Accountability

Spending on oil and natural gas research and development (R&D) has dropped 91% during the past decade under the Bush administration, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

Spending on oil and natural gas research and development (R&D) has dropped 91% during the past decade under the Bush administration, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

U.S. royalties on oil and natural gas production are among the lowest in the world, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released earlier this month.

U.S. royalties on oil and natural gas production are among the lowest in the world, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a report released Friday.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) last week was asked by the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to undertake a “thorough review” of the royalty-in-kind (RIK) program overseen by the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS). The Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation of the RIK program last month (see NGI, Jan. 8).

The chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to undertake a “thorough review” of the royalty-in-kind (RIK) program overseen by the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS). The Department of Justice launched a criminal investigation of the RIK program last month (see Daily GPI, Jan. 3).

Although federal regulators have a limited, indirect role in overseeing natural gas prices, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) last Tuesday called on FERC to keep state regulators, other government officials and the public regularly informed about the agency’s oversight activities that are aimed at ensuring a manipulation-free natural gas market.

Although federal regulators have a limited, indirect role in overseeing natural gas prices, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on Tuesday called on FERC to keep state regulators, other government officials and the public regularly informed about the agency’s oversight activities that are aimed at ensuring a manipulation-free natural gas market.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued two related reports that give natural gas pipelines high marks for the progress they’ve made in improving the safety of their systems, and it recommended that Congress and the Department of Transportation (DOT) fine-tune current laws and regulations to further aid pipelines in their efforts.