Interior's report of shut-in or flaring wells unnecessary, but oversight should continue

Technical Report · Tue Oct 05 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6532194

The Interior Department's annual report to the Congress on offshore oil and gas wells shut-in (not producing) or flaring natural gas, as required by the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act Amendments of 1978, does not satisfy the congressional intent behind the requirement. Furthermore, it is less necessary now because of recent legislative and administrative actions to decontrol oil and gas prices. Repeal of the reporting requirement would free up resources of both the Interior Department and the General Accounting Office - the Comptroller General is required to annually examine and report on Interior's methodology for allowing wells to be shut-in or flare natural gas - for other activities. Interior's monitoring of shut-in and flaring well activities, however, should continue as part of its day-to-day management and oversight of offshore production operations.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (USA). Office of the Comptroller General
• OSTI ID: 6532194
• Report Number(s): GAO/RCED-83-10; ON: DE83901384
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
294002* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Petroleum
294003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Natural Gas
ABANDONED WELLS
ENERGY SOURCES
EVALUATION
FLARING
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
IMPLEMENTATION
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NATURAL GAS
NATURAL GAS WELLS
OIL WELLS
REGULATIONS
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
US DOI
US ORGANIZATIONS
WELLS