The State Land Commissioner in New Mexico is speaking out against new flaring rules coming from the Obama administration.
The federal government wants to restrict oil companies that burn off natural gas on public land but Commissioner Aubrey Dunn in Santa Fe is fighting it. He has announced his office has submitted comments against the proposed venting and flaring regulations.
Dunn contends it is hypocritical for the Bureau of Land Management to fault producers and impose costly new rules when the agency’s own actions have been responsible for a large part of the problem.
He noted that a committee was formed last year by New Mexico to study the flaring reductions and review the feasibility of capturing the gas for new drilling permits. The study determined the length of time it took to get federal rights of way from the BLM contributed to flaring on federal lands.
