Oil industry asks EPA to delay methane rule, citing equipment backlog
The American Petroleum Institute is urging EPA to delay implementation for parts of its proposed methane rule because of equipment supply constraints.
In a two-page letter on Wednesday, API President and CEO Mike Sommers urged EPA to adopt an “extended implementation timeline” for some requirements in the rule, which would set limits on methane emissions from U.S. oil and gas infrastructure. Some of the equipment needed to comply with the rule has a backlog of six to 24 months, he wrote, adding that the rule’s implementation “could extend the current supply chain backlog by an
Related Knowledge Center: Methane
As the production of natural gas from shale fields has expanded, so have methane emissions. U.S. methane emissions grew 27 percent from 1990 to 2009, according to the Energy Information Administration. Methane contributes about 10 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and is 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.