Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73

§16296 Low-volume oil and gas reservoir research program

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 149— - NATIONAL ENERGY POLICY AND PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER IX— - RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT › Part Part F— - Fossil Energy › § 16296

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary must set up a research and development program to get more oil and gas from low‑volume or marginal wells and reservoirs. GIS — mapping and location-data tools — is used in the work. The program must collect where those wells and reservoirs are, how much they produce, where low‑pressure gathering lines and pipelines are, and how much gas is vented or flared. It must estimate remaining producible reserves under different pipeline pressures and recommend ways to keep producing them. The Secretary may give a grant to a group of States to do an annual study of low‑volume gas reservoirs. If the group lacks GIS tools, it must hire a college with those tools and must work with each State’s geologist. The Secretary may make maps and short guides from the data and share them with States to help conserve natural gas.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §16296

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section, the term “GIS” means geographic information systems technology that facilitates the organization and management of data with a geographic component.

(b)The Secretary shall establish a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application to maximize the productive capacity of marginal wells and reservoirs.

(c)Under the program, the Secretary shall collect data on—

(1)the status and location of marginal wells and oil and gas reservoirs;

(2)the production capacity of marginal wells and oil and gas reservoirs;

(3)the location of low-pressure gathering facilities and pipelines; and

(4)the quantity of natural gas vented or flared in association with crude oil production.

(d)Under the program, the Secretary shall—

(1)estimate the remaining producible reserves based on variable pipeline pressures; and

(2)recommend measures that will enable the continued production of those resources.

(e)(1)The Secretary may award a grant to an organization of States that contain significant numbers of marginal oil and natural gas wells to conduct an annual study of low-volume natural gas reservoirs.

(2)If an organization receiving a grant under paragraph (1) does not have GIS capabilities, the organization shall contract with an institution of higher education with GIS capabilities.

(3)The organization receiving a grant under paragraph (1) shall collaborate with the State geologist of each State being studied.

(f)The Secretary may use the data collected and analyzed under this section to produce maps and literature to disseminate to States to promote conservation of natural gas reserves.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 16296

Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73