Interior Not Assuring Fair 'Take' Of Oil Revenues-Auditors

摘要

While oil and natural gas prices-and drillers' profits-have exploded in recent years, the Interior Department has not re-assessed its relatively low "take" of oil and gas revenues from drilling on federal lands, and the agency's inspectors too often fail to verify production data to ensure the government is not getting cheated on royalties, congressional auditors say.rnIn two new reports to Congress released Friday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) suggested Interior is not doing enough to ensure that the public is getting its fair share of the gusher of oil and gas profits resulting from increased drilling on federal lands.