42 U.S. Code § 15910 - Enhanced oil and natural gas production through carbon dioxide injection

(a) Production incentive

(1) Findings

Congress finds the following:

(A) Approximately two-thirds of the original oil in place in the United States remains unproduced.

(B) Enhanced oil and natural gas production from the sequestering of carbon dioxide and other appropriate gases has the potential to increase oil and natural gas production.

(C) Capturing and productively using carbon dioxide would help reduce the carbon intensity of the economy.

(2) Purpose

The purpose of this section is—

(A) to promote the capturing, transportation, and injection of produced carbon dioxide, natural carbon dioxide, and other appropriate gases or other matter for sequestration into oil and gas fields; and

(B) to promote oil and natural gas production from the outer Continental Shelf and onshore Federal lands under lease by providing royalty incentives to use enhanced recovery techniques using injection of the substances referred to in subparagraph (A).

(b) Suspension of royalties

(1) In general

If the Secretary determines that reduction of the royalty under a Federal oil and gas lease that is an eligible lease is in the public interest and promotes the purposes of this section, the Secretary shall undertake a rulemaking to provide for such reduction for an eligible lease.

(2) Rulemakings

The Secretary shall publish the advanced notice of proposed rulemaking within 180 days after August 8, 2005, and complete the rulemaking implementing this section within 365 days after August 8, 2005.

(3) Eligible leases

A lease shall be an eligible lease for purposes of this section if—

(A) it is a lease for production of oil and gas from the outer Continental Shelf or Federal onshore lands;

(B) the injection of the substances referred to in subsection (a)(2)(A) will be used as an enhanced recovery technique on such lease; and

(C) the Secretary determines that the lease contains oil or gas that would not likely be produced without the royalty reduction provided under this section.

(4) Amount of relief

The rulemaking shall provide for a suspension volume, which shall not exceed 5,000,000 barrels of oil equivalent for each eligible lease. Such suspension volume shall be applied to any production from an eligible lease occurring on or after the date of publication of any advanced notice of proposed rulemaking under this subsection.

(5) Limitation

The Secretary may place limitations on the royalty reduction granted under this section based on market price.

(6) Application

This section shall apply to any eligible lease issued before, on, or after August 8, 2005.

(c) Demonstration program

(1) Establishment

(A) In general

The Secretary of Energy shall establish a competitive grant program to provide grants to producers of oil and gas to carry out projects to inject carbon dioxide for the purpose of enhancing recovery of oil or natural gas while increasing the sequestration of carbon dioxide.

(B) Projects

The demonstration program shall provide for—

(i) not more than 10 projects in the Willistin Basin in North Dakota and Montana; and

(ii) 1 project in the Cook Inlet Basin in Alaska.

(2) Requirements

(A) In general

The Secretary of Energy shall issue requirements relating to applications for grants under paragraph (1).

(B) Rulemaking

The issuance of requirements under subparagraph (A) shall not require a rulemaking.

(C) Minimum requirements

At a minimum, the Secretary shall require under subparagraph (A) that an application for a grant include—

(i) a description of the project proposed in the application;

(ii) an estimate of the production increase and the duration of the production increase from the project, as compared to conventional recovery techniques, including water flooding;

(iii) an estimate of the carbon dioxide sequestered by project, over the life of the project;

(iv) a plan to collect and disseminate data relating to each project to be funded by the grant;

(v) a description of the means by which the project will be sustainable without Federal assistance after the completion of the term of the grant;

(vi) a complete description of the costs of the project, including acquisition, construction, operation, and maintenance costs over the expected life of the project;

(vii) a description of which costs of the project will be supported by Federal assistance under this section; and

(viii) a description of any secondary or tertiary recovery efforts in the field and the efficacy of water flood recovery techniques used.

(3) Partners

An applicant for a grant under paragraph (1) may carry out a project under a pilot program in partnership with 1 or more other public or private entities.

(4) Selection criteria

In evaluating applications under this subsection, the Secretary of Energy shall—

(A) consider the previous experience with similar projects of each applicant; and

(B) give priority consideration to applications that—

(i) are most likely to maximize production of oil and gas in a cost-effective manner;

(ii) sequester significant quantities of carbon dioxide from anthropogenic sources;

(iii) demonstrate the greatest commitment on the part of the applicant to ensure funding for the proposed project and the greatest likelihood that the project will be maintained or expanded after Federal assistance under this section is completed; and

(iv) minimize any adverse environmental effects from the project.

(5) Demonstration program requirements

(A) Maximum amount

The Secretary of Energy shall not provide more than $3,000,000 in Federal assistance under this subsection to any applicant.

(B) Cost sharing

The Secretary of Energy shall require cost-sharing under this subsection in accordance with section 16352 of this title.

(C) Period of grants

(i) In general

A project funded by a grant under this subsection shall begin construction not later than 2 years after the date of provision of the grant, but in any case not later than December 31, 2010.

(ii) Term

The Secretary shall not provide grant funds to any applicant under this subsection for a period of more than 5 years.

(6) Transfer of information and knowledge

The Secretary of Energy shall establish mechanisms to ensure that the information and knowledge gained by participants in the program under this subsection are transferred among other participants and interested persons, including other applicants that submitted applications for a grant under this subsection.

(7) Schedule

(A) Publication

Not later than 180 days after August 8, 2005, the Secretary of Energy shall publish in the Federal Register, and elsewhere, as appropriate, a request for applications to carry out projects under this subsection.

(B) Date for applications

An application for a grant under this subsection shall be submitted not later than 180 days after the date of publication of the request under subparagraph (A).

(C) Selection

After the date by which applications for grants are required to be submitted under subparagraph (B), the Secretary of Energy, in a timely manner, shall select, after peer review and based on the criteria under paragraph (4), those projects to be awarded a grant under this subsection.

(d) Records and inventory

The Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Land Management, shall maintain records on, and an inventory of, the quantity of carbon dioxide stored within Federal mineral leaseholds.

(e) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.

(Pub. L. 109–58, title III, § 354, Aug. 8, 2005, 119 Stat. 715; Pub. L. 110–140, title VII, § 713, Dec. 19, 2007, 121 Stat. 1715.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2007—Subsecs. (d), (e). Pub. L. 110–140 added subsec. (d) and redesignated former subsec. (d) as (e).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2007 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 110–140 effective on the date that is 1 day after Dec. 19, 2007, see section 1601 of Pub. L. 110–140, set out as an Effective Date note under section 1824 of Title 2, The Congress.