§ 7422. Administration
(a)
The Secretary, directly or by contract, lease, or otherwise, shall explore, prospect, conserve, develop, use, and operate the naval petroleum reserves in his discretion, subject to the provisions of subsection (c) and the other provisions of this chapter; except that no petroleum leases shall be granted at Naval Petroleum Reserves Numbered 1 and 3.
(b)
Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, particularly subsection (c), the naval petroleum reserves shall be used and operated for—
(c)
(1)
In administering Naval Petroleum Reserves Numbered 1, 2, and 3, the Secretary is authorized and directed—
(B)
to produce, during any extension of a period under paragraph (2), such reserves—
(ii)
at a lesser rate consistent with sound engineering practices and the protection, conservation, maintenance, and testing of such reserves if the Secretary determines that the minimum price described in section
7430
(b)(2) of this title cannot be attained for the United States share of petroleum (other than natural gas liquids) produced from such Reserves;
(C)
during such production period or any extension thereof to sell or otherwise dispose of the United States share of such petroleum produced from such reserves as provided in section
7430 of this title; and
(D)
to construct, acquire, or contract for the use of storage and shipping facilities on and off the reserves and pipelines and associated facilities on and off the reserves for transporting petroleum from such reserves to the points where the production from such reserves will be refined or shipped.
Any pipeline in the vicinity of a naval petroleum reserve not otherwise operated as a common carrier may be acquired by the Secretary by condemnation, if necessary, if the owner thereof refuses to accept, convey, and transport without discrimination and at reasonable rates any petroleum produced at such reserve. With the approval of the Secretary, rights-of-way for new pipelines and associated facilities may be acquired by the exercise of the right of eminent domain in the appropriate United States district court. Such rights-of-way may be acquired in the manner set forth in sections
3114–3116 and
3118 of title
40, and the prospective holder of the right-of-way is “the authority empowered by law to acquire the land” within the meaning of those sections. Such new pipelines shall accept, convey, and transport without discrimination and at reasonable rates any petroleum produced at such reserves as a common carrier.
(2)
After April 5, 1982, the President may extend the period of production in the case of any naval petroleum reserve for additional periods of not to exceed three years each—
(A)
after the President requires an investigation to be made, in the case of each extension, to determine the necessity for continued production from such naval petroleum reserve;
(B)
after the President submits to the Congress, at least 180 days before the expiration of the current production period prescribed by this section, or any extension thereof, a copy of the report made to him on such investigation together with a certification by him that continued production from such naval petroleum reserve is in the national interest; and