US Senate votes to retain OCS inventory language in energy bill

Washington (Platts)--21Jun2005

The US Senate voted 52-44 Tuesday to keep in the energy bill language that
would provide for a comprehensive inventory of oil and gas reserves in the
Outer Continental Shelf, including areas currently off-limits to drilling. 

A group of senators from coastal states, led by Mel Martinez
(Republican-Florida) and Bill Nelson (Democrat-Florida), introduced an
amendment to strike the measure, claiming that the inventory was a first step
to opening to exploration and development OCS lands covered by a federal
drilling moratorium. They said drilling would threaten the environment and the
state's lucrative tourism industry. 

Opponents of the amendment, including both the leading Republicans and
Democrats on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said an
inventory is needed to give Americans an accurate picture of oil and gas
resources available offshore.

This story was originally published in Platts Natural Gas Alert
http://www.naturalgasalert.platts.com

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