Trump announces rollback of oil and gas methane rules
Trump said his administration was terminating methane regulations and claimed the changes would save consumers and energy producers $45 billion. [3][4][5] The changes include proposing to eliminate a program for reporting major leaks, weakening rules for low-producing wells and relaxing restrictions on routine flaring. [3]
Why it matters
Methane accounts for about a third of warming since the pre-industrial era, according to AFP; the rollback targets emissions across oil and gas production and distribution, not just one type of facility. [3]
Key insights
- The Super Emitter Program allows EPA-approved observers to report leaks exceeding 100 kilograms per hour; its proposed removal would eliminate that reporting provision. [3]
- Rules would also be weakened for marginal wells producing 15 barrels or less of oil equivalent per day. [3]
- Trump claimed the changes would unlock 210 million barrels of oil, equivalent to about 10 days of US petroleum consumption; that is an administration claim, not an independently established outcome. [4]
- Associated gas can cost more to capture than it is worth, giving oil producers an economic reason to flare it. [3]