April 20, 2009

Oil, Gas, and Mineral Resources of the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf: Extent, Recoverability & Environmental Implications

Co-Sponsored by:
DC Bar’s Environment, Energy and Natural Resources Section Energy Committee
and the Environmental Law Institute

While the United States is not yet a Party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, it has been engaged in gathering and analyzing data to determine the outer limits of its extended continental shelf (ECS) since 2001. Under the Convention, every coastal State has a continental shelf out to 200 nautical miles from its coastal baselines, and beyond that distance if certain criteria in are met. The ECS is that portion of the continental shelf that lies beyond this 200 nautical mile limit. A coastal State can exercise certain sovereign rights over its continental shelf, including exploration and exploitation of seabed and subsoil resources such oil, gas, and other minerals. Although the global economic downturn has generally depressed markets for these commodities, it is likely they exist in significant quantities in our ECS. Eventually demand for ECS resources will increase sufficiently to justify investing the capital necessary to recover them. This seminar exploree the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Project, the potential extent and recoverability of ECS mineral resources, and the implications of commercial recovery for the ocean environment.

Moderators:
Jordan Diamond, Environmental Law Institute
Peter H. Oppenheimer, Senior Counselor for International Law, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Speakers:
Larry A. Mayer, Professor and Director, Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/NOAA-UNH Joint Hydrographic Center, University of New Hampshire
Margaret F. Hayes, Director of the Office of Oceans Affairs, Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, U.S. Department of State
Brian T. Petty, Senior Vice President - Government Affairs, International Association of Drilling Contractors
Harlan Cohen, Advisor on Ocean Governance and International Institutions, IUCN USA & Caribbean Multilateral Office

Downloads:
Download an MP3 recording of the seminar
Download a summary of the seminar
Margaret Hayes: PowerPoint
Harlan Cohen: PowerPoint
Larry Mayer: PowerPoint

Click here for more information on ELI’s Ocean Series
The 2009 Ocean Seminar Series is made possible by generous support from the Naomi and Nehemiah Cohen Foundation