"The U.S. oil and natural gas industry emits more methane than previously thought, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy said on Wednesday as she defended efforts to curb its output.

The regulator last year said it would try to reduce emissions of methane, which is far more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide, by requiring new oil and gas processing and transmission facilities to find and repair methane leaks and for producers to capture or limit methane from shale wells.

As part of that rules process, the EPA collected new data on how much methane is emitted by oil drilling, transportation and refining."

Ernest Scheyder reports for Reuters February 24, 2016. [2]