[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 108 (Wednesday, July 21, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1391-E1392]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SAFER OIL AND NATURAL GAS DRILLING TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL F. DOYLE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 21, 2010

  Mr. DOYLE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Safer Oil 
and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research and Development Act.
  The Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill has highlighted the 
pressing need for research on technology to make deepwater drilling for 
oil and natural gas safer and cleaner.
  While the investigations into the causes of the disaster are still 
ongoing, the disaster has already made Congress and the public aware of 
the significant shortcomings in much of the oil industry's current 
deepwater drilling technology--most notably its blowout preventers.
  This legislation refocuses the Department of Energy's deepwater 
drilling research to place higher priority on research on technology 
that will increase the safety and reliability of deepwater drilling 
technology in the years to come--and rightly so.
  The National Energy Technology Laboratories facility in southwestern 
Pennsylvania has been the Department of Energy's leader in research on 
ultra-deepwater drilling for oil and natural gas for many years. NETL 
has a talented staff with unparalleled expertise and a long and 
successful record of research

[[Page E1392]]

projects to improve the safety and efficiency of fossil fuel production 
technologies like deepwater drilling. It only makes sense that this 
legislation preserves the National Energy Technology Laboratories' role 
in conducting research on a subject on which they have so much 
knowledge and experience.
  I am pleased that Chairman Gordon has confirmed that it is the 
Committee's intention that the National Energy Technology Laboratories 
will continue their important work on deepwater drilling research under 
the Safer Oil and Natural Gas Drilling Technology Research program 
addressed in this legislation.
  I commend the Chairman, Ranking Member, and members of the Committee 
for drafting legislation to shift the focus of the Department of 
Energy's deepwater drilling research to prioritize safety and 
environmental protection. It's clear from the Deepwater Horizon tragedy 
that there's a pressing need to dedicate more resources to this 
important goal.

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