The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule on Wednesday that effectively hits the pause button on stringent methane regulations for the oil and gas sector, a move Administrator Lee Zeldin says will save the industry hundreds of millions of dollars.
The action formally extends compliance timelines for the Clean Air Act rules—known technically as OOOOb/c—which were originally set in motion by the Biden-Harris administration. By pushing back these dates, the Trump administration aims to dismantle what it considers regulatory hurdles that stifle domestic energy production.
Under the final rule, owners and operators of new and modified oil and natural gas sources have been granted significantly more time to meet federal standards. The EPA estimates that adjusting these timelines will reduce compliance costs by approximately $750 million over the next 11 years.
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Administrator Zeldin framed the decision as a necessary correction to previous policies he described as punitive.
“The previous administration used oil and gas standards as a weapon to shut down development and manufacturing in the United States,” Zeldin said in a statement Wednesday. “By finalizing compliance extensions, EPA is ensuring unrealistic regulations do not prevent America from unleashing energy dominance.”
The finalized action cements an 18-month extension previously introduced in a July 2025 interim ruling. This delay applies to requirements involving control devices, equipment leaks, storage vessels, and process controllers.
State governments also get a reprieve; the rule maintains an 18-month extension for states to develop their own plans to reduce methane emissions. The implementation of the “super emitter” program, a third-party monitoring initiative designed to detect large methane leaks using remote sensing, is similarly delayed.
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After reviewing feedback from industry stakeholders regarding supply chain bottlenecks and labor shortages, the EPA added a new extension to the final package. The deadline for net heating value continuous monitoring—originally set for November 28, 2025—has been pushed back by 180 days. This is an increase from the 120-day delay proposed in the interim rule.
To clarify reporting schedules, the agency noted that annual reports originally due before the new deadlines must now be submitted within 360 days of the rule’s effective date.
Zeldin emphasized that the changes are about pragmatism rather than lowered standards, asserting that the U.S. continues to produce energy “better and cleaner” than global competitors.
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