U.S. Representative Ralph M. Hall (R-Tx) Holds a Hearing On the Peak Oil Theory

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U.S. Representative Ralph M. Hall (R-Tx) Holds a Hearing On the Peak Oil Theory

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND COMMERCE: SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND AIR QUALITY HOLDS A HEARING ON PEAK OIL THEORY

DECEMBER 7, 2005

SPEAKERS: U.S. REPRESENTATIVE RALPH HALL (R-TX) CHAIRMAN U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL BILIRAKIS (R-FL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ED WHITFIELD (R-KY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLIE NORWOOD (R-GA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN SHIMKUS (R-IL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE HEATHER WILSON (R-NM) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN SHADEGG (R-AZ) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES (CHIP) PICKERING JR. (R-MS) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE VITO J. FOSSELLA (R-NY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE RADANOVICH (R-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARY BONO (R-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE GREG WALDEN (R-OR) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL J. ROGERS (R-MI) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE C.L. (BUTCH) OTTER (R-ID) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN SULLIVAN (R-OK) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TIM MURPHY (R-PA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MICHAEL BURGESS (R-TX) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOE BARTON (R-TX) EX OFFICIO

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE RICK BOUCHER (D-VA) RANKING MEMBER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ALBERT WYNN (D-MD) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE ROSS (D-AR) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TOM ALLEN (D-ME) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE HENRY WAXMAN (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE EDWARD MARKEY (D-MA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ELIOT ENGEL (D-NY) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TED STRICKLAND (D-OH) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE LOIS CAPPS (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MIKE DOYLE (D-PA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JIM DAVIS (D-FL) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE HILDA SOLIS (D-CA) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES GONZALEZ (D-TX) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE GENE GREEN (D-TX) U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN DINGELL (D-MI) EX OFFICIO

WITNESSES: U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ROSCOE BARTLETT (R-MD)

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE TOM UDALL (D-NM)

KJELL ALEKLETT, PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF RADIATION SCIENCES OF UPPSALA UNIVERSITY, UPPSALA, SWEDEN

ROBERT HIRSCH, SENIOR ENERGY PROGRAM ADVISER, SAIC

ROBERT ESSER, SENIOR CONSULTANT AND DIRECTOR FOR GLOBAL OIL AND GAS RESOURCES, CAMBRIDGE ENERGY RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, HUNTINGTON, N.Y.

MURRAY SMITH, MINISTER-COUNSELLOR GOVERNMENT AT THE CANADIAN EMBASSY, WASHINGTON, D.C. [*] HALL: It looks like we have an unusual quorum this morning, so we'll get under way. The subcommittee will come to order.

And without objection, the subcommittee will proceed pursuant to Committee Rule 4(e), it says here, which governs opening statements by members and the opportunity to defer them for extra questioning time. I think we all have been through that and know what we're talking about.

Hearing no objection, prior to the recognition of the first witness for testimony, any member, when recognized for an opening statement, may defer his or her three-minute opening statement and instead have three additional minutes during the initial round of witness questioning.

So I'll recognize myself for just a moment. I'd like to thank our witnesses for being here today. And as we look at the theory of peak oil, we're having this hearing today to learn more about the theory, to hear different opinions and to learn what we can do about it, if anything.

While other theories believe that we ought to reach our peak, the point at which the rate of world oil production cannot increase at any time. They think that. And there are others that tell us that we're not going to peak any time soon, and others who still believe oil is continuously being created and will therefore never peak.

We've not been ignoring a possible peak in oil production. In this energy bill that was signed into law in August, we had provisions that address oil usage by promoting conservation and additional conventional and unconventional production.

One provision in particular that I was proud of that I sponsored is the ultra deep-water and unconventional onshore research and development program.

In the continental U.S., there are significant amounts of oil and natural gas in the ground and beneath the sea bed that cannot be produced due to limits on technology, so that amendment is probably more of a research and development amendment than it is an energy amendment, but they fit well together.

And the ultra deep-water and unconventional natural gas and petroleum R&D program is a fast-paced technology led by industry and the academic group with government and industry cost sharing. Taking some adv...

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