Castro Plans to Drill 45 Miles from US Shores, But We Can't

National Assocation of Manufacturers ^ | April 11, 2006 | Pat Cleary

[thackney]

We've noted in this space repeatedly that our competitors must just look at us and shake their heads in disbelief that we won't tap our own rich reserves of natural resources, most notably with coal, in ANWR and in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Well, now we can go one better: how do you feel about countries taping that supply while we cannot? What if it's a Communist country, living under a dictatorship? Unfortunately you don't have to look very far. In fact, only 90 miles from Key West sits Fidel Castro's Cuba. Castro, worried about continuing to live off of Venezuelan President Chavez' largess, has decided to start his own deep water exploration. As Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) -- author of a bill that would open the OCS to common-sense and environmentally-friendly regulation -- writes in the Miami Herald:

"[T]o help get at vital and abundant supplies of offshore energy, [Cuba] has chosen tracts of real estate in the Gulf of Mexico as close as 45 miles from Florida. Forty-five miles is just a bit farther than the distance between the University of Miami and Fort Lauderdale.

Imagine what Castro is thinking as we spend our time quarreling over whether we should produce American energy 100, 150 or 250 miles from the Florida coast while he makes arrangements to set up shop hundreds of miles closer. He must love that we've allowed emotion to win out over reason, facts to be dwarfed by fear and our nation's energy policy to be driven by unreasonable environmental concerns."

You should click here to weigh in on the Interior Department's long-range plan for the OCS, which is inadequate. Deadline is c.o.b. today. But you should also let your representatives know while they're home these two weeks what is happening to your energy prices. Please ask why they support a policy that forbids drilling in the OCS by us but not by Fidel Castro.

[thackney]

It is crazy they way we are prevented from developing our own resources.

[weegee]

Well, now we can go one better: how do you feel about countries taping that supply while we cannot? What if it's a Communist country, living under a dictatorship?

That's just fine with the Communists in the enviromentalism movement. It's all about bashing the U.S.A.

[kittymyrib]

LOL...that's the far-sighted wisdom of Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson coming into play. They ban the US from drilling for oil within 150 mi. from Florida, but Castro will be making money off oil that Florida should be pumping. Castro is much smarter, even in his dotage, than the RINO immigrant and the clueless astronaut are. Floridians should pay a Stupid Voters Tax to the US Treasury for putting these two bozos in office and penalizing the rest of the country.

[CGASMIA68]

Sometimes I think Kruschev was right.We can be so dumb and PC will be our demise.

[poobear]

"Floridians should pay a Stupid Voters Tax to the US Treasury for putting these two bozos in office and penalizing the rest of the country."

Tax Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County. They're the culprits who put these bozos in office. The rest of us are hostages to their liberal ilk.

[Toby06]

our competitors must just look at us and shake their heads in disbelief that we won't tap our own rich reserves of natural resources, most notably with coal, in ANWR and in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

There's coal in ANWR and the OCS? I guess I need to read up on underwater coal mining procedures for that OCS coal.

[BallyBill]

Mexico and now Cuba taking oil from the Gulf. Maybe if we are real nice to them, they'll sell us the oil that we could drill ourselves.

[Dad yer funny]

[grrrr] what'dya think , ... Hugo is the one behind this scheme , no??

... I hope this gives the administration some impetus

[Russ]

We are a nation that is serious trouble and few people seem to grasp the situation. I don't remember, in my 61 years on this earth, things being so convoluted and screwed up as they are today. We can't continue on the path we are on for much longer...

[saganite]

Not only that, whatever Castro does out there will be environmentally unsound and technologically out of date. The chances of a major spill are quite a bit greater. Frankly, I think it would be pretty ironic if Miami beach were inundated with Castros oil.

[painter]

When the price of gas gets really high Katheren Harris should beat up Nelson over this.

[joe fonebone]

I thought we only recognized a 12 mile limit.......after that, i think you can do whatever you damn well please...so, why don't american companies just drill, and to hell with the envirinmental wacko's..................

[goldstategop]

Mexico is drilling offshore but we can't? I wonder what the hell is wrong with the thinking processes in this country.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie. Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[DoughtyOne]

You'll probably get some heat for your comment, but I agree with you.

[blaquebyrd]

It's not just Mel and Bill, Jeb is also against drilling off the Florida coast. They'll bitch and moan over ANWR but won't even think about drilling in their back yard.

[Toby06]

Why would Russ catch heat for that, it's spot on. The fall of the American Empire is coming quickly. I pray not in my lifetime, or that of my children, but I doubt that will be the case.

[DoughtyOne]

Because there are folks out there who haven't got a clue what is going on. They view such comments as defeatist, not realist.

[thackney]

The offshore areas of the United States are estimated to contain significant quantities of resources in yet-to-be-discovered fields. The Minerial Management System (MMS) estimates of oil and gas resources in undiscovered fields on the OCS (2003, mean estimates) total 76 billion barrels of oil and 406.1 trillion cubic feet of gas. These volumes represent about 60 percent of the oil and 41 percent of the natural gas resources estimated to be contained in remaining undiscovered fields in the United States.

http://www.mms.gov/offshore/

[johnandrhonda]

It's OK with me if Cubans can get oil from the Gulf of Mexico. Oil is a worldwide commodity--doesn't matter where/who it comes from. If more oil is supplied from any source, the price worldwide will come down.

[PleaseNoMore]

I am half your age (almost anyway) and I agree with you wholeheartedly. If I did not have my faith and hope in Christ, I would be terrified for my children's future.