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Scalise, Boustany to Host American Energy Tour: Part II in New Orleans

August 15, 2008

Washington, DC -- U.S. Reps. Steve Scalise (R-Jefferson) and Charles Boustany (R-Lafayette) today announced that they will be leading a delegation of other Members of Congress from around the country on the American Energy Tour: Part II in New Orleans on August 25 - 26.

During the American Energy Tour: Part II, the Congressional delegation will visit an off-shore oil drilling facility and receive briefings from the Minerals Management Service (MMS) regarding offshore drilling and the leasing process.

“This will be an excellent opportunity to highlight how safe drilling is done offshore and to see how important it is to lift the existing Congressional moratorium on drilling on the rest of the Outer Continental Shelf,” Scalise said.

As part of the tour Scalise and Boustany will show members the progress that has been made regarding hurricane recovery and the work that still needs to be done.

Scalise said, “Congressman Boustany and I want to make sure our colleagues understand how much work still needs to be done to fully recover from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I also want our colleagues to know how appreciative we are of the support and help we’ve received from across the country.”

In July a Congressional delegation including Scalise visited the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to learn more about oil and gas exploration in the area as part of the American Energy Tour: Part I. The tour also went to the National Renewable Energy Lab to learn more about renewable energy sources.

The American Energy Tour: Part II will be led by MMS, the federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior which regulates domestic energy production on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Their offshore energy program produces about 27 percent of America’s domestic oil production and 15 percent of the domestic natural gas from leases on the OCS. In its 25-year history, MMS has disbursed more than $176 billion to states, American Indians, and the U.S. Treasury. There are approximately 3,900 offshore oil and gas production structures in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2007, estimated daily production was 1.3 million barrels of oil and 8 billion cubic feet of gas.

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Contact: Luke Bolar
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