Federal Oil and Gas Leases: Opportunities Exist to Capture Vented and Flared Natural Gas, Which Would Increase Royalty Payments and Reduce Greenhouse Gases

GAO http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1134.pdf [Summary] The Department of the Interior (Interior) leases public lands for oil and natural gas development, which generated about $9 billion in royalties in 2009. Some gas produced on these leases cannot be easily captured and is released (vented) directly to the atmosphere or is burned (flared). This vented and flared gas represents … Continue reading »

Energy-Water Nexus: A Better and Coordinated Understanding of Water Resources Could Help Mitigate the Impacts of Potential Oil Shale Development

GAO http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d1135.pdf [Summary] Oil shale deposits in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming are estimated to contain up to 3 trillion barrels of oil–or an amount equal to the world’s proven oil reserves. About 72 percent of this oil shale is located beneath federal lands, making the federal government a key player in its potential development. Extracting … Continue reading »

Taking the Wheel: Achieving a Competitive Transportation Sector Through Mobility Choice

Mobility Choice / Anne Korin and Deron Lovaas http://www.mobilitychoice.org/takingthewheel.pdf [Executive Summary] Oil’s virtual monopoly over transportation fuel coupled with limited economical and convenient alternatives for moving people and goods have made oil a strategic commodity and the lifeblood of the domestic and global economies. Passenger vehicles and light trucks account for more than 45 percent … Continue reading »