JERRY REMMERS, Columnist in At TMV posts on the Obama announcement opening up new off-shore oil and gas leases on the Eastern seaboard, eastern gulf and northern Alaska. Remmers says
As outlined, Obama’s plan is the best common-sense approach towards energy independence from foreign oil cartels in generations while at the same time preserving environmental safeguards. It provides a bridge until our country is released from relying so strongly on fossil fuels from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Yeah, right. The idea was never sound, but rallied the GOP base. The problems?
1 – oil companies aren’t exploring 45 million acres of their current leases
2 – they have made no commitment to drill new leases (Remmers admits this “However, exploration by oil companies set on drilling these waters will depend whether it is economically worth their trouble.”)
3 – even if they do it will take a decade to produce any oil from them
4 – we lack the refining capacity for more
5 – oil companies aren’t interested in building new refineries here
6 – the oil companies have never pledged to sell American oil to Americans
7 – only a fraction of current Alaska production goes to the USA. Most goes to Asia
8 – we have very little, a drop in the ocean, in terms of global resource
9 – no one predicts it will reduce prices or free us from dependence
Take a look at the real situation here.
The federal government has offered 229 million acres of public and private land in 12 western states for oil and gas drilling, an area greater than the combined size of Colorado, New Mexico and ArizonaDespite access to more than 200 million acres of public land over the past 15 years (1989-2003), the oil and gas industry has produced enough energy from this land to satisfy only 53 days of U.S. oil consumption… This rate of production amounts to an
average of 3.6 days per year of oil…
Get it? In 15 years of access to a HUGE chunk of America to drill, they’ve produced 53 days of oil for us. Oh yeah. Remmers also admits that opening up these leases will INCREASE oil prices, not decrease them.
