Rulemakings, Policy, and Laws to Address Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Sector

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Methane Emissions Reporting Requirements
Methane Emissions Standards
Requirements and Policies to Reduce Methane Emissions
Related Resources

Methane Emissions Reporting Requirements

Subpart W of the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHGRP), codified at 40 C.F.R. Part 98, applies to owners or operators of facilities that contain petroleum and natural gas systems and emit 25,000 metric tons or more of GHGs per year. Owners or operators collect GHG data; calculate GHG emissions; and follow the specified procedures for quality assurance, missing data, recordkeeping, and reporting. Subpart W consists of emission sources in ten segments of the petroleum and natural gas industry.

Waste Emissions Charge

As part of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program created under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Congress directed EPA to collect a Waste Emissions Charge (WEC) on waste emissions of methane from certain oil and gas facilities. The WEC rule was finalized in 2024 and applies to petroleum and natural gas facilities that emit more than 25,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year as reported under subpart W of the GHGRP, that exceed statutorily specified waste emissions thresholds set by Congress, and that are not otherwise exempt from the charge.

Additional Information about the WEC

Final WEC Rule Fact Sheet (pdf) (213 KB)
Steps for Determining WEC Applicability and Obligation (pdf) (9 MB)

Methane Emissions Standards

Final Rules to Reduce Methane from Oil and Gas Operations

In 2024, EPA issued a final rule to sharply reduce emissions of methane and other harmful air pollution from oil and natural gas operations. The rule includes standards, codified under 40 CFR part 60 at subpart OOOOb, to reduce methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from new, modified, and reconstructed sources. It also includes Emissions Guidelines, codified under 40 CFR part 60 at subpart OOOOc, for states to follow as they develop plans to limit methane emissions from existing sources.

Learn more about the 2024 rule

In 2016 - EPA issued three final rules that together will curb emissions of methane, smog-forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxic air pollutants such as benzene from new, reconstructed ,and modified oil and gas sources, while providing greater certainty about Clean Air Act permitting requirements for the industry.

Read the 2016 final rule and the 2018 amendments

Requirements and Policies to Reduce Methane Emissions

Methane Emissions Reduction Program

The Inflation Reduction Act provides new authorities under Section 136 of the Clean Air Act to reduce methane emissions from the petroleum and natural gas sector through the creation of the Methane Emissions Reduction Program (MERP). This program helps reduce emissions of methane and other GHGs from the oil and gas sector and will have the co-benefit of reducing non-GHG emissions such as volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants. In keeping with the Justice40 Initiative, the program will also reduce emissions from oil and natural gas infrastructure in or near overburdened communities where people live, work, and go to school.

The MERP provides $1.36 billion in financial and technical assistance through multiple funding opportunities in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. The MERP also established the WEC for methane and required EPA to revise the GHGRP subpart W regulations for the oil and gas sector. The MERP complements EPA’s final rule to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas operations, via New Source Performance Standards from new, modified, and reconstructed sources and Emissions Guidelines for existing sources.

Methane Super Emitter Program

The Methane Super Emitter Program was established in the EPA’s New Source Performance Standards and Emissions Guidelines to reduce emissions of methane and other harmful air pollution from oil and natural gas operations. Super emitter events are large leaks or releases of methane located at or near an oil and natural gas facility with an emission rate of 100 kilograms per hour of methane or greater, as measured by certified third parties using EPA-approved remote sensing technology. The Super Emitter Program is designed to provide a transparent, reliable, and efficient mechanism by which the EPA will provide oil and gas owners and operators with timely notifications of super-emitter events so that necessary corrections can be made.