EPA proposes revisions to 2024 oil and natural gas air regulations

WASHINGTON — President Trump and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin announced in Lubbock, Texas, a proposal to revise 2024 oil and natural gas regulations known as OOOOb/c, which EPA said is expected to save $45 billion in costs.

EPA is proposing to rescind the program that certified third-party monitors for "super emitter" leak events. It is also proposing to restore 95% efficient flaring or other control devices as the best system of emission reduction for associated gas, instead of requiring all of it to reach a sales line. The agency is co-proposing two options for separate well site categories, one by production level and one by resource type. EPA estimates the proposal would unleash 210 million additional barrels of oil and 1.41 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

"When owners and operators can produce, America benefits with lower prices," Zeldin said. EPA said it will hold at least a 45-day public comment period, including a public hearing, after the proposal is published in the Federal Register.