Today, Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) led a Natural Resources subcommittee field hearing in Grand Junction, Colorado on ways to increase access to western oil shale.

Lamborn, Chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, made the following remarks in his opening statement at the hearing, “American Jobs and Energy Security: Domestic Oil Shale, the Status of Research, Regulation, and Roadblocks."

"Our subcommittee has broad jurisdiction over onshore and offshore energy production on public lands, much of which we have here in the West – and issues that affect every single one of us in from the state of Colorado.

"Today we are here to discuss one of the most challenging, tantalizing, and promising sources of energy our country has to offer – oil shale.  The United States is blessed with tremendous oil shale resources – nearly 75% of the world’s recoverable oil shale is estimated to be located in this country and we have appropriately been called the “Saudi Arabia of oil shale.”  Most of that shale is located right here around us, where according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Western United States may hold more than 1.5 trillion barrels of oil –enough to provide the United States with energy for the next 200 years. 

"Unfortunately, oil shale development has historically been characterized by “boom and bust” industrial surges due to inconsistent and combative federal policies regarding leasing and land development.  As federal land contains about 80 percent of the known recoverable resources in the West, these policies are significantly hindering the research and development projects that could lead to commercial oil shale production."-- Doug Lamborn (C0-05)

 

To read his entire opening statement, as prepared for delivery, click here.

Field hearing witnesses:

Ms. Helen Hankins

Colorado State Director

Bureau of Land Management

Mr. Ronald C. Johnson

Oil Shale Assessment Project Chief

U.S. Geological Survey

Mr. Gary Aho

Board Member / Former Chairman

National Oil Shale Association

Mr. Dan Whitney

Upstream Americas Heavy Oil Development Manager

Shell Exploration and Production Company

Mr. Michael Hagood

Director, Program and Regional Development
Idaho National Laboratory

Ms. Jennifer Spinti

Research Associate Professor,
Deptartment of Chemical Engineering & Institute for Clean and Secure Energy
University of Utah

Mr. Thomas Sladek, PhD

Director
Ockham Energy Services

Mr. Brad McCloud

Executive Director

Environmentally Conscious Consumers for Oil Shale

Ms. Anu Mittal

Director, Natural Resources and Environment Division

Government Accountability Office

Mr. Jim Spehar

Former Mayor of Grand Junction, CO /
Former Mesa County Commissioner

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