves to weaken methane limits on oil and gas producersPhys.org, republishing AFP reporting
- Trump says he’ll roll back Biden-era methane rules for oil and gas companiesNBC News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.