WATCHING GOVERNMENT LATE, LATE, LATE

It is said that a U.S. administration reflects the character of the current president.

And President Clinton is notoriously late for everything.

So it should be no surprise that the Clinton administration's energy policy is moving very slowly. So slowly, in fact, that time is running out to get oil industry relief measures through Congress this year.

Lawmakers will sit this month, recess in August, and focus on "must pass" legislation in September before adjoining early in October to campaign for reelection. Any relief measures not passed by then must wait for the next Congress and could not be passed until next summer.

CLINTON INITIATIVE

The Clinton administration's energy policy was embodied in its gas and oil initiative (OGJ, Dec. 20, 1993, p. 21), which was several months late. It directed the Department of Energy to study a half dozen major issues as a prerequisite to administration action.

Impatient at the delays, more than 100 oil state congressmen began drafting their own package measures (OGJ, Mar. 28, p. 35).

Since December, DOE has released only one of its studies.

A DOE official explained, "We're trying to achieve things rather than focus on putting out paper."

The initiative required DOE to report last February on marginal Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas production. No study was issued, but DOE is negotiating with senators on a bill to ease royalties for deepwater production.

Last April, a report was due on the U.S. refining industry. DOE and the Environmental Protection Agency continue to work on more flexible rules for refiners.

Then last May, the initiative called for a study on the tax treatment of advanced exploration and production techniques. DOE will release a paper on expensing of geological and geophysical costs "in the next few weeks, and its industry advisory group, the National Petroleum Council, plans to issue a report July 27 on maintaining marginal oil production.

In June, studies were due on the operation of naval oil shale reserves in Colorado and Utah. DOE is negotiating with Sen. Ben Campbell (D-Colo.) on a bill to lease gas reserves under one reserve and with the Interior Department on the future of the other two.

The one report DOE has issued, on exporting Alaskan North Slope oil (see story, p. 28), was 2 months late.

But Deputy Energy Sec. Bill White said before the administration can recommend lifting the North Slope oil export ban it must study whether using U.S. flag tankers to move ANS oil would affect trade treaties and talks.

LAMENTING THE SLOW PACE

Oscar Wyatt Jr., Coastal Corp. chairman and CEO, recently said "everybody is discouraged" at the administration's slow pace with energy policy. "'And with the election coming up, I don't think anything will be done this year."

Sen. Don Nickles (R-Okla.) complained the administration has had a year in which to do something about the decline in U.S. production. "I don't think we need more studies. We need action."

Nickles added, "This administration has gone forward on only one energy issue: conservation."

An aide to a Democrat senator asked, "Do you get the impression that in this Administration, energy isn't on the back burner, it's not even on the stove?"