[malia]

"Then, Burton brought up ANWR and offshore drilling...but, Dingell said NO>..we need electric cars...and nuke energy.

Well...we do need nuke energy...but the dems will NOT give, when it comes to drilling ANYWHERE..."

My question ---- can a US company do the drilling alone without Government approval. Like can any oil company start drilling in ANWR or somewhere else on their own?

[Txsleuth]

Well...ANWR is government land..so that would be out...
and I don't know about offshore.

[Cboldt]

My question ---- can a US company do the drilling alone without Government approval. Like can any oil company start drilling in ANWR or somewhere else on their own?

Good question, and I don't know the entire perimeter of the licensing and permitting requirements.

ANWR is "government owned" land, so any activity there is subject to a lease, license and permit.

Off-shore activity is similary regulated, and exploration and extraction rights are also leased.

I'm not sure about drilling on private land. Years ago, I leased mineral rights for any oil underneath my plot of land, to a firm that was exploring the area. Some states, probably all of them, have a permiting process for drilling well on private property. The Feds impose OSAH workplace safety and EPA environmental protection regimes per the scope of those agencies' regulations.