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103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1281
To provide for lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf under certain
conditions, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 10, 1993
Mr. FIELDS of Texas (for himself, Mr. TAUZIN, and Mr. ORTIZ) introduced
the following bill; which was referred jointly to the Committees on Natu-
ral Resources and Merchant Marine and Fisheries
A BILL
To provide for lease sales on the Outer Continental Shelf
under certain conditions, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Energy Secu-
rity Act of 1993’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds that—
(1) the United States consumed an average of
17 million barrels of oil per day of petroleum prod-
ucts in 1992 and our consumption is expected to in-
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crease to 22.6 million barrels per day in the year
2010;
(2) the United States produced an average of
7.4 million barrels per day of petroleum products in
1992;
(3) the domestic oil industry’s utilization rate
(rig) count is now at an all time low;
(4) the domestic oil and gas industry has lost
more than 450,000 jobs over the last decade;
(5) production from the Federal Outer Con-
tinental Shelf accounted for more than 12 percent of
our crude oil and for more than 25 percent of our
natural gas requirements in 1992;
(6) the Minerals Management Service has esti-
mated that the Outer Continental Shelf contains as
much as 25.6 billion barrels of undiscovered, recov-
erable oil, or more than one-third of all such oil in
the United States; and 204.8 trillion cubic feet of
undiscovered, recoverable natural gas, or more than
two-fifths of all such natural gas;
(7) Outer Continental Shelf development has
contributed over $210,000,000,000, in revenues to
the Federal Treasury in rents, royalties, bonus pay-
ments, and taxes;
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(8) of the 60 largest oil spills that have oc-
curred in the waters of the United States, only one
was the result of Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas
activity; the remaining 59 were mainly caused by
tanker spills;
(9) the National Academy of Sciences found
that oil from tankers and other forms of transpor-
tation account for 45 percent of oil pollution in the
sea, while oil from offshore production accounts for
2 percent;
(10) The Department of Interior has spent over
$555,000,000 on environmental and socioeconomic
studies covering every aspect of offshore leasing,
drilling, and production;
(11) domestic oil and natural gas production is
vital to American quality of life because it creates
jobs, enhances national security and contributes to a
healthier environment; and
(12) it is in the national interest that the ratio
of domestic production relative to total domestic con-
sumption of petroleum exceed 50 percent.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SECURITY
ACTION PLAN.
(a) LEASE SALE.—Subject to subsection (b), and
notwithstanding any other law, the President may conduct
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a lease sale for offshore oil and natural gas resources
under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act within an
eligible area as soon as it is practicable.
(b) CONDITION.—The lease sale conducted under
subsection (a) may occur only if the ratio between domes-
tic oil production and domestic oil consumption falls below
50 percent for 4 consecutive months, as determined by the
Energy Information Agency.
(c) DEFINITION.—In this Act, the term ‘‘eligible
area’’ means an area of the Outer Continental Shelf
which—
(1) has undergone sufficient environmental re-
view to comply with the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);
(2) contains significant oil or natural gas re-
sources, as determined by the Minerals Management
Service; and
(3) is located within the North Atlantic Plan-
ning Area, the Mid-Atlantic Planning Area, South
Atlantic Planning Area, Eastern Gulf of Mexico
Planning Area, Southern California Planning Area,
Central California Planning Area, Northern Califor-
nia Planning Area, Washington-Oregon Planning
Area, or the North Aleutian Basin Planning Area.
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SEC. 4. PRESIDENTIAL REPORT.
The President shall prepare and submit an annual
report to Congress containing a national oil security pro-
jection which shall contain a forecast of domestic oil de-
mand and production, and imports of crude oil for the sub-
sequent year. The report shall also describe the possible
actions to be taken by the President to ensure that domes-
tic oil production exceeds imports of foreign oil.
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