mr. chairman , i rise in support of the conaway amendment . 
i think it adds to the bill . 
it is a study to ask the department of energy and the department of labor to see what the supply of labor is in the oil field industry , both in the short term and the long term . 
you hear stories that all the landmen have retired and the geophysicists have retired , and you even hear some stories that we do not have the roughnecks to go out and operate the rigs . 
there is a big natural gas plague going on in texas right now . 
there is some oil production drilling going on . 
so i think this is a useful element , and i hope we would support it . 
i thank the gentleman from midland , texas ( mr. conaway ) xz4006550 , for offering it . 
