[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 284 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 284

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
  promoting energy security of European allies through opening up the 
                         Southern Gas Corridor.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 27, 2013

 Mr. Turner (for himself, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Mr. Shuster, Mr. 
  Cohen, Mr. Bridenstine, Mr. Lance, Mr. Moran, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Ms. 
 Jackson Lee, Ms. Granger, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Wilson of South 
 Carolina, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Marino, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. 
Stivers, Mrs. Beatty, Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California, Mr. Meeks, Ms. 
 Bordallo, and Ms. Meng) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with respect to 
  promoting energy security of European allies through opening up the 
                         Southern Gas Corridor.

Whereas reducing vulnerabilities of European allies to gas supply disruption and 
        to this end development of multiple sources of gas is a key component of 
        efforts to ensure European energy security;
Whereas diversification of sources of gas and the routes of their delivery will 
        increase competitiveness in the European market and will help stabilize 
        European and global energy prices;
Whereas the Caspian Sea region strategically located at the crossroads of 
        Europe, Asia, and the Middle East holds significant energy resources and 
        proven natural gas reserves of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and 
        Uzbekistan are estimated at 735 trillion cubic feet or about 11 percent 
        of the world's reserves;
Whereas oil and gas exports from the Caspian Sea region are projected to more 
        than double over the next 25 years;
Whereas it is the policy of the United States in the countries of the South 
        Caucasus and Central Asia to assist in the development of infrastructure 
        necessary for energy and trade on an East-West axis in order to build 
        strong international relations and commerce between those countries;
Whereas Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia have worked collaboratively with the 
        United States, European allies, and other regional partners to jointly 
        develop and promote energy projects in the Caspian Sea region for almost 
        two decades;
Whereas energy exploration in this region is a remarkable example of 
        international cooperation with over 34 companies representing 15 
        countries, including the United States engaged in these projects;
Whereas successive United States Administrations supported development of energy 
        resources in the Caspian Sea region, including construction of the 
        landmark Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and Baku-Tbilisi-Erzerum gas 
        pipeline that are main arteries delivering Caspian energy resources to 
        global markets;
Whereas further energy exploration in the Caspian Sea region and its westward 
        exports will reduce the dependence of United States allies on energy 
        from the volatile Middle East region;
Whereas the priority now becomes the realization of the Southern Gas Corridor to 
        deliver additional volumes of natural gas from the Caspian Sea region to 
        European markets;
Whereas the Republic of Azerbaijan-European Union Joint Declaration of January 
        13, 2011, established the Republic of Azerbaijan as a substantial 
        contributor to, and enabler of, the Southern Gas Corridor;
Whereas at the third meeting of their bilateral Economic Partnership Commission 
        convened in Washington, DC, on April 18, 2012, the United States and the 
        Republic of Azerbaijan reaffirmed the importance of a high-level 
        dialogue on energy security in the Caspian region to discuss issues of 
        mutual interest in the energy sector, including establishment of the 
        Southern Gas Corridor;
Whereas the European Union-United States Energy Council at its fourth meeting in 
        Brussels on December 5, 2012, noted progress on the realization of the 
        Southern Gas Corridor and reaffirmed that it remains a pivotal 
        opportunity to diversify supply and allow new providers to participate 
        in the European Union energy market;
Whereas the off-shore Shah Deniz field in Azerbaijan is one of the world's 
        largest gas-condensate fields, with over 30 trillion cubic feet of 
        recoverable gas and 240 million tons of condensate deposits;
Whereas development of the second phase of the Shah Deniz project, which is a 
        stepping stone in opening the Southern Gas Corridor will deliver the 
        first sizeable quantities of alternative gas to European markets from 
        the Caspian Sea region;
Whereas the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project launched by 
        Azerbaijan and Turkey will be a key part of the Southern Gas Corridor 
        linking the gas resources of the Caspian Sea to the European markets;
Whereas the two possible Southern Gas Corridor routes, Nabucco West, which would 
        run from Turkey through Bulgaria, Romania, and Hungary to Austria, and 
        the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, which would run from Turkey through Greece 
        and Albania to Italy, will improve regional energy stability, as well as 
        advance overall regional development and prosperity;
Whereas the Southern Gas Corridor complements other efforts by the European 
        Union to diversify its sources of gas supply;
Whereas realization of the Shah Deniz and these projects will help open up 
        upstream development in the regions beyond Europe's southeastern 
        frontiers;
Whereas these energy projects have stimulated social and economic progress in 
        the region, promoting friendly relations and economic cooperation among 
        regional countries;
Whereas the development of natural gas resources and building of new routes to 
        European markets for energy producers in the South Caucasus and in 
        Central Asia will further provide economic development and consolidate 
        political independence of these countries; and
Whereas apart from establishing direct energy and transport links between Europe 
        and the countries of the Caspian region, these projects ensure Western 
        orientation of these nations, help promote market-oriented principles 
        and practices, and further contribute to their integration with the 
        European and Euro-Atlantic institutions: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That--
            (1) the House of Representatives--
                    (A) notes that further energy exploration in the 
                Caspian Sea region will enhance energy security of 
                European allies;
                    (B) affirms that it is in the national interest of 
                the United States to support and enhance Europe's 
                energy security by opening up the Southern Gas 
                Corridor; and
                    (C) encourages the Administration to continue to 
                actively engage with the Governments of Azerbaijan, 
                Turkey, Georgia, and other regional partners to provide 
                support for new and ongoing projects; and
            (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that it 
        is in the national interest of the United States to support and 
        enhance Europe's energy security by working with the 
        Governments of Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia and its partners 
        to make available additional gas and oil supplies to that 
        market in a cost effective and secure manner.
                                 <all>