Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 92 Part 1.djvu/748

 92 STAT. 694

Report to Congress.

PUBLIC LAW 95-372—SEPT. 18, 1978 troller General and shall indicate why each well is shut-in or flaring natural gas, and whether the Secretary intends to require production on such a shut-in well or order cessation flaring. (b) Within six months after receipt of the Secretary's report, the Comptroller General shall review and evaluate the methodology used by the Secretary in allowing the wells to be shut-in or to flare natural gas and submit his findings and recommendations to the Congress. REVIEW AND REVISION OF ROYALTY PAYMENTS

Report to Congress. 30 USC 237.

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SEC. 602. As soon as feasible and no later than ninety days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit a report or reports to the Congress describing the extent, during the two-year period preceding such report, of delinquent royalty accounts under leases issued under any Act which regulates the development of oil and gas on Federal lands, and what new auditing, post-auditing, and accounting procedures have been adopted to assure accurate and timely payment of royalties and net profit shares. Such report or reports shall include any recommendations for corrective action which the Secretary of the Interior determines to be appropriate. NATURAL GAS DISTRIBUTION

43 USC 1862.

SEC. 603. (a) The purpose of this section is to encourage expanded participation by local distribution companies in acquisition of leases and development of natural gas resources on the Outer Continental Shelf by facilitating the transportation in interstate commerce of natural gas, which is produced from a lease located on the Outer Continental Shelf and owned, in whole or in part, by a local distribution company, from such lease to the service area of such local distribution company. Publication in (b) The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission shall, after opporFederal Register, tunity for presentation of written and oral views, promulgate and publish in the Federal Register a statement of Commission policy which carries out the purpose of this section and sets forth the standards under which the Commission will consider applications for, and, as appropriate, issue certificates of public convenience and necessity, 15 USC 717f. pursuant to section 7 of the Natural Gas Act, for the transportation in interstate commerce of natural gas, which is produced from a lease located on the Outer Continental Shelf and owned, in whole or in part, by a local distribution company, from such lease to the service area of such local distribution company. Such statement of policy shall specify the criteria, limitations, or requirements the Commission will apply in determing— (1) whether the application of any local distribution company qualifies for consideration under the statement of policy; and (2) whether the public convenience and necessity will be served by the issuance of the requested certificate of transportation. Such statement of policy shall also set forth the terms or limitations on which the Commission may condition, pursuant to section 7 of the ••-"' Natural Gas Act, the issuance of a certificate of transportation under such statement of policy. To the maximum extent practicable, such statement shall be promulgated and published within one year after the date of enactment of this section.

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