Today’s shortterm need was yesterday’s longterm opportunity. If Congress had acted on that opportunity years ago, America would not be in the energy bind it finds itself today.
Also see:
http://www.energytomorrow.com/energy/Facts_about_Non_Producing_Leases.aspx
Count on this report being featured on CNN, ABC, NBC and CBS tonight... NOT!
One of the lease areas the Democrats are squawking about is called ‘Lease 181’ in the Gulf of Mexico way off the coast of the Florida panhandle. That area became available I believe in late 2006 or early 2007. And as the article states there are many permits required to even begin looking at the area from seismic to test wells. That takes time.
Also, and this is a big factor is that it’s in deep water which requires tremendous capital investment to put up a rig. Deep water offshore rigs are in short supply right now and just about impossible to obtain.
The ANWR on the other hand can be drilled quite easily with highly available land rigs and there is much more oil in the ANWR.
It’s not “lack of understanding”
It’s “deliberate deception”
What Cavaney leaves out, is the fact that over the years, tracts are leased time and time again, more often than not are not developed, but at the same time are bringing in BILLIONS of dollars to private landowners, States and of course, our Federal Government.
Today’s shortterm need was yesterday’s longterm opportunity. If Congress had acted on that opportunity years ago, America would not be in the energy bind it finds itself today.
ping