US Senate's OCS bill 'best we can do now': Louisiana's Landrieu

Washington (Platts)--7Sep2006

US Senator Mary Landrieu Thursday said Senate-passed legislation that
would open millions of acres in the Gulf of Mexico to energy exploration and
development is preferable to a much more expansive House measure and is "the
best thing we can do now."

Speaking at a Congressional Quarterly Summit in Washington, the Louisiana
Democrat also insisted that the Senate bill has the support of the White
House. "This is the best thing we can do now," she said. "We are taking it one
step at a time."

Landrieu took issue with comments made earlier in the day by Jack
Coleman, counsel to the House Resources Committee, who said it is unlikely the
House would accept the Senate's version as is. He also said if the Congress
fails to act on the legislation, it is highly unlikely that the issue would be
revisited again for many years.

"Half a loaf is better than none," Landrieu insisted, adding that she
believes the Senate would continue to revisit the issue as long as
constituents continue to demand action on energy prices.

The Senate bill would open 8.3 million acres in the Gulf to drilling,
including nearly 2 million acres that were removed from the federal
government's Lease Sale 181 five years ago because of objections from Florida
officials. It also includes a provision to share 37.5% of revenues derived
from new production with four Gulf Coast states.

The broader House bill passed in late June would lift the congressional
moratorium on nearly all OCS drilling beyond 100 miles and allow states to
decide whether to allow drilling between 50 and 100 miles of their shores.

--Rodney White, rodney_white@platts.com

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