Gulf Coast Senators: Allow Some Offshore Drilling Permits
[Guest post by DRJ]
In a letter sent Friday, a bipartisan group of Alaskan and Gulf Coast Senators urged President Obama to lift his ban on offshore drilling permits for shallow-water wells:
“Senators from Alaska and four states bordering the Gulf of Mexico are urging the White House to lift its moratorium on new oil drilling permits for rigs placed in shallow water.
In a letter sent Friday to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and President Obama, the delegation said $135 million stands to be lost in oil revenue should the ban continue to include 57 shallow-water drilling platforms.
“We are advised that if the moratorium is not soon lifted for these shallow-water operations, as many as 50 of those rigs within the next six weeks will be unable to work and at least 5,000 jobs from the rigs alone will be lost in the Gulf Coast region,” the letter stated.
The Obama administration banned the issuing of all new drilling permits in the aftermath of the massive oil spill that is still gushing into the Gulf of Mexico after a BP-leased rig exploded April 20 80 miles from Louisiana’s coast.”
These aren’t easy decisions but oil and gas production is a main element of Louisiana’s economy. Given the current recession and high unemployment, it’s small wonder that the Louisiana and other Gulf Coast Senators are concerned about Obama’s ban on drilling.
— DRJ
there was never any reason at all for a shallow-water drilling moratorium… never at all any reason. This is just our dirty socialist little president man taking the opportunity to ass-rape red states on the Gulf.
This is how America behaves anymore.
happyfeet (c8caab) — 5/22/2010 @ 2:20 pmCan’t drill in Coastal Waters, can’t drill on the OCS, can’t drill in ANWR, can’t drill for shale-oil, can’t drill….
AD - RtR/OS! (3c862f) — 5/22/2010 @ 2:25 pmOh well, we can always buy more oil from Hugo, the Nigerians, the Wahhabists, maybe even from Iraq (if they like us that week)…
What could go wrong?
More permits = more expertise = more heads to get together if something goes wrong.
Douglas (2c3ce5) — 5/22/2010 @ 2:33 pmFeets is correct – shallow water offshore drilling is much less prone to ecological disasters such as what’s going on right now, for no other reason that it’s easy access.
Dmac (3d61d9) — 5/22/2010 @ 3:25 pmYes, and it’s less bother to drill in the Permian Basin than in the oil sands of the upper Plains; but we’ve already picked most of the low-hanging fruit, and we’ve got several coastal states that absolutely do every thing in their power to stop in-shore coastal drilling. Here in CA, even if you have a lease from the Feds (waters greater than three miles off shore), you won’t get a permit from the Coastal Commission for a base along the coast to service your new wells, or bring a pipeline ashore to get your oil to market.
AD - RtR/OS! (3c862f) — 5/22/2010 @ 4:17 pmwith our homes and way of life being destroyed they want to again take chances. our state does not allow drilling offshore, unfortunatly we share the gulf with those who have no regard for anything or anyone other than themselves. in addition to their oil, we still have people over here that La. sent after hurricane Katrina…cant that state do anything right?
edd (0d87c7) — 6/12/2010 @ 3:48 pmDo you use petroleum products, edd? Things like gasoline in your car, natural gas to heat your home and cook your food, or plastics?
DRJ (d43dcd) — 6/12/2010 @ 4:03 pmNah! They don’t need any of that in Florida, they’ve got the Fountain of Youth to correct all their ills.
AD - RtR/OS! (c1f0da) — 6/12/2010 @ 4:10 pmedd – Please go outside and set your car on fire, because obviously you won’t be driving it anymore. And when you’re done you can take your air conditioners down to the recycling center because you won’t running those any longer either.
Have Blue (854a6e) — 6/12/2010 @ 4:16 pm