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White House to curb methane emissions from oil, gas production

[January 14, 2015] WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama’s administration will unveil new rules Wednesday that aim to slash methane emissions from oil and gas production by up to 45 percent by 2025 in its latest move to solidify the Democratic president’s credentials on climate change.

Under the proposal, the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Interior will issue measures to contain leaking methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from new drilling equipment and from old and new production facilities located on public lands, officials said.

The new rules would take effect in 2016 and aim to cut emissions by up to 45 percent from levels recorded in 2012, they said.

Methane emissions, the second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions with 9 percent of output in 2012, are expected to rise if unregulated.

As the Obama administration continues to address climate change through executive measures, the oil and gas sector had been one of the remaining areas in which the federal government had left to seek emission cuts.

Environmental groups have pushed for months for strict mandatory curbs on methane output, while industry groups have tried to convince officials that the sector's own voluntary measures have already made strides in reducing emissions.

(Reporting By Valerie Volcovici and Jeff Mason; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

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