US DOI introduces new hydraulic fracturing rules

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has introduced new regulations to support safe hydraulic fracturing activities on public and tribal lands.

The new standards will address chemical disclosures, wastewater disposal and well-bore integrity.

The DOI said over 100,000 oil and gas wells exist currently on land managed by the federal government. Of those, more than 90% use hydraulic fracturing.

Rules that take effect in 90 days call for higher standards to mitigate environmental risks, increased transparency on the chemicals used in the hydraulic fracturing process and provisions to make sure groundwater supplies are protected.

US Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell said: "Current federal well-drilling regulations are more than 30 years old and they simply have not kept pace with the technical complexities of today’s hydraulic fracturing operations.

"This updated and strengthened rule provides a framework of safeguards and disclosure protocols that will allow for the continued responsible development of our federal oil and gas resources."

The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and Western Energy Alliance have filed a lawsuit challenging the new regulations.

The complaint, filed in federal district court in Wyoming, characterises the US Bureau of Land Management’s rulemaking as a reaction to unsubstantiated concerns.

IPAA and Western Energy have requested to set aside the regulations as the administrative record lacks the factual, scientific, or engineering evidence required to sustain the agency’s action.

The parties allege that the new rule is another regulatory overreach by the Obama Administration that will hurt the country’s oil and natural gas producers.