Trump Plans to Ease Methane Rules for Oil and Gas Producers

President Donald Trump’s administration outlined plans Tuesday, October 27, 2026, to loosen federal methane requirements for oil and gas producers. Trump was expected to promote the Environmental Protection Agency proposal during a campaign stop in Lubbock, Texas, as the White House tied the regulatory change to its effort to increase domestic energy production and lower costs.

Reuters, Bloomberg and the Washington Examiner reported the new proposal Tuesday. The action is not a final rule: it begins another regulatory process in which the EPA must publish its terms, accept public comments and respond to legal and technical objections before any replacement standards can take final effect.

What the proposal would change

The plan would reconsider parts of the Biden administration’s 2024 oil-and-natural-gas standards, commonly called OOOOb/c. One focus is marginal wells, a category of low-producing wells that the Washington Examiner described as averaging no more than 15 barrels of oil equivalent per day. The outlet reported that such wells supply less than 5 percent of U.S. oil and gas but account for nearly half of the sector’s methane emissions, citing EPA figures.

The administration also plans to rescind the Super Emitter Program, which was designed to let approved third parties identify unusually large methane releases and notify regulators and operators. The proposal would ease requirements connected to routine flaring—the burning of excess natural gas at production sites—and revisit equipment and control-device standards. The exact obligations will depend on the regulatory text and any changes made after public comment.

Administration says rules impose excessive costs

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has argued that the existing rules treat small producers too much like major oil companies and impose requirements that some low-volume wells cannot economically meet. Earlier in October, the EPA estimated that its broader oil-and-gas reconsideration could save producers about $45 billion. That figure is the agency’s estimate; the administration has not demonstrated that the proposed changes would produce an immediate or equivalent reduction in household fuel prices.

The policy announcement came during Trump’s Texas campaign swing for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, one week before the November 3 midterm elections. Texas is the nation’s largest oil-producing state, making the location both politically and economically significant. Reuters reported that Trump planned to present the rollback as part of a response to high fuel costs.

Climate and legal stakes

Methane is the main component of natural gas and traps substantially more heat than carbon dioxide over the decades after it enters the atmosphere. The Biden-era standards were projected by that administration to prevent 58 million tons of methane emissions from 2024 through 2038. Environmental groups argue that monitoring leaks can reduce climate pollution while preserving gas that producers can sell; industry groups and smaller operators have pressed for less costly requirements.

Because this is a proposed rollback rather than a completed repeal, the practical effect is not yet settled. The final scope, compliance dates and projected emissions impact will become clearer when the EPA publishes the full proposal and supporting analysis. Litigation is also likely after a final rule, particularly over whether the agency adequately justified weakening controls on a major source of U.S. methane emissions.

Sources and image credit

• Reuters — Trump to roll back methane rules in Texas campaign push
• Washington Examiner — Trump to unveil plan to loosen methane rules
• Bloomberg — Trump to ease oil-well methane curbs
• The Hill — EPA outlines the oil-and-gas methane reconsideration
• Image: West Texas pumpjack, Wikimedia Commons
• Original full-resolution image
• Image collection and rights information: Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress