[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 147 (Tuesday, October 26, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H10793-H10797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            GAS HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1999

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 1753) to promote the research, identification, 
assessment, exploration, and development of methane hydrate resources 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1753

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Gas Hydrate Research and 
     Development Act of 1999''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Contract.--The term ``contract'' means a procurement 
     contract within the meaning of section 6303 of title 31, 
     United States Code.
       (2) Cooperative agreement.--The term ``cooperative 
     agreement'' means a cooperative agreement within the meaning 
     of section 6305 of title 31, United States Code.
       (3) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the National Science Foundation.
       (4) Grant.--The term ``grant'' means a grant awarded under 
     a grant agreement, within the meaning of section 6304 of 
     title 31, United States Code.
       (5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
     ``institution of higher education'' means an institution of 
     higher education, within the meaning of section 1201(a) of 
     the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1141(a)).
       (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of Energy, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Fossil 
     Energy.
       (7) Secretary of commerce.--The term ``Secretary of 
     Commerce'' means the Secretary of Commerce, acting through 
     the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
     Administration.
       (8) Secretary of defense.--The term ``Secretary of 
     Defense'' means the Secretary of Defense, acting through the 
     Secretary of the Navy.
       (9) Secretary of the interior.--The term ``Secretary of the 
     Interior'' means the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
     through the Director of the United States Geological Survey 
     and the Director of the Minerals Management Service.

     SEC. 3. GAS HYDRATE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--
       (1) Commencement of program.--Not later than 180 days after 
     the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of 
     Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Director, 
     shall commence a program of gas hydrate research and 
     development.
       (2) Designations.--The Secretary, the Secretary of 
     Commerce, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the 
     Interior, and the

[[Page H10794]]

     Director shall designate individuals to carry out this 
     section.
       (3) Meetings.--The individuals designated under paragraph 
     (2) shall meet not later than 120 days after the date on 
     which all such individuals are designated and not less 
     frequently than every 120 days thereafter to--
       (A) review the progress of the program under paragraph (1); 
     and
       (B) make recommendations on future activities to occur 
     subsequent to the meeting.
       (b) Grants, Contracts, Cooperative Agreements, Interagency 
     Funds Transfer Agreements, and Field Work Proposals.--
       (1) Assistance and coordination.--The Secretary may award 
     grants or contracts to, or enter into cooperative agreements 
     with, institutions of higher education and industrial 
     enterprises to--
       (A) conduct basic and applied research to identify, 
     explore, assess, and develop gas hydrate as a source of 
     energy;
       (B) assist in developing technologies required for 
     efficient and environmentally sound development of gas 
     hydrate resources;
       (C) undertake research programs to provide safe means of 
     transport and storage of gas produced from gas hydrates;
       (D) promote education and training in gas hydrate resource 
     research and resource development;
       (E) conduct basic and applied research to assess and 
     mitigate the environmental impacts of hydrate degassing 
     (including both natural degassing and degassing associated 
     with commercial development); and
       (F) develop technologies to reduce the risks of drilling 
     through gas hydrates.
       (2) Competitive merit-based review.--Funds made available 
     under paragraph (1) shall be made available based on a 
     competitive merit-based process.
       (c) Consultation.--The Secretary shall establish an 
     advisory panel consisting of experts from industry, 
     institutions of higher education, and Federal agencies to--
       (1) advise the Secretary on potential applications of gas 
     hydrate;
       (2) assist in developing recommendations and priorities for 
     the gas hydrate research and development program carried out 
     under subsection (a)(1); and
       (3) report to the Congress within 2 years after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, or at such later date as the 
     Secretary considers advisable, on the impact on global 
     climate change from gas hydrate extraction and consumption.
       (d) Limitations.--
       (1) Administrative expenses.--Not more than 5 percent of 
     the amount made available to carry out this section for a 
     fiscal year may be used by the Secretary for expenses 
     associated with the administration of the program carried out 
     under subsection (a)(1).
       (2) Construction costs.--None of the funds made available 
     to carry out this section may be used for the construction of 
     a new building or the acquisition, expansion, remodeling, or 
     alteration of an existing building (including site grading 
     and improvement and architect fees).
       (e) Responsibilities of the Secretary.--In carrying out 
     subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall--
       (1) facilitate and develop partnerships among government, 
     industry, and institutions of higher education to research, 
     identify, assess, and explore gas hydrate resources;
       (2) undertake programs to develop basic information 
     necessary for promoting long-term interest in gas hydrate 
     resources as an energy source;
       (3) ensure that the data and information developed through 
     the program are accessible and widely disseminated as needed 
     and appropriate;
       (4) promote cooperation among agencies that are developing 
     technologies that may hold promise for gas hydrate resource 
     development; and
       (5) report annually to Congress on accomplishments under 
     this section.

     SEC. 4. AMENDMENTS TO THE MINING AND MINERALS POLICY ACT OF 
                   1970.

       Section 201 of the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970 
     (30 U.S.C. 1901) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through (7) as 
     paragraphs (5) through (8), respectively;
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
       ``(4) The term `gas hydrate' means a gas clathrate that--
       ``(A) is in the form of a gas-water ice-like crystalline 
     material; and
       ``(B) is stable and occurs naturally in deep-ocean and 
     permafrost areas.''; and
       (3) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated by paragraph (1) 
     of this section--
       (A) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) by redesignating subparagraph (G) as subparagraph (H); 
     and
       (C) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
       ``(G) for purposes of this section and sections 202 through 
     205 only, gas hydrate; and''.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
     Energy to carry out this Act--
       (1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
       (2) $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       (3) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       (4) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
       (5) $12,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.

     Amounts authorized under this section shall remain available 
     until expended.

     SEC. 6. SUNSET.

       Section 3 of this Act shall cease to be effective after the 
     end of fiscal year 2004.

     SEC. 7. REPORTS AND STUDIES.

       The Secretary shall simultaneously provide to the Committee 
     on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
     on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate copies of any 
     report or study that the Department of Energy prepares at the 
     direction of any committee of the Congress.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Costello) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks on H.R. 1753.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Wisconsin?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, gas hydrates, which consist of a mixture of gas and 
water frozen into a solid crystalline state, have great energy 
potential. The most abundant form of gas hydrates, methane hydrates, 
are found in many areas throughout the world.
  The U.S. Geological Survey's 1995 National Assessment of United 
States Oil and Gas Resources estimated the value of the U.S. in-place 
methane hydrate resource to be an astounding 320,000 trillion cubic 
feet of gas or 320 quadrillion cubic feet of gas.
  By comparison, the United States annually consumes about 22 trillion 
cubic feet of methane as natural gas, and the world's current known gas 
reserves are about 5,000 trillion cubic feet of gas.
  In addition, the occurrence and stability of gas hydrates at oceanic 
depths offers the possibility that excess greenhouse gases, especially 
carbon dioxide, may be disposed in the deep ocean as synthetic 
hydrates.
  H.R. 1753 directs the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the 
Secretaries of Commerce, Defense, and the Interior, and the Director of 
the National Science Foundation, to commence a program of gas hydrate 
R&D.
  It authorizes the Secretary of Energy $5 million for fiscal year 
2000, $7.5 million for fiscal year 2001, $11 million for fiscal year 
2002, and $12 million for each of fiscal years 2003 and 2004 to carry 
out the program.
  The bill also authorizes the Secretary of Energy to award grants or 
contracts to, or enter into cooperative agreements with institutions of 
higher education and industrial enterprises to conduct gas hydrate R&D 
requires that all such awards be made available based on a competitive 
merit review process.
  It limits administrative expenses to not more than 5 percent and 
prohibits any funds from being used for either the construction of a 
new building or alteration of an existing building, including site 
grading and improvement and architect fees.
  It allows the Secretary of Interior to award gas hydrate R&D 
contracts in grants to, and to enter into cooperative agreements with, 
qualified entities under the Marine Mineral Resources Research Act of 
1996.
  It sunsets the gas hydrate R&D program after the end of fiscal year 
2004.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend the bill to the House for its adoption.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COSTELLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here today to move one step closer to 
enactment of the Gas Hydrates Research and Development Act. I would 
like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), 
chairman of the full Committee on Science, as well as the gentleman 
from Texas (Mr. Hall), the ranking member of the full committee, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the 
Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, for all of their hard work on 
this bill.
  In particular, I would like to commend the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle), our colleague on the subcommittee and full 
committee, for all of his hard work on this legislation. He of course 
is the author of this bill.

[[Page H10795]]

  Gas hydrates have the potential to provide a significant natural gas 
resource to this country if they are safely and economically extracted 
from the ocean floor where they are found.
  This legislation establishes an interagency research and development 
program to examine many issues associated with the extraction of gas 
hydrates, including the possible economic, environmental, and energy 
benefits.
  I strongly support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle), and I ask unanimous consent that he be 
allowed to control that time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. 
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello) 
for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here this afternoon to speak in 
support of the Gas Hydrate Research and Development Act. As has been 
noted, this bill is a 5-year authorization measure that will promote 
the research, identification, assessment, exploration, and development 
of gas hydrate resources.
  I want to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman Sensenbrenner) 
for his interest in moving forward with this bill. I want to recognize 
his efforts in drawing greater attention to a diverse range of 
important and timely matters, including the need for heightened gas 
hydrate research, that have come before the Committee on Science during 
this session.
  I also want to acknowledge the support that the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Calvert), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy 
and Environment, and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), the 
ranking member, has given to the initiatives that are outlined in the 
legislation currently before us.
  Mr. Speaker, the Gas Hydrate Research and Development Act provides 
the necessary framework, guidance, and authority to enable further 
examination in what could conceivably save consumers billions of 
dollars, make difficult national and environmental decisions easier, 
and strengthen our Nation's energy security.

  I am proud of the fact that this effort has attracted bipartisan 
support in the House as well as in the Senate. Senator Akaka's 
companion legislation S. 330, which is cosponsored by Senators Lott, 
Graham, Craig, and Landrieu, was passed by the Senate earlier this 
year. Here in the House, I am pleased to report that both the Committee 
on Science and the Committee on Resources reported the measure out by 
voice vote.
  I am also particularly proud of the inclusive approach that this 
initiative embodies. It instructs the Secretary of Energy to work with 
other agencies, institutions of higher education, and the private 
sector in conducting future gas hydrate research and development. I 
have always favored a consortium approach to such efforts as they not 
only prove to be cost effective, but in many cases help to accelerate 
the rate of discovery.
  There are many questions surrounding gas hydrates that must be 
answered, and to accomplish the necessary R&D activities will require a 
diverse set of engineering and scientific disciplines. I am confident 
that DOE's outreach efforts and the specific expertise in this area can 
be found at our Federal energy technology centers, in concert with the 
input from the other entities I have previously mentioned, that we can 
achieve our goal of producing the technology necessary for the 
commercial production of methane from oceanic and permafrost hydrate 
systems while at the same time meeting requirements for cleaner fuels 
and reduced emissions.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
distinguished gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin).
  Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1753, a 
bill to authorize a program of the Department of Energy fostering 
research and development of a peculiar form of energy minerals, natural 
gas hydrates.
  This bill is a blended version of the legislation reported by the 
Committee on Science and the Committee on Resources. It reflects a role 
for the Department of Interior's Mineral Management Service, the agency 
which is charged with resources disposition from our continental 
shelves. That is where the lion's share of methane hydrate minerals 
occur, there and in the permafrost regions of the Earth.
  This bill integrates the role which the scientists of the Marine 
Minerals Research Institute, an adjunct of the Minerals Management 
Service, may play in gas hydrates research. The Institute, which has 
three branches, one for continental shelf research, one for deep ocean 
basins and near island environments, and one for arctic and cold water 
regions, is well positioned to provide expertise in the quest to make 
what is now a drilling hazard for some OCS operations and turn it into 
an energy resource.
  Mr. Speaker, without a doubt, if this Nation is to reach a sustained 
use of 30 trillion cubic feet of natural gas by the end of the next 
decade, which is a Clinton administration projection, then we will need 
to develop unconventional sources of natural gas as well as the 
traditional accumulations. Coalbed methane being developed in my home 
State of Wyoming is one of those unconventional sources. But methane 
hydrates in our Alaskan permafrost regions and our OCS also hold great 
promise to help our country meet this demand with domestic gas.
  I would like to thank the gentleman from Wisconsin (Chairman 
Sensenbrenner) for his willingness to incorporate several Committee on 
Resources' adopted provisions to strengthen this bill. I would also 
like to thank the committee staffs for their work to iron out the 
differences.
  Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the efforts of our former 
congressional science fellow, Dr. David Wunsch. He was critical to the 
formulation of my subcommittee's hearings and amendments to this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to help us 
move toward the goal of energy self-sufficiency.
  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West 
Virginia (Mr. Mollohan), who has always been and continues to be a 
leading advocate for critical R&D efforts. I know I am not alone in 
counting the gentleman from West Virginia among the most distinguished 
Members of Congress who can always be counted on for his strong support 
and sound advice.
  Mr. MOLLOHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1753, the Gas 
Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999. I want to commend the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle) for his introduction of this 
legislation and for his leadership in the area of this Nation's 
research into the use of energy and the more efficient use of energy, 
creating an energy independence for this country.
  The Department of Energy estimates that up to 200,000 trillion cubic 
feet of methane may exist in crystalline or hydrate form and in U.S. 
permafrost regions and surrounding waters. This potentially enormous 
resource is 100 times greater than the entire conventional natural gas 
supply in the United States.
  However, we are still unsure how much methane we really have in 
hydrate form as well as how exactly to convert methane hydrates into a 
commercially feasible product.
  In 1997, the President's Committee of Advisors on Science and 
Technology, P-CAST, identified the need for a comprehensive methane 
hydrates research and development program, recommending an initial 
investment of $44 million over 5 years.

                              {time}  1245

  H.R. 1753 will go a long way toward implementing the P-CAST 
recommendations and will continue the work already started by the 
Federal Energy Technology Center, FETC, which has sites in Morgantown, 
West Virginia, and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
  FETC has a long history in the methane hydrates field. In 1981, when 
the first hydrate ice core was retrieved, FETC was one of the six 
organizations chosen to analyze it. Continuing its leadership in this 
area, FETC has developed a strong methane hydrate

[[Page H10796]]

strategy designed to implement the P-CAST recommendations.
  H.R. 1753 would allow DOE to move forward with the FETC hydrates 
program. Other nations, most notably Japan, already have begun 
intensive hydrate research efforts. The longer we wait to move ahead, 
the harder it will be to catch up.
  I call on my colleagues to join me in voting for this important 
legislation, and I call on DOE to implement the FETC plan.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Calvert), the distinguished subcommittee chair.
  Mr. CALVERT. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Wisconsin, the 
chairman of the Committee on Science, for yielding me this time.
  As chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment of the 
Committee on Science, I am pleased we are considering H.R. 1753, the 
Gas Hydrates Research and Development Act of 1999. My friend and 
colleague on the subcommittee, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. 
Doyle), introduced H.R. 1753, which we marked up and passed by a voice 
vote on May 12. I am happy to report the final version was approved 
overwhelmingly by the full committee on September 9.
  Mr. Speaker, I have the distinct pleasure of serving on both the 
House Committee on Science and the Committee on Resources, which shared 
jurisdiction on this bill, and I would like to thank my friends on the 
Committee on Resources for all their hard work in getting H.R. 1753 to 
the floor.
  I especially would like to thank the chairman, the gentleman from 
Alaska (Mr. Young), and the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin), who 
now ably chairs the subcommittee which I once chaired and whose 
willingness to work with me and the chairman of the Committee on 
Science on this important piece of legislation is much appreciated. I 
also again would like to thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. 
Costello), who worked hard to make sure that this bill moved forward.
  Gas hydrates, as has been described here earlier, are an ice-like 
substance found in the undersea sediment in the Arctic permafrost and 
other locations throughout the world. These hydrates one day will 
provide an abundant supply of clean natural gas if we can only figure 
out a way to get it out. So that is what this is all about. Much more 
research is needed before we can attain that goal, and 1753 brings us 
closer to the day when we can safely and effectively begin to use this 
abundant new source of energy.
  This legislation will make funds available to continue the research 
into extracting this clean and bountiful source of potential energy gas 
hydrates. It also seeks to better coordinate research between the 
Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the United States 
Navy.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation which will help 
secure our energy future.
  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from 
Guam (Mr. Underwood), who played an instrumental role in shepherding 
this legislation through the House Committee on Resources.
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1753, the 
Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999, a piece of 
legislation which was introduced on May 11 by our friend and colleague, 
the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Doyle), who has taken the lead on 
this. I also want to thank the chairman of the Committee on Science, 
the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Calvert), the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Costello), 
and the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) for their efforts in 
support of this.
  The primary purpose of this bill is to promote the research, 
identification, assessment, exploration, and development of methane 
hydrate resources. This is important because one of our most important 
sources of clean, efficient energy is natural gas. Today, natural gas 
comes primarily from geological formations in which methane molecules 
exist in the form of gas.
  They also exist in ice-like formations called hydrates. Hydrates trap 
methane molecules inside a cage of frozen water and hydrates are 
generally found on or under seabeds and under permafrost. While we do 
not know the extent or amount of methane trapped in hydrate, scientists 
believe today we are talking about an enormous resource.
  According to the U.S. Geological Survey, worldwide estimates of the 
natural gas potential of methane hydrates approach 400 million trillion 
cubic feet, as compared to the mere 5,000 trillion cubic feet that make 
up the world's known gas reserves. This huge potential illustrates the 
interest in advanced technologies that may reliably and cost 
effectively detect and produce natural gas from methane hydrates.
  I would like to add that the technology that is needed for this will 
involve some form of deep seabed mining, which is an area and a concern 
of interest to those of us in the Pacific.
  On a cautionary note, we should be mindful that although methane is 
relatively clean burning, it is a fossil fuel. So removing it from its 
safe haven on the ocean floor and burning it will release carbon in the 
form of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Methane hydrates near 
offshore drilling rigs also may pose a threat through substances on the 
ocean floor. For instance, if a drilling rig were hit by shifting or 
deep pressurization of the methane hydrates underneath it, the impact 
on the rig and the workers aboard could be disastrous.
  This is worthwhile legislation. It is something we need as a country 
to get going on, because I believe other countries are developing the 
technology to deal with this.
  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  I too want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Calvert) for 
his words of support and express my appreciation for his good work not 
only on science issues but on veterans issues as well.
  As I mentioned in my opening remarks, the potential for significant 
benefit to consumers, the environment, and business exist in methane 
hydrate research. I want my colleagues to listen to and consider the 
following: it has been projected that the U.S. gas consumption is 
expected to increase by 40 percent by the year 2020. Couple this with 
the fact that currently more than half of the present U.S. oil supply 
is imported and without natural gas production our oil import volume 
would be much larger. But if only 1 percent of the methane hydrate 
resource could be made removable, the United States could more than 
double its domestic natural gas resource base.
  As numerous scientists, as well as the President's Committee of 
Advisors on Science and Technology have noted, natural gas will remain 
a principal energy source well into the next century. This is partly 
attributable to the increasing pressure for clean fuels. As methane 
from hydrates is essentially a pure methane, which is free of sulfur, 
nitrogen, and other contaminants, it is the cleanest burning of all 
fossil fuel resources. Subsequently, its utilization could be a key 
factor in mitigating global warming concerns.
  Needless to say, when a new abundant resource is found that meets a 
growing demand with a greater level of efficiency, consumers will not 
only have a greater selection of options but more affordable costs as 
well. It is time we begin to avail ourselves of the potential resources 
brought to bear through intensive methane hydrate research, just as 
Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Brazil, and Norway are 
currently active in doing through their individual methane hydrate 
programs.
  Mr. Speaker, as much as methane hydrate research is a matter of 
global proportions, it is of equal importance to almost every region of 
our country. While large deposits have been identified and studied in 
Alaska, the West Coast from California to Washington, the Blake Ridge 
offshore of the Carolinas, and in the Gulf of Mexico, activity and 
interest has been demonstrated in numerous other locations.
  In the area of western Pennsylvania that I represent, Gerald Holder 
at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Energy Technology 
Center, have a long history in hydrate research. Efforts are also 
underway at Penn State University, the Colorado School of Mines, the 
Georgia Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, Brookhaven National Lab, Texas A&M University, the

[[Page H10797]]

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the South Dakota School 
of Mines and Technology are just a few of the various other 
organizations that have a vested interest in methane hydrate research.
  I also want to make particular mention of the work that is being done 
at the University of Hawaii and again recognize Senator Akaka for his 
efforts in advancing similar legislation in the Senate.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1753 presents a thoughtful and common sense 
approach to expanding future energy choices. Through continued pursuit 
of progress in science and technology, we can assist in providing 
future generations with an abundant supply of a clean and reasonably 
priced energy source.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Gas Hydrate Research and 
Development Act, and I thank my chairman, the gentleman from Wisconsin 
(Mr. Sensenbrenner), for his support and his help.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit the statement of Senator Akaka in support of 
H.R. 1753 for the Record.

     Remarks of Senator Daniel K. Akaka Regarding Methane Hydrate 
                              Legislation

       I believe that H.R. 1753, and the Senate counterpart bill, 
     S. 330, are important energy research bills that Congress 
     should enact this session. Methane hydrate research has 
     strong, bipartisan support. Senators Lott, Graham, Craig and 
     Landrieu have cosponsored S. 330.
       The discovery of methane hydrates presents a research and 
     development opportunity with major energy security 
     implications. The bill will serve the long-term goal of 
     developing new energy supplies as well as the near-term goal 
     of increased safety and recovery of conventional oil and gas.
       Significant, widespread deposits of gas hydrates have been 
     detected, but have not been characterized, all over the 
     globe. The data on this resource may surprise you.
       Worldwide, the amount of methane trapped in gas hydrate 
     form is estimated to be 10,000 gigatons--twice the carbon 
     found in all other fossil fuels and 3,000 times the amount of 
     methane present in the atmosphere. Scientists at the U.S. 
     Geological Survey estimate that 320,000 trillion cubic feet 
     of natural gas exists in methane hydrate form in the U.S.--a 
     staggering resource.
       In the United States, on-shore deposits are found in the 
     arctic regions of Alaska. However, deep sea methane hydrate 
     deposits are the most abundant source of methane, occurring 
     at depths greater than 300 meters. Marine geologists have 
     identified large deposits off the coasts of Alaska, 
     Louisiana, Texas, New Jersey, Oregon and North and South 
     Carolina.
       Research is needed to determine whether we can produce 
     natural gas from these vast reserves. Natural gas from 
     methane hydrates will never be realized unless we undertake a 
     serious research and development program outlined in these 
     bills.
       The U.S. currently lags other countries in exploring this 
     exciting new energy source. Japan and India have launched 
     aggressive R&D programs to explore methane hydrates. Some 
     believe that Japanese commercial production is only a decade 
     away. Clearly we are falling behind in our efforts to 
     understand this energy source. In the face of dwindling 
     energy resources and increased reliance on energy imports, we 
     can hardly afford to miss this important opportunity.
       In addition to potential use as an energy source, methane 
     hydrate deposits also represent a challenge to conventional 
     oil and gas extraction. Hydrates influence physical 
     properties of ocean sediments, particularly strength and 
     stability. Characterizing hydrate formation and breakdown is 
     important for the safety of deep offshore drilling and other 
     deep sea operations.
       Given these research, technology, and energy security 
     considerations, it would be shortsighted not to invest in our 
     future by assessing and developing gas hydrates. I urge you 
     to pass H.R. 1753.

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 1753, the 
Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 1999. This measure will 
promote the research, identification, assessment, exploration, and 
development of methane hydrate resources.
  As a Member of the House Science Committee, I recognize the 
importance of our natural resources. And as a Houstonian and Texan, I 
have a vested interest in natural and fossil fuels.
  Natural gas is an important source of clean efficient energy. Today, 
natural gas comes primarily from geological formations in which methane 
molecules--the primary component of natural gas--exist in the form of 
gas.
  Methane also exists in ice-like formations called hydrates. Hydrates. 
Hydrates trap methane molecules inside a cage of frozen water. Hydrates 
are found on or under seabeds and under permafrost.
  The amount of methane trapped in hydrates is largely unknown, but it 
is very large. A number of scientists believe that hydrates contain 
more than twice as much energy as all the world's coal, oil, and 
natural gas combined.
  Currently, we do not know how to produce a meaningful amount of 
energy from hydrates. Scientists around the world are trying to 
discover cost effective production methods. They are also trying to 
assess the size of the resource base, to explore problems hydrates 
cause during the production of offshore natural gas, and to explore 
additional uses for hydrates.
  If scientists can find a way to safely extract the gas, they will 
have tapped an enormous new clean-burning energy supply. This act 
direct the Secretary of Energy to commence a gas hydrate research and 
development program. In conjunction with the Secretaries of Defense and 
the Interior, along with the Director of the NSF, the Secretary of 
Energy is to commence this research. This measure will allow the 
Secretary to award grants or contracts or even enter into cooperative 
agreements with institutions of higher education and industrial 
enterprises to conduct basic and applied research, to identify, 
explore, assess, and develop gas hydrate as a source of energy.
  Mr. Speaker, it is vital that we continue to search for new sources 
of energy that will reduce our dependence on foreign sources, further 
protecting our energy security, and that will protect the environment 
from further harm.
  Mr. MASCARA. Mr. Speaker, in an era of increasingly volatile energy 
prices and dwindling energy resources, it is imperative that the U.S. 
fund research for alternative energy sources now so that we are not 
left out in the cold when the cost of or inaccessibility to traditional 
fossil fuels makes heating our homes and fueling our factories 
impossible. H.R. 1753, the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act 
of 1999, attempts to stave off that threat by directing the Secretary 
of Energy to coordinate a research and development program with the 
Secretaries of Defense, Interior and the Director of the National 
Science Foundation to develop methane hydrate resources.
  Methane hydrate, a frozen mixture of methane and water, is found in 
sea sediments of the outer continental regions under unstable, high 
pressure conditions and in arctic regions where permafrost conditions 
exist. Methane hydrate, once safely extracted from these regions 
promises to become a viable source of alternative energy. The most 
promising area of research seems to be in harvesting methane hydrates 
from the outer continental regions. A 1997 U.S. Geological Survey 
appraisal of natural gas hydrate resources in the U.S. estimated that 
about 200,000 trillion cubic feet exist. It has been estimated that one 
50 by 150 kilometer area off the coast of North and South Carolina 
could supply the energy needs of the United States for over 70 years.
  Unfortunately these estimates do us no good without investments to 
develop the technology to safely and economically harvest methane 
hydrates. Passage of H.R. 1753 is a crucial first step to developing 
economical and ecologically sensitive technology that allows the United 
States to meet our energy needs in the 21st century. I support passage 
of H.R. 1753 and urge my colleagues to support passage of this 
important legislation.
  Mr. DOYLE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bonilla). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) that the 
House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1753, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``A bill to promote 
the research, identification, assessment, exploration, and development 
of gas hydrate resources, and for other purposes.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________