From: The National Law Review
Article By: Kenneth S. Komoroski, Timothy P. Lynch, John D. McGrane, Ted B. Bosquez, IV, Daniel Carmeli
The U.S. government recently announced plans for a number of regulatory initiatives in 2015 that will affect the oil and gas industry.
Planned Federal Regulations Target the Oil and Gas Industry
Twice per year, the U.S. government lists its regulatory plans. At the end of 2014, it announced its plans for the following regulatory initiatives affecting the oil and gas industry.
| Regulatory Area | Federal Agency | Status | |
| 1 | VOC and Methane Emission Regulations | Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | Prerulemaking |
| Department of the Interior (DOI)/Bureau of Land Management (BLM) | Prerulemaking | ||
| 2 | Hydraulic Fracturing | DOI/BLM | Proposed Rule |
| 3 | Royalty Rates for Onshore Leases | DOI/BLM | Prerulemaking |
| 4 | Blowout Preventers | DOI/Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) | Prerulemaking |
| 5 | Arctic Drilling | DOI/BSEE/Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) | Prerulemaking |
| 6 | Transportation of Crude Oil by Rail | Department of Transportation (DOT) | Proposed Rule |
| 7 | Renewable Fuel Standards | EPA | Proposed Rule |
This collection of initiatives serves as a preview of the Obama administration’s agenda for the oil and gas industry. As a result of the November 2014 election, in which several Senate Democrats from energy-producing states either retired or were defeated, these initiatives may become more prominent, allowing the Obama administration to pursue a regulatory agenda without necessarily having to consider the political fallout in those states.