According to estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey, overseen by the U.S. Department of Interior, there is anywhere between 1 million to 9.3 million barrels of undiscovered oil and between 1.9 trillion and 22 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in the North Cuban Basin.
Critics contend, however, that extracting oil and gas resources from Cuban waters will do little to alleviate the growing energy demand in the United States.
Craig and Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., have proposed legislation that would allow U.S. companies to participate in the exploration and extraction of hydrocarbon resources, and allow them to travel to Cuba without the mandated licenses.
Perhaps one of you more irrudite Freepers can enlighten a poor old vet as to just "how" states like California and Florida can prohibit drilling off their coasts, when, States' jurisdictional boundaries are limited to THREE MILES?
Furthermore, though President Reagan (in 1988) extended US territorial boundaries to 12 miles, how is it possible for our Feebs (or anyone else) to PROHIBIT drilling beyond those limits?
If China, Cuba or Bali, wants to drill off from Cuba, off the shores of Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico, HOW, can we legally keep them from doing so?
Cuba - extracting the oil that Americans won't extract.
We can't do business with Cuba! They're Commies fer cryin' out loud.
Florida and California are retarded. It's as simple as that. We shouldn't be blaming Cuba or China for doing something that we should be doing ourselves.
We've been drilling offshore Texas and Lousiana for 50 years. Our techniques have only improved. Even with hurricanes destroying countless platforms, you read NOTHING about oil spills.
I repeat, Florida and California are retarded.
It's insane that we aren't "allowed" to drill our own oil.