Hr 4480 Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012

PLAN FOR INCREASING DOMESTIC OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION, DEVELOPMENT, AND PRODUCTION FROM FEDERAL LANDS IN RESPONSE TO STRATEGIC PETROLEUM RESERVE DRAWDOWN.

‘(A) IN GENERAL- Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Secretary executes, in accordance with the provisions of this section, the first sale after the date of enactment of this subsection of petroleum products in the Reserve the Secretary shall develop a plan to increase the percentage of Federal lands (including submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf) under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Defense leased for oil and gas exploration, development, and production. The percentage of the total amount of the Federal lands described in the preceding sentence by which the plan developed under this paragraph will increase leasing for oil and gas exploration, development, and production shall be the same as the percentage of petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that was drawn down.

 

Use of the SPR after Katrina would have triggered more drilling.

The up 2011 mess in Libya would ave triggered more drilling.

We are bound by the 1975 Sinai Interim Agreement to sell to Israel at certain times which would trigger drilling.

I'm uncertain if the loan program would trigger drilling.  If it does then oil companies borrowing oil would allow them to drill more on federal land.

Should expanding drilling and use of the SPR be tied together??  Would it make anymore sense to say the reserve is full so the percentage of federal land used for production will automatically go down?

This bill also creates a new committee whose purpose is to remove environmental safe guards.

SEC. 402. MINIMUM ACREAGE REQUIREMENT FOR ON SHORE LEASE SALES. Exempts 25 percent of the annual nominated acreage from protest.

a couple of provisions that seem to be pointed directly at the Keystone pipeline

‘‘(2)(A) The Secretary shall not withdraw any covered energy project issued under this Act without finding  a violation of the terms of the lease by the lessee.

 ‘‘(B) The Secretary shall not infringe upon lease rights under leases issued under this Act by indefinitely delaying issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic

21 permits, and rights of way for activities under such a lease.

this bill set time constraints for approval of oil leases but not for wind and solar right of way agreements.