Gulf Oil Drillers Got $18 Billion Royalty Breaks Since 2000, GAO Reports

摘要

The U.S. has forfeited some $18 billion tied to oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico since 2000because of a decades-old law that gave energy companies a break on paying royalties when drilling indeep waters, federal investigators concluded Oct. 24.The foregone revenue will keep climbing, as energy companies continue to harvest oil and gas royalty-freefrom dozens of affected tracts in the Gulf, long after lawmakers realized sloppy legislative writingprevented the government from making the price breaks temporary.