I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5716 
To provide for enhancement of existing efforts in support of research, develop-
ment, demonstration, and commercial application activities to advance 
technologies for the safe and environmentally responsible exploration, 
development, and production of oil and natural gas resources. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 13, 2010 
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addition to the 
Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for enhancement of existing efforts in support 
of research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities to advance technologies for the safe 
and environmentally responsible exploration, develop-
ment, and production of oil and natural gas resources. 
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 ‘‘Safer Oil and Natural 
Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. SUBTITLE AMENDMENT. 
Subtitle J of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16371 et seq.) is amended in the subtitle 
heading by striking ‘‘Ultra-Deepwater and Uncon-
ventional Natural Gas and Other Petroleum 
Resources’’ and inserting ‘‘Safer Oil and Natural 
Gas Drilling Technology Research and Devel-
opment Program’’. 
SEC. 3. SAFER OIL AND NATURAL GAS DRILLING TECH-
NOLOGY 
RESEARCH 
AND 
DEVELOPMENT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM AUTHORITY.—Section 999A of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16371) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘ultra-deepwater’’ and in-
serting ‘‘deepwater’’; and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘well control and accident 
prevention,’’ after ‘‘safe operations,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘, accident prevention and 
mitigation,’’ after ‘‘improving safety’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (1) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(1) Deepwater architecture and technology, in-
cluding those for drilling to formations in water 
depths greater than 1,000 feet.’’; and 
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(C) by striking paragraph (4) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(4) Complementary research carried out by 
the Department.’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORA-
TORY’’ and inserting ‘‘DEPARTMENT
OF EN-
ERGY’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘National Energy Tech-
nology Laboratory’’ and inserting ‘‘Office of 
Fossil Energy of the Department’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(f) PARTNERSHIPS.—In carrying out the program 
under this subtitle, the Secretary shall seek to establish 
partnerships with research performers in institutions of 
higher education and the private sector to undertake re-
search and development not likely otherwise to be under-
taken in the absence of support from the program.’’. 
(b) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—Section 999B of the En-
ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16372) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘ULTRA- 
DEEPWATER AND UNCONVENTIONAL ONSHORE 
NATURAL GAS AND OTHER PETROLEUM’’ and 
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inserting ‘‘SAFER OIL AND NATURAL GAS DRILL-
ING TECHNOLOGY’’; 
(2) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the activities under section 999A to maximize the benefits 
of natural gas and other petroleum resources of the 
United States by advancing the safe and environmentally 
responsible exploration, development, and production of 
those resources.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)(1)— 
(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (D) 
and (E) as subparagraphs (E) and (F), respec-
tively; and 
(B) by inserting after subparagraph (C) 
the following: 
‘‘(D) select projects on a competitive 
basis;’’; 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘ultra- 
deepwater’’ and inserting ‘‘deepwater’’; and 
(B) by striking paragraph (7) and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(7) FOCUS AREAS FOR AWARDS.— 
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‘‘(A) DEEPWATER
RESOURCES.—Awards 
from allocations under section 999H(d)(1) shall 
focus on research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application activities in areas 
that include— 
‘‘(i) technologies and systems aimed 
at improving operational safety and reduc-
ing potential environmental impacts of 
deepwater exploration and production ac-
tivities, including— 
‘‘(I) wellbore integrity, well con-
trol, and blowout prevention; 
‘‘(II) capture and containment of 
oil at or near the wellhead; and 
‘‘(III) expanding operational ca-
pabilities and efficiency of remotely 
operated devices and mechanics; 
‘‘(ii) safe and environmentally respon-
sible deepwater exploration and production 
technologies, integrated systems, and ar-
chitectures for enhancing oil and natural 
gas drilling and recovery, including under 
extreme conditions; 
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‘‘(iii) methods and technologies for se-
vere weather and ocean surface condition 
preparedness; and 
‘‘(iv) other areas as determined appro-
priate by the Secretary. 
‘‘(B) UNCONVENTIONAL
ONSHORE
RE-
SOURCES.—Awards from allocations under sec-
tion 999H(d)(2) shall focus on research, devel-
opment, demonstration, and commercial appli-
cation activities in areas that include— 
‘‘(i) advanced coalbed methane, deep 
drilling, natural gas production from tight 
sands, natural gas production from gas 
shales, stranded gas, innovative exploration 
and production techniques, and enhanced 
recovery techniques; 
‘‘(ii) increased efficiency of energy use 
in exploration and production activities; 
‘‘(iii) recovery, utilization, reduction, 
and improved management of produced 
water from exploration and production ac-
tivities; and 
‘‘(iv) accident prevention and environ-
mental mitigation of unconventional nat-
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ural gas and other petroleum resources ex-
ploration and production. 
‘‘(C) SMALL
PRODUCERS.—Awards from 
allocations under section 999H(d)(3) shall be 
made to consortia consisting of small producers 
or organized primarily for the benefit of small 
producers, and shall focus on areas that in-
clude— 
‘‘(i) safety and accident prevention, 
environmental mitigation, waste reduction, 
reduction of energy use, and well control 
and systems integrity; 
‘‘(ii) complex geology involving rapid 
changes in the type and quality of the oil 
and gas reserves across the reservoir; 
‘‘(iii) low reservoir pressure and un-
conventional natural gas reservoirs in coal-
beds, deep reservoirs, tight sands, or 
shales; and 
‘‘(iv) advancing energy efficient, safe, 
and environmentally responsible production 
of unconventional oil reservoirs in tar 
sands and oil shales. 
‘‘(D) SAFETY, 
ACCIDENT
PREVENTION, 
AND MITIGATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND 
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DEVELOPMENT BY THE DEPARTMENT.—Awards 
from allocations under section 999H(d)(4) shall 
focus on safety, accident prevention, and miti-
gation research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application activities in areas 
that may include— 
‘‘(i) improved technologies and best 
management practices for enhanced well 
integrity including— 
‘‘(I) cementing; 
‘‘(II) casing; 
‘‘(III) 
wellbore 
sealant 
tech-
nologies; 
‘‘(IV) well-plugging and abandon-
ment; 
‘‘(V) improvement and standard-
ization of blowout prevention devices; 
‘‘(VI) actuation and pressure 
testing; and 
‘‘(VII) other well control activi-
ties; 
‘‘(ii) research to aid in the develop-
ment of industry best practices and stand-
ards for workforce training; 
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‘‘(iii) secondary control systems to ac-
tivate blowout prevention devices and ter-
minate well-flow, including— 
‘‘(I) deadman switches; 
‘‘(II) automatic shears; and 
‘‘(III) remote acoustic switches; 
‘‘(iv) technologies and methods for ac-
cident mitigation, including— 
‘‘(I) capture, containment, or dis-
persing of oil at or near the wellhead; 
‘‘(II) estimating flow rate; 
‘‘(III) diagnostic sensors to de-
termine equipment malfunction; and 
‘‘(IV) procedures to terminate 
flow; 
‘‘(v) continuing ongoing efforts, in-
cluding in resource assessment and charac-
terization, and in simulation of safe and 
effective drilling under extreme conditions, 
including high temperatures and pressures; 
and 
‘‘(vi) other activities as described in 
this paragraph or as determined appro-
priate by the Secretary.’’; 
(5) in subsection (e)— 
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(A) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in the second sentence of subpara-
graph (A), by inserting ‘‘to the Secretary 
for review’’ after ‘‘submit’’; and 
(ii) in the first sentence of subpara-
graph (B), by striking ‘‘Ultra-Deepwater’’ 
and all that follows through ‘‘and such Ad-
visory Committees’’ and inserting ‘‘Pro-
gram 
Advisory 
Committee 
established 
under section 999D(a), and the Advisory 
Committee’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) RESEARCH FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDA-
TIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary shall 
publish in the Federal Register an annual report on 
the research findings of the program carried out 
under this section and any recommendations for im-
plementation that the Secretary determines to be 
necessary.’’; 
(6) in subsection (i)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY’’ and 
inserting ‘‘DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR’’; 
and 
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(B) by striking ‘‘, through the United 
States Geological Survey,’’; and 
(7) in subsection (j), by striking ‘‘National En-
ergy Technology Laboratory’’ and inserting ‘‘Office 
of Fossil Energy of the Department’’. 
SEC. 4. PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
Section 999D of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16374) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 999D. PROGRAM ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of the Safer Oil and Natural Gas 
Drilling Technology Research and Development Act, the 
Secretary shall establish an advisory committee to be 
known as the ‘Program Advisory Committee’ (referred to 
in this section as the ‘Advisory Committee’). 
‘‘(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Advisory Committee 
shall be composed of members appointed by the Sec-
retary, including— 
‘‘(A) individuals with extensive research 
experience or operational knowledge of oil and 
natural gas exploration and production; 
‘‘(B) individuals broadly representative of 
the affected interests in oil and natural gas pro-
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duction, including interests in environmental 
protection and operational safety; 
‘‘(C) State regulatory agency representa-
tives; and 
‘‘(D) other individuals, as determined by 
the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall not include individuals who are 
board members, officers, or employees of the 
program consortium. 
‘‘(B) CATEGORICAL REPRESENTATION.—In 
appointing members of the Advisory Committee, 
the Secretary shall ensure that no class of indi-
viduals described in any of subparagraphs (B), 
(C), or (D) of paragraph (1) comprises more 
than 1⁄3 of the membership of the Advisory 
Committee. 
‘‘(c) SUBCOMMITTEES.—The Advisory Committee 
may establish subcommittees or ad hoc working groups for 
the research focus areas described in section 999B(d)(7). 
‘‘(d) DUTIES.—The Advisory Committee shall— 
‘‘(1) advise the Secretary on the development 
and implementation of programs under this subtitle; 
and 
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‘‘(2) carry out section 999B(e)(2)(B). 
‘‘(e) COMPENSATION.—A member of the Advisory 
Committee shall serve without compensation but shall be 
entitled to receive travel expenses in accordance with sub-
chapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code. 
‘‘(f) PROHIBITION.—The Advisory Committee shall 
not make recommendations on funding awards to par-
ticular consortia or other entities, or for specific 
projects.’’. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 999G of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16377) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘200 but less 
than 1,500 meters’’ and inserting ‘‘1,000 feet’’; 
(2) by striking paragraphs (8), (9), and (10); 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through 
(7) and (11) as paragraphs (4) through (9) and 
(10), respectively; and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (1) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(2) DEEPWATER ARCHITECTURE.—The term 
‘deepwater architecture’ means the integration of 
technologies for the safe and environmentally re-
sponsible exploration for, or production of, natural 
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gas or other petroleum resources located at deep-
water depths. 
‘‘(3) DEEPWATER
TECHNOLOGY.—The term 
‘deepwater technology’ means a discrete technology 
that is specially suited to address 1 or more chal-
lenges associated with the safe and environmentally 
responsible exploration for, or production of, natural 
gas or other petroleum resources located at deep-
water depths.’’. 
SEC. 6. FUNDING. 
Section 999H of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16378) is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence of subsection (a) by 
striking ‘‘Ultra-Deepwater and Unconventional Nat-
ural Gas and Other Petroleum Research Fund’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Tech-
nology Research and Development Fund’’; 
(2) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘35 per-
cent’’ and inserting ‘‘32.5 percent’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘32.5 
percent’’ and inserting ‘‘25 percent’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘25 percent’’ and in-
serting ‘‘35 percent’’; and 
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(ii) by striking ‘‘contract manage-
ment,’’ and all that follows through the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘and contract 
management.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (f), by striking ‘‘Ultra-Deep-
water and Unconventional Natural Gas and Other 
Petroleum Research Fund’’ and inserting ‘‘Safer Oil 
and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and 
Development Fund’’. 
SEC. 7. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
The table of contents of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 is amended— 
(1) by amending the item relating to subtitle J 
of title IX to read as follows: 
‘‘Subtitle J—Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and De-
velopment Program’’; 
(2) by amending the item relating to section 
999B to read as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 999B. Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and De-
velopment Program.’’; 
and 
(3) by amending the item relating to section 
999D to read as follows: 
‘‘Sec. 999D. Program Advisory Committee.’’. 
Æ 
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