Posted on 05/19/2008 5:21:51 AM PDT by thackney
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - The Bush administration on Friday proposed keeping potentially oil-rich wetlands in Arctic Alaska off-limits to drilling because of their ecological sensitivity, a reversal of its earlier plan.
The Bureau of Land Management proposed a 10-year leasing moratorium for 430,000 acres of wetlands north and east of vast Teshekpuk Lake in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Environmentalists and local groups hailed the decision.
"This plan provides a balanced approach to energy development and wildlife protection, and forms a solid basis for the Bureau of Land Management to proceed with an oil and gas lease sale later this year," Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne said in a statement.
The area, the North Slope's biggest freshwater lake, is considered potentially rich in oil and gas as well as a critical habitat for migrating birds and caribou. Two years ago, the administration was poised to sell leases to energy companies seeking to drill.
But a lawsuit by environmentalists and native groups forced the agency to revisit the plan in late 2006.
Extensive public comment, input from the local government and practical considerations contributed to the policy change, said Jim Ducker, an environmental program analyst for the BLM.
Ducker noted that the area is 40 to 70 miles away from any oil-field infrastructure.
"Our thinking is, it's pretty darn unlikely that we're going to have any development there" in the near future, he said.
Ducker said the BLM hopes the new plan will result in a lease sale this fall, to encompass essentially the same area offered for lease by the Clinton administration in 1999.
Geologists estimate the area holds 2.8 billion barrels of oil, he said, with 800 million barrels in the deferral area.
Environmentalists were pleased with the BLM's new plan.
"It is a win," said Stan Senner, executive director of Audubon Alaska, one of the groups campaigning for preservation. "I think they've responded to public interest in seeing that the area's protected, and it gives people who care about the place time to work on a permanent solution."
The BLM statement noted that North Slope Borough Mayor Edward Itta said "The lease sale can proceed while one of the region's most sensitive wildlife habitats will be protected. It's a win-win."
The borough, which opposed oil development in the area because it is important to Inupiat Eskimo hunters, was enlisted to help prepare the new plan after a federal judge voided the previous leasing plan.
The 23 million acre National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, on the central North Slope, was created in 1923 as a potential source of energy for the military.
Despite sporadic exploration drilling since the 1940s, almost all the successful oil development that ensued on the North Slope occurred on state land east of the reserve.
Industry interest in the petroleum reserve resurfaced in the 1990s, after Arco Alaska Inc. discovered the Alpine oil field on state land bordering the federal unit. Alpine is now operated by Arco successor ConocoPhillips.
While there has never been any commercial oil production in the petroleum reserve, ConocoPhillips and partner Anadarko plan to develop Alpine satellite fields on the federal land there.
This is not about ANWR but drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska.
So much for subduing the earth.
Lets see if we can raise the minimum wage another 2 or 3 bucks while we are at it.
See? He IS a compassionate conservative. He’s compassionate to all the little floras and faunas in Alaska; and maybe to his cronies’ business interests.
Those of us who need to be able to buy gasoline for less than $4.00 a gallon? Not so much.
Can anyone anywhere explain to me what possible reason the USA has, other then a totally goofy Govt Energy policy of “Conservation, not Consumption” for producing less oil right now then it did 20 years ago????
Why despite a decade of ever increasing world demand for Oil do we produce less now then we did in 2000?
Past time everyone in DC get a pink slip from the American people.
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/hist/mcrfpus2m.htm
So on this point, the Republicans are willing to allow the Democrats to set public policy. This begs the question: why should I make any contribution to the Republicans for when it comes down to the moment the nut is cut, they find it far too easy to suspend principle and give in to whiners, hand wringer and hyper-alarmists.
Amen, brother!!!
Oops, I suddenly realize I have engaged in a sexist assumption that you are a male of the species.
Amen, sister!!!
But... what if you ARE a man?
Okay, try this...
Amen, citizen!!!
or, after Obama is sworn in as our presisente: Amen, comrade!!!
Yep. GOP now stands for “Gutless Old Panderers”
True.
If the Democrats are going to set the policy they may as well be the ones in charge for the next 6 years or so.
That way THEY can shoulder the blame for higher taxes, higher gas prices, food shortages, etc (reaping what they have sown, and such).
Good one. I like it.
Where’s the balance in this “balanced approach”?
“This is not about ANWR but drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve, Alaska.”
We need to save that for when the time comes that Middle Eastern Oil is radioactive.
I like your map. There was one used during the ANWAR debates in Congress that scaled the size of Alaska to its’ next biggest state. That one was impressive as well as I had never realized the true size of Alaska compared to Texas.
So, the way I read this, the agreement diminishes the area of the National Petroleum Reserve by 430,000 acres around the lake. Apparently thie protection of this area is the price for releasing the rest for auction of leases including those currently in process of being auctioned.
The auction of these leases will relieve the pressure on needing to drill in the ANWHAR area to the north and west of these areas.
There was a joke often told while I lived in Alaska. If Texas doesn't like being second in size to Alaska, we could cut Alaska in half and make two states. Then Texas could be third.
You need to pay much closer attention. This is all about speeding up the drilling process in the National Petroleum Reserve areas whit very high probability of large reserves.
Your criticism is not only justified it is just plain wrong.
Do a little research to learn the error of your ways.
Google is your friend
We need to be producing both ANWR Coastal Plain and NPRA. Both area were set aside for Petroleum when the areas were created.
The area, the North Slope's biggest freshwater lake, is considered potentially rich in oil and gas as well as a critical habitat for migrating birds and caribou.
Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh, caribou again!!!
I'm getting to the point that I want to see every caribou - DEAD!
Oh that is very very good. I like it much.
Bush goes to the Saudi’s to beg for more oil only to be snubbed and now refuses to allow drilling on US soil. We have no reason to complain about high gasoline prices as we are brining them on ourselves by such idiotic policies.
You are so right. George W. Bush, although often right, is such a failure on so many issues. It is no wonder that the Republican Party is in such disarray.
Everytime they do something like this, the price goes up.
Get ready for $10 a gallon gas. How long before people storm congress?
International Energy Agency - Oil Market Report
http://omrpublic.iea.org/
I guess if oil is going to be $300 a barrel someday, we’ll be glad we saved it for later.
thanks and bookmark for use
The Caribou herds have tripled since the North Slope oil infrastructure was developed. If we build another one hunting might have to be implemented to thin the herd for its own well being.
Here’s my theory: The Saudis and other Arab countries have promised EVERYONE in Washington a retirement with $1 Billion in a Swiss bank account.
Any reporters doing ANYTHING to investigate the oceans of dirty money in Washington?
And yet the loyalist Pubbies continue to blame the mean ole Democrats.
Wonder how the voters will feel about this when they are paying out of their pockets for $4+/gal gas, double-digit grocery price increases, skyrocketing utility bills.
The ole ‘blame the Dem Congress’ game just lost about 99 points.
Offhand, will this same website have the oil production numbers for North America?
Well, that could be amen Whitey.
Hmmm....so what this boils down to is that a SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT area will be leased for oil exploration. However, the brain dead bashers are probably already here.
Try reading the entire article. The pertinent information is buried in the middle.
Amazingly the my way or da highway types will manage to find fault with this: if we can’t drill it all, we hate Bush and prefer nothing.
Most of the posts seem like Hamas gunmen....they are running into the street and pulling the trigger without taking aim
Just get used to $5.00 gallon gas. That’s the way it will be until our federal government gets their heads out of their @sses. In other words, never.
Thank you. I will research it further.
However, I do not see how any amount of research is going to lead me to the conclusion that REDUCING the amount of land (and therefore obtainable oil) in our National Petroleum Reserve is, in the long run, going to benefit us (the citizens of the U.S.) as regards developing domestic oil production and increasing the supply-side of the equation.
It WILL reduce the available supply, which will make the product more dear, which will lead to higher prices, which will benefit the oil companies; but I do not see it benefitting the average consumer.
They are wet for a few months of the year. Then they become icy.
Combine that with the fact the yearly precipitation is so low, they could be considered a desert, except for all the ponds of water during the summer.
I think the best source of data for North America petroleum production is:
http://www.eia.doe.gov
US Crude Oil Production
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/dnav/pet/pet_crd_crpdn_adc_mbbl_m.htm
So, they are not really wet-lands; they are more ICE-lands?
What is it they say?
“There’s a place for all of God’s creature: Right next to the mashed potatoes.”
I assume this includes the majestic caribou.
The climate is such that polygon-patterned tundra wetlands are formed during the summer, see post #23.
The flat land, polygon ridges, and melting ice/snow create many, many ponds that hold water. Permafrost areas typically do not drain well.
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