US senator seeks continued agency support for OCS leasing bans

Washington (Platts)--13Dec2004

US Sen Bill Nelson (Democrat-Florida) Friday asked Interior Secretary Gail
Norton to continue to support existing moratoria on oil and natural gas
leasing off Florida's coasts and those of other states as the agency prepares
its 2007-2012 Outer Continental Shelf leasing plan. His plea followed a letter
last week from Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete
Domenici (Republican-New Mexico) asking Norton to at least consider the
possibility of allowing gas leasing in moratoria areas. "We can't allow oil
and gas drilling to come any closer," Nelson said. "If an exception is made
for natural gas, then oil rigs will follow." "I believe that the moratoria can
continue while addressing our country's energy needs," he said. Among the
options for achieving that goal, he said, are building an Alaska natural gas
pipeline, increasing imports of liquefied natural gas and producing gas from
federal lands more efficiently. Interior is expected to issue a draft of the
plan in January.

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