The Washington-based Process Gas Consumers Group has given a thumbs-up to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for recent pro-E&P legislation. The act would require the secretary of the Interior Department to offer portions of the 181 area of the eastern Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas leasing. The approval sends a strong message that the responsible development of the Outer Continental Shelf's gas resources is a necessary component of a balanced national energy policy, says Dena Wiggins, general counsel of PGCG. "The committee took a critical step today toward diversifying the pool of energy resources available to the American consumer. Rising natural gas prices will continue to hinder all sectors of the nation's economy until affirmative measures are taken to bolster energy supply," Wiggins said. PGCG is a national trade association of industrial gas consumers that require natural gas in many of their key operations.