By Brown S.C.R. No. 34 77R6795 NBH-F CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-1 WHEREAS, A strong domestic oil and gas industry is vitally 1-2 important to the United States economy and national defense; and 1-3 WHEREAS, This nation's domestic oil and gas production has 1-4 decreased by 2.7 million barrels per day during the last 13 years, 1-5 a 17 percent decline, at the same time that domestic consumption of 1-6 oil has increased by more than 14 percent; and 1-7 WHEREAS, Currently, the United States imports approximately 1-8 55 percent of the oil needed for the American economy, while the 1-9 demand for refined petroleum products is projected to increase by 1-10 more than 35 percent and the demand for natural gas is projected to 1-11 increase by more than 45 percent over the next two decades; and 1-12 WHEREAS, Much of the nation's greatest potential for future 1-13 domestic production lies in areas that are currently off limits to 1-14 oil and natural gas exploration and development, including areas 1-15 under congressional or presidential moratoria in the federal Outer 1-16 Continental Shelf (OCS), where vast amounts of oil and natural gas 1-17 may be available for extraction; and 1-18 WHEREAS, For the first time since 1988, the Minerals 1-19 Management Service, a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior 1-20 that manages the nation's oil, gas, and other mineral resources in 1-21 the OCS, has proposed an OCS lease sale for the eastern Gulf of 1-22 Mexico, in the portion of the Gulf 100 miles southwest of the 1-23 Florida Panhandle and 15 miles south of the Alabama coastline; the 1-24 bureau's tentative schedule calls for bid opening and reading in 2-1 December 2001; and 2-2 WHEREAS, The oil and gas industry has demonstrated that it 2-3 can be a good steward of the environment while operating in the 2-4 Gulf of Mexico; and 2-5 WHEREAS, Oil and gas production from this area of the Gulf of 2-6 Mexico would help offset current domestic energy production 2-7 declines and assist the nation in meeting future energy demand; and 2-8 WHEREAS, Numerous positive economic benefits for the State of 2-9 Texas have been created by oil and gas industry activities in the 2-10 Gulf, and many of the exploration and production companies that 2-11 would participate in the OCS Lease Sale 181 are headquartered in 2-12 Texas as are many of the oil field supply and service companies 2-13 that would benefit by increased activities; and 2-14 WHEREAS, The economic benefits that would result from oil and 2-15 natural gas exploration, development, and production of leases 2-16 acquired in OCS Lease Sale 181 would continue to benefit the State 2-17 of Texas and all the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico; now, 2-18 therefore, be it 2-19 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 2-20 hereby declare support for the Minerals Management Service plan to 2-21 proceed with the Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale 181 for the 2-22 eastern Gulf of Mexico scheduled for December 5, 2001; and, be it 2-23 further 2-24 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 2-25 copies of this resolution to the director of the Minerals 2-26 Management Service, to the secretary of the interior, to the 2-27 president of the United States, to the speaker of the house of 3-1 representatives and the president of the senate of the United 3-2 States Congress, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the 3-3 Congress of the United States of America.