424 



particular time they are showing no ettects — based upon, as you ob- 

 served, a hmited number of wells. If we continue having no more 

 wells drilled on 42, and if the stations included in the monitoring 

 program for 42 cannot contribute to sale 52, then at the end of the 

 third year it might well be that discontinuance of the monitoring 

 would well be in order in order to use that money more appropri- 

 ately for deeper waters. 



Mr. D' Amours. But in point of fact, there are no such plans at 

 this time, are there? 



Mr. Beller. There are no plans at this time to discontinue the 

 monitoring, to my knowledge. 



Mr. D' Amours. Do you concur with that rather direct statement, 

 Mr. Danenberger? 



Mr. Danenberger. It is my understanding that there are no 

 such plans. 



Now, there may be some readjustment of the program, depend- 

 ing on where the future activity is going to be. I think very few 

 people would have anticipated significant impacts from only eight 

 wells drilled on the bank. So we have to look now where more of 

 the future activity will be, and try and design the studies best so 

 that we can detect impacts if there are going to be any as a result 

 of future drilling. 



Mr. D' Amours. Let me get back, then, to my original question on 

 whether DOI is going to continue funding the probably more ex- 

 pensive monitoring and studying at the deep water sites. 



You said in response just now that DOI was "committed," to 

 such studies. Now, can I assume that the commitment to the stud- 

 ies means that they are going to fund the studies? 



Mr. Danenberger. I know they are going to fund some sort of 

 deep water program. 



Now, one advantage in the deep water is that there would be 

 very few wells and they would be very widely spaced. There is a 

 limited number of rigs, and it costs a lot of money to operate in the 

 deep water. So it might be, and this is what we are dependent upon 

 the BTF for, advisable to look at a couple of those wells very close- 

 ly. We may not need nearly as many stations. The BTF may be 

 able to point to certain areas that are the most likely zones impact- 

 Mr. D' Amours. But certainly if Interior is committed to the stud- 

 ies, you would have no problems telling me Interior would be 

 happy to commit to fund such studies, would you? 



I am not saying fund any and all studies, any and all ideas. But 

 you are willing to fund the studies you are committed to, are you 

 not? 



Mr. Danenberger. That is my understanding. 



Mr. D' Amours. Do you have any doubts personally about that? 



Mr. Danenberger. Well, my personal doubts are not important, 

 I don't think. 



Mr. D' Amours. They are important to me. 



Mr. Danenberger. I feel that there is a commitment to deep- 

 water studies program. 



Mr. D' Amours. All right. 



Well, on that same topic, Mr. Danenberg, I think this summer 

 the Shell Oil Co. is going to do some drilling. 



