WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) today requested the Energy Information Administration (EIA) conduct “dynamic and ongoing” analysis of issues related to lifting the ban on crude oil exports.

“While we are aware that the EIA has limited resources and numerous reporting requirements to the Congress, we would like to convey the interest of our committee in the issue of crude oil exports, which are largely banned by statute,” the senators wrote to EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski. “As you know, the possibility of lifting the ban – partially or completely – has emerged as a subject of critical concern here in the Congress.”

Landrieu and Murkowski, the chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, requested the agency look into and provide analysis of specific areas of interest in crude oil exports, including:

• Current and projected production of crude oil and condensate of varying grades;

• U.S. refining capacity and distribution, including the ability of U.S. refiners to process domestically produced crude oil and condensate of varying grades;

• The position and competitiveness of U.S. refiners in relation to global refining markets;

• The economic impact of continuing current policy in regard to exports on U.S. crude oil and condensate production as it relates to American consumers, upstream producers and the U.S. refining industry;

• The economic impact of changing current policy in regard to exports, specifically easing or lifting restrictions on exports, on U.S. crude oil and condensate production as it relates to American consumers, upstream producers and the U.S. refining industry; and

• Logistics associated with U.S. crude oil and condensate production, including rail capacity.

“This is a complex puzzle that is best solved with dynamic and ongoing analysis of the full picture, rather than a static study of a snapshot in time,” the senators wrote.

The full text of the letter is available on the energy committee’s website.

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