CALGARY — US President Donald Trump is expected to announce a plan to roll back federal requirements designed to slash methane emissions from oil and gas operations, which his administration hopes will promote more domestic energy production and help lower costs.Trump is expected to announce the proposal during a campaign rally in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, according to Bloomberg, as he looks to offer Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton support before next week’s midterm elections.The proposal comes as Trump looks to assuage American voters’ concerns over higher costs of oil, gasoline, and diesel, which have been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war as well as the Iran conflict and the uncertainty over oil maritime routes through the Strait of Hormuz.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin said at an industry conference earlier this month in Santa Fe that this planned measure would lift “unnecessary burdens” constraining oil and gas production and make energy less costly for Americans.The EPA is set to propose additional regulatory relief specifically for marginal, low-output wells that produce no more than 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day.Former President Joe Biden’s administration had requirements that forced energy companies to replace leak-prone equipment and perform regular searches for gas escaping from wells and other hardware..Trump congratulates Doerkson on his ‘big victory’.The new proposal would also relax Biden-era restrictions intended to phase out some routine flaring at oil wells.Many smaller, independent oil producers have said the cost of complying with the regulations can overwhelm the economics of operating older wells, forcing them to shut down production.Roughly 79% of the approximately one million oil and gas wells in the US are classified as marginal because they produce relatively small volumes.However, former EPA officials and environmental advocates warn that low-producing wells can still release substantial amounts of methane, and that weakening federal requirements could increase those emissions.Methane is the main component of natural gas and is both an energy source and a powerful greenhouse gas.The proposal would also eliminate the Methane Super Emitter Program, which allowed approved third parties, including businesses and non-profit organizations, to identify and report large methane releases.Under the Biden administration, the EPA estimated its broader oil and gas methane rule would prevent about 58 million tonnes of methane emissions between 2024 and 2038, delivering $98 billion in net climate and ozone-related health benefits.The Trump administration estimates the proposed changes would now save approximately $45 billion and enable an additional 210 million barrels of oil and 1.41 trillion cubic feet of natural gas production between 2027 and 2050.
