IB 

Union Calendar No. 70 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1613 

[Report No. 113–101, Part I] 

To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide for the proper 

Federal management and oversight of transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 18, 2013 

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, 

and Mr. SALMON) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on 

Foreign Affairs and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 

determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

JUNE 6, 2013 

Additional sponsors: Mr. RADEL, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. POE of Texas, 

Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. AMODEI, Mr. GRAVES of Georgia, Mr. 

CRAMER, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. WESTMORELAND, Mrs. WAGNER, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. BENTIVOLIO, and Mr. MULLIN

JUNE 6, 2013 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

JUNE 6, 2013 

The Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Services discharged; committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on April 18, 2013] 


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•HR 1613 RH

A BILL 

To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to provide 

for the proper Federal management and oversight of 

transboundary hydrocarbon reservoirs, and for other purposes. 


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•HR 1613 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Outer Continental Shelf 

5 Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization 

6 Act’’. 

7 TITLE I—AMENDMENT TO THE 

8 OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF 

9 LANDS ACT 

10 SEC. 101. AMENDMENT TO THE OUTER CONTINENTAL 

11 SHELF LANDS ACT. 

12 The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 

13 1331 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘SEC. 32. TRANSBOUNDARY HYDROCARBON AGREEMENTS. 

15 ‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—After the date of enactment of 

16 the Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon 

17 Agreements Authorization Act, the Secretary may imple18 ment the terms of any transboundary hydrocarbon agree19 ment for the management of transboundary hydrocarbon 

20 reservoirs entered into by the President and approved by 

21 Congress. In implementing such an agreement, the Sec22 retary shall protect the interests of the United States to pro23 mote domestic job creation and ensure the expeditious and 

24 orderly development and conservation of domestic mineral 

25 resources in accordance with all applicable United States 


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•HR 1613 RH

1 laws governing the exploration, development, and produc2 tion of hydrocarbon resources on the outer Continental 

3 Shelf. 

4 ‘‘(b) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.— 

5 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—No later than 180 days after 

6 all parties to a transboundary hydrocarbon agreement 

7 have agreed to its terms, a transboundary hydro8 carbon agreement that does not constitute a treaty in 

9 the judgment of the President shall be submitted by 

10 the Secretary to— 

11 ‘‘(A) the Speaker of the House of Represent12 atives; 

13 ‘‘(B) the Majority Leader of the Senate; 

14 ‘‘(C) the Chair of the Committee on Natural 

15 Resources of the House of Representatives; and 

16 ‘‘(D) the Chair of the Committee on Energy 

17 and Natural Resources of the Senate. 

18 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS OF SUBMISSION.—The submis19 sion shall include— 

20 ‘‘(A) any amendments to this Act or other 

21 Federal law necessary to implement the agree22 ment; 

23 ‘‘(B) an analysis of the economic impacts 

24 such an agreement and any amendments neces25 sitated by the agreement will have on domestic 


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1 exploration, development, and production of hy2 drocarbon resources on the outer Continental 

3 Shelf; and 

4 ‘‘(C) a detailed description of any regula5 tions expected to be issued by the Secretary to 

6 implement the agreement. 

7 ‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF SPECIFIC TRANSBOUNDARY

8 AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO.—The Secretary may take ac9 tions as necessary to implement the terms of the Agreement 

10 between the United States of America and the United Mexi11 can States Concerning Transboundary Hydrocarbon Res12 ervoirs in the Gulf of Mexico, signed at Los Cabos, February 

13 20, 2012, including— 

14 ‘‘(1) approving unitization agreements and re15 lated arrangements for the exploration, development, 

16 or production of oil and natural gas from trans17 boundary reservoirs or geological structures; 

18 ‘‘(2) making available, in the limited manner 

19 necessary under the agreement and subject to the pro20 tections of confidentiality provided by the agreement, 

21 information relating to the exploration, development, 

22 and production of oil and natural gas from a trans23 boundary reservoir or geological structure that may 

24 be considered confidential, privileged, or proprietary 

25 information under law; 


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1 ‘‘(3) taking actions consistent with an expert de2 termination under the agreement; and 

3 ‘‘(4) ensuring only appropriate inspection staff 

4 at the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforce5 ment or other Federal agency personnel designated by 

6 the Bureau, the operator, or the lessee have authority 

7 to stop work on any installation or other device or 

8 vessel permanently or temporarily attached to the sea9 bed of the United States, which may be erected there10 on for the purpose of resource exploration, develop11 ment or production activities as approved by the Sec12 retary. 

13 ‘‘(d) EXEMPTION FROM RESOURCES EXTRACTION RE14 PORTING REQUIREMENT.—Actions taken by a public com15 pany in accordance with any transboundary hydrocarbon 

16 agreement shall not constitute the commercial development 

17 of oil, natural gas, or minerals for purposes of section 13(q) 

18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (157 U.S.C. 78m(q)). 

19 ‘‘(e) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.—Nothing in this section 

20 shall be construed— 

21 ‘‘(1) to authorize the Secretary to participate in 

22 any negotiations, conferences, or consultations with 

23 Cuba regarding exploration, development, or produc24 tion of hydrocarbon resources in the Gulf of Mexico 

25 along the United States maritime border with Cuba 


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1 or the area known by the Department of the Interior 

2 as the ‘Eastern Gap’; or 

3 ‘‘(2) as affecting the sovereign rights and the ju4 risdiction that the United States has under inter5 national law over the outer Continental Shelf which 

6 appertains to it.’’. 

7 TITLE II—APPROVAL OF TRANS8 BOUNDARY HYDROCARBON 

9 AGREEMENT 

10 SEC. 201. APPROVAL OF AGREEMENT WITH MEXICO. 

11 The Agreement between the United States of America 

12 and the United Mexican States Concerning Transboundary 

13 Hydrocarbon Reservoirs in the Gulf of Mexico, signed at 

14 Los Cabos, February 20, 2012, is hereby approved. 


rfrederick on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 70 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1613 

[Report No. 113–101, Part I] 

A BILL 

To amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 

ervoirs, and for other purposes. and oversight of transboundary hydrocarbon resto provide for the proper Federal management 

JUNE 6, 2013 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 

J

an amendment 

UNE 6, 2013 

The Committees on Foreign Affairs and Financial Servto be printed Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered ices discharged; committed to the Committee of the 


rfrederick on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS