Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 119.djvu/912

 119 STAT. 894

PUBLIC LAW 109–58—AUG. 8, 2005

(2) recommend measures that will enable the continued production of those resources. (e) STUDY.— (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award a grant to an organization of States that contain significant numbers of marginal oil and natural gas wells to conduct an annual study of low-volume natural gas reservoirs. (2) ORGANIZATION WITH NO GIS CAPABILITIES.—If an organization receiving a grant under paragraph (1) does not have GIS capabilities, the organization shall contract with an institution of higher education with GIS capabilities. (3) STATE GEOLOGISTS.—The organization receiving a grant under paragraph (1) shall collaborate with the State geologist of each State being studied. (f) PUBLIC INFORMATION.—The Secretary may use the data collected and analyzed under this section to produce maps and literature to disseminate to States to promote conservation of natural gas reserves. Establishment. 42 USC 16297.

SEC. 967. COMPLEX WELL TECHNOLOGY TESTING FACILITY.

30 USC 1902 note.

SEC. 968. METHANE HYDRATE RESEARCH.

The Secretary, in coordination with industry leaders in extended research drilling technology, shall establish a Complex Well Technology Testing Facility at the Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center to increase the range of extended drilling technologies. (a) IN GENERAL.—The Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 (30 U.S.C. 1902 note; Public Law 106–193) is amended to read as follows: ‘‘SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

‘‘This Act may be cited as the ‘Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000’. ‘‘SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

‘‘Congress finds that— ‘‘(1) in order to promote energy independence and meet the increasing demand for energy, the United States will require a diversified portfolio of substantially increased quantities of electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuels; ‘‘(2) according to the report submitted to Congress by the National Research Council entitled ‘Charting the Future of Methane Hydrate Research in the United States’, the total United States resources of gas hydrates have been estimated to be on the order of 200,000 trillion cubic feet; ‘‘(3) according to the report of the National Commission on Energy Policy entitled ‘Ending the Energy Stalemate—A Bipartisan Strategy to Meet America’s Energy Challenge’, and dated December 2004, the United States may be endowed with over one-fourth of the methane hydrate deposits in the world; ‘‘(4) according to the Energy Information Administration, a shortfall in natural gas supply from conventional and unconventional sources is expected to occur in or about 2020; and ‘‘(5) the National Academy of Sciences states that methane hydrate may have the potential to alleviate the projected shortfall in the natural gas supply.

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