H.R. 10918: Natural Gas Dominance Act

This bill would limit the Environmental Protection Agency’s ability to require certain oil and gas facilities to continuously monitor the “net heating value” of combustion control devices, such as flares and enclosed combustion devices.

What it changes

• For crude oil and natural gas facilities, the EPA could not require continuous monitoring of net heating value, or similar related measurements, for flares and other combustion control devices when carrying out Clean Air Act standards for new stationary sources.
• For oil and gas exploration and production wells and natural gas transmission and storage facilities, the EPA also could not require continuous monitoring of net heating value under the Clean Air Act’s hazardous air pollutants provisions.

Effect on flaring and related operations

• The bill would also prevent EPA from issuing a rule that shortens the current maximum time, below 72 hours, that certain wells may temporarily send gas to a flare or control device during a malfunction or a safety-related incident.
• It would allow wells under certain existing regulations to route gas to a flare or control device during a temporary interruption in gathering or pipeline service for the duration of that interruption, or for another EPA-determined period that is no less than 90 days, whichever is shorter.

Plain-language summary

In simple terms, the bill would reduce federal oversight requirements related to measuring flare performance at some oil and gas sites, and it would preserve or extend the time some wells can keep routing gas to flares or control devices during disruptions, malfunctions, or safety incidents.

Relevant Companies

• XOM — Exxon Mobil may be affected if compliance requirements for oil and gas operations and flaring controls change.
• CVX — Chevron may be affected by changes to federal monitoring and flaring-related rules for upstream and midstream operations.
• COP — ConocoPhillips may face altered compliance obligations at oil and gas production sites.
• EOG — EOG Resources could be affected by changes in monitoring and flaring-related requirements for producers.
• MRO — Marathon Oil could be impacted through changes to federal rules affecting production and flare management.
• OXY — Occidental Petroleum could be affected by revised EPA requirements for oil and gas facility monitoring.
• KMI — Kinder Morgan may be affected by changes to rules for natural gas transmission and storage facilities.
• WMB — Williams Companies could be affected by requirements tied to natural gas transmission and storage operations.
• OKE — ONEOK may be affected by changes to compliance rules for natural gas infrastructure.
• TPL — Texas Pacific Land may be indirectly affected through activity levels and compliance burdens in Texas oil and gas development.