Allegations Related to the Energy Information Administration's Reporting Process
June 10, 2015
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June 10, 2015
Allegations Related to the Energy Information Administration's Reporting Process
The Energy Information Administration (EIA), created as part of the Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977, is the Department's statistical and analytical component. EIA is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating independent and impartial energy information to promote sound policy making, efficient markets, and public understanding of energy and its interaction with the economy and the environment. The Office of Inspector General received a complaint alleging that the weekly and monthly data and statistics reported by EIA had been inappropriately altered for the past 10 to 15 years.
The allegation that EIA had inappropriately skewed the Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) data was not substantiated. While we confirmed that EIA adjusted data reported by companies, such adjustments were required, according to EIA officials, to account for inventories of crude oil on Federal leases that were not reported and to correct suspected errors in data submitted by producers.
During the course of our review, however, we identified two areas of concern related to EIA's WPSR reporting process that increased the risk of publishing inaccurate reports. Specifically, we found that EIA's written policies and procedures governing the development of the WPSR were neither complete, updated, nor had they been disseminated to EIA analysts, and EIA was relying on and publishing at least two estimated figures related to lease stocks data that could not be supported.
Topic: Management & Administration