President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday implemented a series of reforms aimed at enhancing returns and mitigating environmental damage from oil and gas drilling on public lands, a move that will result in increased fees for companies operating in these areas.
The new regulations come in response to longstanding criticism from environmental and taxpayer groups, who argued that federal oil and gas development was not sufficiently benefiting the public. Many of these changes, introduced by the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM), formalize provisions outlined in Biden’s landmark climate legislation, the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Under the revised policy, oil and gas companies will face higher bonding rates to cover the expenses of plugging abandoned wells, along with elevated lease rents, minimum auction bids, and royalty rates for the resources they extract. Additionally, the rules impose limits on drilling activities in sensitive wildlife habitats and culturally significant areas.
“These are the most significant reforms to the federal oil and gas leasing program in decades, which will curtail wasteful speculation, increase returns for the public, and shield taxpayers from bearing the costs of environmental remediation,” stated Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Approximately 10% of the nation’s oil and gas production is derived from drilling on federally owned land. Responding to the reforms, an industry trade group cautioned that heightened extraction costs from federal lands could elevate U.S. reliance on foreign energy sources.
“Excessive land management regulations pose a threat to this vital energy supply,” remarked American Petroleum Institute Vice President of Upstream Policy Holly Hopkins.
While campaigning in 2020, Biden pledged to halt federal oil and gas leasing as part of his climate change agenda. However, the IRA ensured ongoing drilling rights auctions on federal lands for at least another decade as a concession to the influential fossil fuel sector.
Several environmental and taxpayer organizations commended the reforms, highlighting their potential to curtail speculation and hold oil and gas companies accountable for cleaning up legacy wells.
However, one group, Friends of the Earth, criticized the rules for failing to address the climate impact of fossil fuel extraction on public lands.
“While we support the BLM’s efforts to curb financial giveaways to Big Oil, this rule neglects the substantial climate emissions associated with its leasing program,” stated Nicole Ghio, Senior Fossil Fuels Program Manager at Friends of the Earth.
The new regulations mandate drillers to pay upfront bonds to cover future cleanup costs in case of default. A government analysis in 2019 found that existing bonding levels were inadequate.
Minimum lease bonds will increase substantially to $150,000 from $10,000, a figure unchanged since 1960.
Royalty rates will also climb to 16.67% from 12.5%, and the minimum bid amount at oil and gas auctions will rise to $10 per acre from $2. Additionally, the rental rate for a 10-year lease will double to $3 per acre for the initial two years, eventually reaching $15 per acre in subsequent years. These fees will be subject to inflation adjustments after a decade.