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ARTICLE · 08 APRIL 2015

New BLM Fracking Rule: Is It Here To Stay?

Venable LLP
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The rule has already spawned multiple legal challenges and garnered intense scrutiny on Capitol Hill. Keeping up with these legal and political headwinds will remain as important as the substance of the rule.

United StatesEnvironment
Douglas Green
Douglas Green
David Mullon, Jr.
David Mullon, Jr.
John Mavretich
John Mavretich

On March 26, 2015, after years of wrangling with industry and environmental groups, the Department of the Interior's Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management published a final rule for hydraulic fracturing on Federal and Indian lands in the Federal Register to be administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). In addition to current drilling regulations, which will remain in effect, the rule creates new requirements for operators using hydraulic fracturing to stimulate oil and natural gas wells. Seeing that BLM estimates about 90% of new wells spudded in 2013 on federal and Indian lands used this technique, the rule will clearly have wide-ranging impacts for industry—if, that is, it goes into effect. The rule has already spawned multiple legal challenges and garnered intense scrutiny on Capitol Hill. Keeping up with these legal and political headwinds will remain as important as the substance of the rule.

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