US Unveils Final Rules to Crack Down on Oil and Gas Methane Emissions
US Cracks Down on Oil and Gas Industry Methane Releases
The Biden administration has unveiled final rules aimed at cracking down on U.S. oil and gas industry releases of methane, part of a global plan to rein in emissions that contribute to climate change. The rules, two years in the making, were announced by U.S. officials at the United Nations COP28 climate change conference in Dubai. The United States and other nations attending the summit are expected to detail how they will achieve a 150-country pledge made two years ago to slash methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
Methane’s Impact on Climate Change
Methane tends to leak into the atmosphere undetected from drill sites, gas pipelines, and other oil and gas equipment. It has more warming potential than carbon dioxide and breaks down in the atmosphere faster, so reining in methane emissions can have a more immediate impact on limiting climate change.
New Standards to Tackle Climate Change
“These new standards will help us meet our international commitments to aggressively tackle climate change, while improving air quality for communities all across the country,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan told a news conference in Dubai. Vice President Kamala Harris cited the methane regulations among several U.S. initiatives to fight global warming and said they showed the Biden administration had restored the United States as a global leader in the fight against climate change.
Implementation of Methane Regulations
EPA’s new policies would ban routine flaring of gas produced by newly drilled oil wells, require oil companies to monitor for leaks from well sites and compressor stations, and establish a program to use third party remote sensing to detect large methane releases from so-called “super emitters,” the agency said in a statement. The rules would prevent an estimated 58 million tons of methane from reaching the atmosphere between 2024 and 2038 – nearly the equivalent of all the carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector in the year 2021, EPA added.
Global Influence and Industry Response
New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose state already put in place methane regulations that served as a model for the EPA, said that the new methane rules enable the United States to lead by example and encourage other countries to take similar measures. Some environmental groups praised the rules, while the oil and gas industry is reviewing the rule, calling for a balance between emissions reductions and meeting rising energy demand.
Positive Reactions from Oil Industry
Exxon CEO Darren Woods and BP both expressed support for the regulations, with Woods stating that they still need to review the rule but are conceptually supportive of it as long as it’s a reasonable and sound policy. BP said it “actively collaborated” with EPA as it worked on the final rule and “welcomes the finalization.”
