Interior Finalizes Venting, Flaring Limits For Federal Oil & Gas Wells

Complementing EPA’s methane emissions standards for the oil and gas sector, the Interior Department (DOI) has finalized standards to restrict “wasted” natural gas via venting, flaring or leaks at drilling operations on federal lands, a measure that is winning praise from some environmentalists though others warn it lacks enforceable capture mandates. The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) final standards -- released March 27 ahead of publication in the Federal Register -- largely mirror key elements of the agency’s November...