On November 18, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), under the Department of the Interior (DOI), announced it would delay two important parts of a Biden-era rule to limit methane waste from oil and gas development on federal lands. The delay comes months after the Administration announced plans to rescind the rule in its entirety.   

The BLM oversees the development of federally owned oil and gas by auctioning off leases for oil and gas exploration and development to private companies. In return for the right to develop and profit from our taxpayer-owned resources, these companies pay taxpayers a royalty—a set percentage of the value of oil and gas they produce—along with bids at competitive auctions, rent on nonproducing leases, and other minor fees. 

For too long, operators have been allowed to vent, flare (burn), and leak massive quantities of methane—the main component of natural gas—and much of which royalty-free. In the ten-year period from FY2012 to FY2021, oil and gas operators reported losing 300 billion cubic feet (bcf) of natural gas from leases on federal lands, which had an estimated value of $949 million. Much of this methane waste could have easily been brought to the market to power our homes, but many operators choose to expedite the production of oil, which is more profitable, instead of setting up the appropriate infrastructure to capture natural gas. Much of this gas was also lost without incurring a royalty, costing taxpayers at least $76 million in potential royalty revenue over the decade.   

In March 2024, the BLM released a final rule, entitled the "Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation" rule, to address the egregious waste of natural gas on federal lands. The rule consists of five main components: 

• Preventing Unreasonable Waste: Operators "must use all reasonable precautions to prevent the waste of oil or gas" from federal leases.  

• Requiring Waste Minimization Plan or Self-Certification to Use 100% of Gas: Operators must report how they plan to capture and sell 100% of gas produced, unless it is lost in an emergency. BLM can delay or deny permits to drill if it finds the plans insufficient. 

• Determining Royalty-Free "Unavoidably Lost" Gas: Operators can only emit a certain amount of "unavoidably lost" gas—gas lost when an operator "has taken reasonable steps to avoid waste" but may be experiencing an emergency or other situations (ex. well testing, facility and pipeline maintenance)—before being charged a royalty. 

• Rapid Leak Detection and Repair: Operators must develop a "leak detection and repair" (LDAR) program that regularly inspects all equipment and conducts prompt maintenance/repairs when problems are discovered. 

• Reporting on Wasted Gas: Operators must report all vented and flared volumes—both avoidable and unavoidable losses—and maintain detailed records of these events. 

Now, the BLM is proposing two push back two important deadlines by one year, from December 10, 2025 to December 10, 2026:  

• Flare Monitors: Requires operators to have measurement devices and sampling in place for flares with flows between 1,050 mcf/month and 6,000 mcf/month. 

• Leak Detection and Repair: Requires operators to submit plans for an LDAR program (the obligation to repair leaks will stay in effect). 

BLM has the responsibility to reduce methane waste from federal and tribal lands and ensure proper royalty payment of publicly owned resources. Delaying requirements to more accurately monitor and report how much gas is being flared leaves BLM relying on operator estimates to calculate royalty payments—leaving room for fraud and abuse. As BLM reported in the final rule, "industry underestimates the amount of methane lost from flares." Delaying the requirements for another year could cost taxpayers millions of dollars in foregone revenue.  

The LDAR requirement is also an important step in ensuring accidental leaks are quickly addressed. Prior to 2024, operators were not required to check for leaks or detect fugitive emissions, even as leaks and fugitive losses are common throughout the oil and gas production process; a report commissioned by TCS and the Environmental Defense Fund found that leaks accounted for 46% of all lost gas on public lands in 2019. Delaying LDAR program requirements will allow leaks of taxpayer-owned gas to go unchecked.  

Methane waste denies consumers access to a valuable energy resource, deprives taxpayers of federal, tribal, and state royalty revenues, and creates health and safety risks. Delaying parts of the 2024 methane waste rule—or rescinding it entirely—will cost taxpayers, consumers, and local communities.