[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 16105-16106]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        DOMESTIC GAS PRODUCTION

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, according to a Federal 
report issued yesterday by the Energy Information Administration, 
natural gas being produced in the Marcellus shale region is growing 
faster than expected. Production has now reached 12 billion cubic feet 
a day. That is six times the production rate of 2009. The vast majority 
of production is coming from Pennsylvania, including the areas of the 
State that I represent, along with West Virginia.
  To put this in perspective, the Marcellus alone produces more natural 
gas than Saudi Arabia. If the Marcellus were its own country, 
production would rank third in the world after Russia and the rest of 
the United States. This has led to record low gas prices. It is the 
reason companies are moving manufacturing back to the United States. It 
is why consumers have more money in their pockets after paying their 
bills. Also, Mr. Speaker,

[[Page 16106]]

data released Monday by the EIA indicates that carbon-related emissions 
dropped by 3.8 percent from 2011 to 2012--to their lowest levels since 
1994.
  Mr. Speaker, domestic gas production is helping create a stronger 
American economy. It is helping us improve the environment. It is 
helping America remain competitive.

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