DOE UNVEILS OIL AND GAS PLAN; INDUSTRY FINDS LITTLE TO PRAISE

The U.S. Department of Energy's new domestic gas and oil initiative, drafted to promote U.S. production and unveiled against a backdrop of plummeting oil prices, focuses on lessening regulation and increasing natural gas production and marketing. The document lists 49 actions DOE and other federal agencies will take to help producers, but many of the actions simply call for studies on issues or continue existing programs.