103 



General Assembly in which we will participate, but in the long run, 

 Mr. Chairman, I think you have correctly analyzed it, that there will 

 have to be a clarification of the definition of the continental shelf 

 and those words that you uncovered on your own, which is that it goes 

 to a depth of 200 meters and beyond that to where the superjacent 

 waters permit of exploitation — that those words will have to be ulti- 

 mately defined and I think that all those who have worked in this 

 field recognize that in the long run this will have to be resolved, and 

 I think you have cori-ectly analyzed it. 



Mr. Fasgell. Now, Mr. Danzig, tlie United States has gone beyond 

 the 200-meter depth in issuing exploration leases, has it not? Didn't 

 somebody testify to that effect ? 



Mr. Danzig. Mr. Cliristy. 



]Mr. Chrisit. Yes, it has. 



Mr. Fascell. How about other nations? 



Mr. Christy. I have a report that 15 nations have gone beyond 

 these limits. The information comes from Prof. Louis Henkin's report 

 to the Marine Science Council 



Mr. Fascell. And you used this as one of the reasons for under- 

 lining the urgency of the problem ? 



Mr. Cpiristy. Yes, sir. 



Mr. Fascell. It seems to me also that we ought to put into the 

 record something about the scope of what we are talking about here. 

 For example, in a recent issue of Oil and Gas Journal, there is an 

 article called "The North Sea Report." Without ])othering to read 

 the whole thing to you, I think that it may be useful to point out 

 what happened there. The article says, and I quote : 



Germany, Holland and Britain have long produced from scattered on-liore 

 fields, and imaginative geologists had no problem extending the same prospects 

 into the North Sea. However, pay thickness, productivity, and reserves of the 

 land fields were too small to make a high-cost offshore search worthwhile — 

 until Holland's 40-trillion-cubic-feet Groningeu gas field changed the outlook 

 almost overnight. 



After Groningen's size was realized in 1962, seismic boats started probing 

 the North Sea. Several promising, large structures turned up. It was a good 

 bet that conditions responsible for Groningen could exist offshore. 



Bordering nations in 1964 divided the sea according to the Geneva Continental 

 Shelf Convention, and a mad scramble was on. 



The article goes on to point out what the potential reserves are, 

 and there is a map included showing how the North Sea was divided. 

 The location of all the existing wells is marked. 



Now, is something comparable happening in other places? 



]Mr. Eighelberger. Just as a footnote, Mr. Chairman 



Mr. Fascell. Let me just put this entire article in the record 

 because it seems to cover the subject very well. 



(The article follows:) 



North Sea Report 



By Leslie C. Rogers, Drilling Editor 



[From Oil and Gas Journal, Feb. 27, 1967] 



Exploration men from London to Oslo heaved a sigh of relief 14 months ago 

 when British Petroleum stamped the commercial label on its North Sea "-as 

 strike. *' 



