World Oil

(WO) – On Friday, the Independent Petroleum Association (IPAA) and 25 other state, regional and national oil and gas associations wrote to congressional leadership urging action on methane regulations that could have a detrimental impact on our nation's energy supply.

In their letter, the groups express "serious concerns regarding the impact of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new methane emissions regulations (Subparts OOOOb and OOOOc) and the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (Methane Tax) on oil and gas marginal well owners. Both actions threaten marginal wells continued operations by creating unfair, unworkable, and uneconomic regulations. These small business energy producers need assistance to find a regulatory or legislative solution to mitigate these threats."

The letter provides definitions and information on the impact to producers in the following areas:

• Regulatory Applicability to Marginal Wells
• Subparts OOOOb and OOOOc
• The Methane Tax

"Collectively, the Subpart OOOOc regulations and the Methane Tax pose serious and direct threats to hundreds of thousands of marginal wells," said the energy producer associations in the letter. "These threats have not been remotely addressed in the current regulatory actions completed or pending at EPA. Congress needs to step up and step in to prevent irresponsible agency actions that would savage the nation’s marginal oil and gas wells."

Full list of letter signees:

• Independent Petroleum Association of America
• Arkansas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners
• California Independent Petroleum Association
• Domestic Energy Producers Alliance
• Energy Workforce and Technology Council
• Gas and Oil Association of West Virginia
• Independent Oil and Gas Association of New York
• Independent Petroleum Association of New Mexico
• Indiana Oil and Gas Association
• Kansas Independent Oil and Gas Association
• Kentucky Oil and Gas Association
• Louisiana Oil and Gas Association
• Michigan Oil and Gas Association
• Montana Petroleum Association
• National Stripper Well Association
• Oil and Gas Workers Association
• Oil Producers' Alliance
• Panhandle Producers and Royalty Owners
• Pennsylvania Independent Oil and Gas Association
• Permian Basin Petroleum Association
• Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma
• Southeastern Ohio Oil and Gas Association
• Texas Alliance of Energy Producers
• Texas Independent Producers and Royalty Owners
• Utah Petroleum Association
• Western Energy Alliance

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) is a national upstream trade association representing thousands of independent oil and gas producers and service companies across the United States. Independent producers develop 91% of the nation’s oil and gas wells. These companies account for 83% of America’s oil production, 90% of its natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGL) production, and support over 4.5 million American jobs.