1-1 By: Brown S.C.R. No. 34 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed March 6, 2001; March 12, 2001, read 1-3 first time and referred to Committee on Natural Resources; 1-4 April 5, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 4, 1-5 Nays 0; April 5, 2001, sent to printer.) 1-6 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1-7 WHEREAS, A strong domestic oil and gas industry is vitally 1-8 important to the United States economy and national defense; and 1-9 WHEREAS, This nation's domestic oil and gas production has 1-10 decreased by 2.7 million barrels per day during the last 13 years, 1-11 a 17 percent decline, at the same time that domestic consumption of 1-12 oil has increased by more than 14 percent; and 1-13 WHEREAS, Currently, the United States imports approximately 1-14 55 percent of the oil needed for the American economy, while the 1-15 demand for refined petroleum products is projected to increase by 1-16 more than 35 percent and the demand for natural gas is projected to 1-17 increase by more than 45 percent over the next two decades; and 1-18 WHEREAS, Much of the nation's greatest potential for future 1-19 domestic production lies in areas that are currently off limits to 1-20 oil and natural gas exploration and development, including areas 1-21 under congressional or presidential moratoria in the federal Outer 1-22 Continental Shelf (OCS), where vast amounts of oil and natural gas 1-23 may be available for extraction; and 1-24 WHEREAS, For the first time since 1988, the Minerals 1-25 Management Service, a bureau of the United States Department of the 1-26 Interior that manages the nation's oil, gas, and other mineral 1-27 resources in the OCS, has proposed an OCS lease sale for the 1-28 eastern Gulf of Mexico, in the portion of the Gulf 100 miles 1-29 southwest of the Florida Panhandle and 15 miles south of the 1-30 Alabama coastline; the bureau's tentative schedule calls for bid 1-31 opening and reading in December 2001; and 1-32 WHEREAS, The oil and gas industry has demonstrated that it 1-33 can be a good steward of the environment while operating in the 1-34 Gulf of Mexico; and 1-35 WHEREAS, Oil and gas production from this area of the Gulf of 1-36 Mexico would help offset current domestic energy production 1-37 declines and assist the nation in meeting future energy demand; and 1-38 WHEREAS, Numerous positive economic benefits for the State of 1-39 Texas have been created by oil and gas industry activities in the 1-40 Gulf, and many of the exploration and production companies that 1-41 would participate in the OCS Lease Sale 181 are headquartered in 1-42 Texas as are many of the oil field supply and service companies 1-43 that would benefit by increased activities; and 1-44 WHEREAS, The economic benefits that would result from oil and 1-45 natural gas exploration, development, and production of leases 1-46 acquired in OCS Lease Sale 181 would continue to benefit the State 1-47 of Texas and all the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico; now, 1-48 therefore, be it 1-49 RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas 1-50 hereby declare support for the Minerals Management Service plan to 1-51 proceed with the Outer Continental Shelf Lease Sale 181 for the 1-52 eastern Gulf of Mexico scheduled for December 5, 2001; and, be it 1-53 further 1-54 RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official 1-55 copies of this resolution to the director of the Minerals 1-56 Management Service, to the secretary of the interior, to the 1-57 president of the United States, to the speaker of the house of 1-58 representatives and the president of the senate of the United 1-59 States Congress, and to all members of the Texas delegation to the 1-60 Congress of the United States of America. 1-61 * * * * *