Posted on 07/05/2008 5:32:11 AM PDT by kellynla
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Oil companies once viewed drilling in the deep waters off Florida as cost prohibitive. Politicians feared even the slightest sign of support would be career suicide.
No more. Record crude oil prices are fueling support for oil and natural gas exploration off the nation's shores. In Florida, movement was underway even before President Bush called on Congress last month to lift a federal moratorium that's barred new offshore drilling since 1981.
The early activity here stems from a 2006 Congressional compromise that allows drilling on 8.3 million acres more than 125 miles off the Panhandle _ an area that had been covered by the moratorium, which was enacted out of environmental concerns. In exchange, the state got a no-drilling buffer along the rest of its beaches.
Florida may turn out to be a prelude for other coastal states. If oil or natural gas deposits are found in the newly opened region, experts say it could further the push to explore other once-protected areas everywhere. It also could be a rallying point for critics, who say the new exploration isn't a license to expand exploration.
With gas topping $4 a gallon, recent polls show Americans, Floridians included, more supportive of drilling in protected areas. Some politicians _ including Gov. Charlie Crist _ have switched sides.
"We think the public is way out ahead of the politicians on these issues. People are more open to (offshore drilling) now," said Tom Moskitis, spokesman for the American Gas Association, a trade group.
At the same time, oil companies, driven by the record energy price, are more willing to risk $100 million or more to begin exploring new regions.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
ping
About 30 years too late, but never late than never.
DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW!
125 miles off shore, it won’t spoil the view, folks and the fishing will be GREAT.
We need to do three things right now:
1) Drill.
2) And drill.
3) Then drill some more!
“The early activity here stems from a 2006 Congressional compromise that allows drilling on 8.3 million acres more than 125 miles off the Panhandle _ an area that had been covered by the moratorium, which was enacted out of environmental concerns. In exchange, the state got a no-drilling buffer along the rest of its beaches.”
Still not a single new acre opened for drilling, just companies gearing up to explore the area removed from the moratorium in 2006.
Time for our esteemed politicians to get off their rear ends and open some NEW areas for drilling, like all our coastal areas and ANWR.
Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006
Opens 2 million acres March 2007
Opens 0.5 million acres March 2008
Opens 5.8 million acres March 2009
Redirects a portion of the royalties to TX, LA, MS, and AL
How about horizontal drilling; can we go out there and drill back to the forbidden area?
They have already begun drilling the first well in this lease area known as Area 181. Bush auctioned the first leases in this area in Dec 2001. But, it got held up in Congress.
I’m all for the drilling, but I have a question. They’re drilling 125 miles from the Panhandle which is at the upper part of the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is about 400 miles long. So how many miles is the drilling offshore of the west of Florida? Not that it matters, but I’m curious.
“How about horizontal drilling; can we go out there and drill back to the forbidden area?”
I don’t know. Maybe someone more knowledgeable about such details is around.
“I’m all for the drilling, but I have a question. They’re drilling 125 miles from the Panhandle which is at the upper part of the Gulf of Mexico. Florida is about 400 miles long. So how many miles is the drilling offshore of the west of Florida? Not that it matters, but I’m curious.”
You’ll have to ask “thackney” who is our resident oil expert. :-}
12.5 miles off shore won't spoil the view either. There are rigs off the Mississippi beach that are "barely" visible on a good clear day---I think they're closer than 10 miles to the shore. I can't say that the tiny glow of light at night "spoils the view". Now, windmills---THOSE are eyesores (at least the ones in California that I've driven past).
That green area in the map, which was known as the "stove pipe" in the Clinton-Chiles map was excluded.
I have seen the windmills in west Texas and they are hideous. Floridians have been convinced that drilling off shore will destroy their tourism but what if the tourist can’t afford to come there anymore? I wasn’t kidding about the fishing. Fishing around oil platforms is great.
You have to have a structure to drill and produce from. If the water is deep enough, 300 feet or so, you can have subsea trees or wet trees and drill from a floater. If the water is shallow you have to have dry trees or trees sitting on a structure.
Horizontal drilling means your wells are horizontal. You kick off, and drill through the reservoir horizontally. It is done alot in the north sea, where the tvd is relatively shallow, but not in the gulf where the tvd is high. But you still have to have a structure to produce to. Max. distance in a horizontal well currently is 30,000 feet. That is approx 5.5 miles so to drill offshore to reservoirs from land probably wouldnt be possible.
What people in Florida fear is a discharge on the beaches like the Exxon Valdez. Discharges happen, but it is usually mud.
“Floridians have been convinced that drilling off shore will destroy their tourism but what if the tourist can’t afford to come there anymore?”
Floridians need to grow up on this issue. There are few places to drill that won’t pose some small threat to someone. But there is probably no non-essential activity in the US that consumes more gasoline than RVs, motor homes, giant pickups pulling travel trailers and boats, etc., headed to Florida for vacation from all over the eastern US.
Florida’s tourism industry requires enormous amounts of gasoline for the tourists to get there, so that state needs to stop whining and make it’s contribution to the nation’s energy needs, or maybe we need to restrict all those gas guzzling vacation vehicles in the name of conservation.
I'm originally from Louisiana, so I know about the "artificial reef" effect of oil rigs. The fishies love'em.
.....heh,heh....the pols are are running to embrace drilling...they know the voters are angry.
....I went up to our little country P.O. this morning to mail a package...the talk up there was all about $4.00 gas...folks are mad and they are scared....our county is rural and the fear is that people will have to move to the city to be near the jobs...this separates extended families and hurts younger workers who often rely on grandparents close by for day care....I know that 5 acres and a double wide is looked down upon by liberal elites, but it’s a lot better than living in a loud, crowded apartment building in the city.
The longest journey starts with a single step. In our current situation we had better start a full out run.
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