Biden’s Oil and Gas Lease Ban Blocked by Federal Judge

An oil worker removes a thread cap from a piece of drill pipe on a drilling lease owned by Elevation Resources near Midland, Texas, on Feb. 12, 2019. Nick Oxford/Reuters

A federal judge in Louisiana has blocked President Joe Biden’s suspension of new oil and gas leases on federal land and water, delivering a setback to the administration’s efforts to transition away from fossil fuels.

U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty’s ruling (pdf), filed on June 15, grants a preliminary injunction in a 13-state lawsuit led by Louisiana Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry (pdf).