The Trump administration on Thursday will roll back regulations aimed at reducing emissions of the potent greenhouse gas methane from oil and gas operations, its latest move to unwind environmental rules ahead of November's presidential election.

During a visit to election swing state Pennsylvania, US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler will formally rescind 2016 Obama administration limits on oil and gas industry emissions of methane, a move criticized by environmentalists when initially proposed last August.

The EPA is expected to retain some of the rules issued in 2012 that control methane emissions and also limit those of so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause smog.