May 21, 2026 Independent Producers Support Lummis, Pfluger’s “Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act”
WASHINGTON – The Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) issued the following statement in support of the “Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act” – legislation introduced today by Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Congressman August Pfluger (R-TX-11) that right-sizes the regulatory requirements for small business oil and natural gas wells. The current one-size-fits-all emissions regulations would make many marginal wells unviable, eliminating a significant source of much-needed energy production and harm small businesses and their communities. The “Protect Domestic Oil and Gas Small Business Act” preserves the EPA’s broader authority across the industry on emissions regulation while delegating to the states the planning of performance standards of marginal wells. The result is a smarter framework that protects America’s distributed domestic supply and supports our shared environmental goals.
IPAA President and CEO Edith Naegele: “IPAA strongly supports this bicameral legislation introduced by Senator Lummis and Congressman Pfluger to bring regulatory clarity to small producers on the management of their air emissions. Historically, the EPA has regulated the industry with a top down, one-size-fits-all approach. This leaves small producers continually fighting through regulatory uncertainties unanticipated by the federal agency. Operating costs continue to rise, market conditions for oil and natural gas can be volatile, and changing presidential administrations create additional uncertainty. This bill allows states to manage emissions from low production wells efficiently and effectively. IPAA has worked on this issue with state and national industry partners for many years and will keep supporting small energy producers and collaborating with other industry advocates to advance the interest of America’s Independent oil and gas producers.”
Background:
Of the roughly one million active oil and natural gas wells in the United States, about 750,000 are low production wells. These low production oil wells produce about one million barrels per day combined, accounting for 7 to 10 percent of U.S. production. The regulatory structure to address methane emissions applied to low production wells is significant because their viability is dependent on their cost of operation. Small businesses’ marginal wells represent vital energy infrastructure, a distributed domestic supply, a broad rural tax base, high paying jobs in their communities, and safe, reliable production. Our country should be doing everything we can to extend the productive life of these wells vs. prematurely shut them in.
For more than a decade, IPAA has advocated for a right-sized approach to regulation of these wells. Well-structured, cost-effective regulations are essential to manage emissions while assuring that American oil and natural gas producers can provide the energy demanded by the U.S. and global economies.
