Before oil and gas companies drill in contested areas like an Alaskan wildlife refuge, one West Virginia congressman wants them to use land they already have.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, has introduced a bill that would require oil and gas companies to start using inactive land or risk losing future federal lease requests.

A report by his committee says oil and gas companies are leasing about 68 million acres of unused federal property.

Rahall said drilling in those territories would nearly double domestic oil production and cut oil imports by more than a third.

He said there's no need to open additional federal land to drilling until the companies use the property they currently lease.