42 U.S.C. § 6217: Scientific inventory of oil…

Summary

The Secretary of the Interior, working with the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy, must make an inventory of all onshore Federal lands. The inventory must show U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates of oil and gas under those lands; what blocks or delays development (for example, leasing delays, post-lease permit or environmental hold-ups, and transport limits); and how much resource is not produced because of those limits. The resource estimates and surface-availability data must be kept updated and made public. The inventory was to be sent to the House Committee on Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources within 2 years after November 9, 2000. The Secretary of Energy must use the inventory to regularly estimate how much oil and gas can be economically recovered, considering costs, prices, technology, and rules.

Title 42, §6217

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

(a)In general

The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy, shall conduct an inventory of all onshore Federal lands. The inventory shall identify—

(1)the United States Geological Survey estimates of the oil and gas resources underlying these lands;

(2)the extent and nature of any restrictions or impediments to the development of the resources, including—

(A)impediments to the timely granting of leases;

(B)post-lease restrictions, impediments, or delays on development for conditions of approval, applications for permits to drill, or processing of environmental permits; and

(C)permits or restrictions associated with transporting the resources for entry into commerce; and

(3)the quantity of resources not produced or introduced into commerce because of the restrictions.

(b)Regular update

Once completed, the USGS resource estimates and the surface availability data as provided in subsection (a)(2) shall be regularly updated and made publicly available.

(c)Inventory

The inventory shall be provided to the Committee on Resources of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate within 2 years after November 9, 2000.

(d)Assessments

Using the inventory, the Secretary of Energy shall make periodic assessments of economically recoverable resources accounting for a range of parameters such as current costs, commodity prices, technology, and regulations.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Energy Act of 2000, and not as part of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act which comprises this chapter.

Amendments

2005—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 109–58, § 364(a)(1)(A), struck out “reserve” before “estimates” and “and” after the semicolon. Subsec. (a)(2), (3). Pub. L. 109–58, § 364(a)(1)(B), added pars. (2) and (3) and struck out former par. (2) which read as follows: “the extent and nature of any restrictions or impediments to the development of such resources.” Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–58, § 364(a)(2), substituted “resource” for “reserve” and “publicly” for “publically”. Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–58, § 364(a)(3), added subsec. (d) and struck out heading and text of former subsec. (d). Text read as follows: “There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to implement this section.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Resources of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Natural Resources of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007.

§6217 Scientific Inventory of Oil and Gas Reserves