Jan 14, 2015 U.S. Oil, Gas Producers: Additional Methane Regulations Not Needed
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Independent Petroleum Association of America Executive Vice President Lee Fuller issued the following statement in response to the Obama Administration’s announcement to further regulate the oil and gas industry on methane emissions:
“America’s energy producers have demonstrated a commitment to reducing methane emissions and are already incentivized by further capturing emissions with the help of new and innovative technologies. The administration’s own research shows that while United States oil and natural gas production has grown 400 percent, methane emissions have declined to about 1.3 percent of total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. Existing regulations on new natural gas wells will further reduce these emissions.
“The Obama Administration needs to recognize that broad new regulatory actions are unnecessary and focus its attention on cooperative measures to cost effectively develop further reductions in this small component of the total GHG emissions inventory. Consequently, the fact that there is no price tag associated with the Administration’s proposal is cause for serious concerns, at a time where America’s oil and natural gas production industry is experiencing significant uncertainty.”
About the Independent Petroleum Association of America
The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is the leading, national upstream trade association representing oil and natural gas producers that drill 95 percent of the nation’s oil and natural gas wells. These companies account for 54 percent of America’s oil production, 85 percent of its natural gas production, and support over 2.1 million American jobs. Learn more about IPAA by visiting www.ipaa.org.
