US to open 3.9m acres in Alaska for drilling

Financial Times ^ | July 16, 2008 | Sheila McNulty

[bobsunshine]

The US federal government on Wednesday said it would open 3.9m acres of land in a designated petroleum reserve in Alaska for drilling as a means to help curb rising petrol prices.

“This is welcome news at a time when Americans are paying record prices at the pump,” said C. Stephen Allred, assistant US Secretary for Land and Minerals. “Together with proposed new production from other offshore and onshore areas, these increased supplies will help to stabilise energy costs.’’

The Alaska decision follows one by President George W. Bush on Monday to lift a presidential ban on drilling on the US outer continental shelf, off Florida. That decision still requires Congress to lift a separate ban on the area before the area can be leased for development.

But the Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the US Department of the Interior, said the Alaskan land that will now be offered requires no other approvals and will be up for leasing in the autumn.

[NCC-1701]

Help me out here. Is this site near the site where drilling is proposed in ANWR? If so, why not use the offset drilling technique to tap into that pool of oil? And The Greenies and environazis would never know where the oil came from that way.

[beezdotcom]

Yes. My beeber-like device is stuned. I’m going to take a shower, so let me know when they start drilling.

I'll be happy to let you know, but I can't tell if I'm logged in.

[frankiep]

It sure is.

But it’s pronounced Sha-tan.

[Squantos]

Oh I know that ULSD thang ! I drive a Dooooge Cummins 4x4 2500. PITA !

Agreed ......EPA paper dam is holding back freedom !

[rahbert]

they get to work earlier in the UK..

[thackney]

Is this site near the site where drilling is proposed in ANWR? If so, why not use the offset drilling technique to tap into that pool of oil?

No, NPRA contains a similiar amount of but spread out over 15 times larger area.

[bobsunshine]

The Congressional ban does NOT apply to this area. The article says that the Congress must lift the ban for drilling off shore. The ban expires on September 30th and must be renewed or the ban is lifted. Don't believe the Dems will try to add an amendment to another bill to get this through. Either way, President Bush will veto the bill. Look for oil to drop, but I don't think gas will for some time due to the lag in prices.

[TeleStraightShooter]

[mware]

Oh Boy, the Ice Truckers are going to have a load of stuff to haul up north.

At least enough for another couple seasons.

[elfman2]

"The Alaska decision follows one by President George W. Bush on Monday to lift a presidential ban on drilling on the US outer continental shelf, off Florida. That decision still requires Congress to lift a separate ban on the area before the area can be leased for development."

Those are two separate issues. Offshore drilling is what requires Congressional approval. These Alaskan oil fields will be opened immediately. Also this is not Anwar. It's other Alaskan oil fields.

[bobsunshine]

I think the reason is dollars per gallon. Each yearly address by the President covered the need for alternate energy sources, new drilling, etc. But with the price of gas under $3, the public wasn't for new energy sources. Remember, everyone wanted bio-fuels. Now that gas is over $4, people are screaming for more drilling. By lifting the ban this week, that gives the Congress only 10 weeks to come up with a bill to keep “their” ban in place. Now Congress goes on vacation in August, so really they only have about 5-6 weeks. They are against the wall with the public wanting to drill and with bio-fuel having the adverse effect of raising food prices.

This area of land that the article talks about does not need either Presidential or Congressional approval.

[Scotswife]

you can be assured, that in their utmost wisdom, they shall determine what is most “fair”, and who “deserves” the rebate the most.

[netmilsmom]

>>Don’t get too excited. This is the National Petroleum Reserve-A not ANWR. ANWR is still off limits.<<

oh *sniff*

[papasmurf]

Still nothing in the news.

[Grampa Dave]

“But the Bureau of Land Management, an agency within the US Department of the Interior, said the Alaskan land that will now be offered requires no other approvals and will be up for leasing in the autumn.”

Peloshi Galore and Reid the Walking Dead will need to put some ice on after this.

Hey Peloshi Galore where is our cheaper gas that you promised?

We have to get very assertive at the gas pumps when the rats try to blame us for the high prices. Throw it right back into their Obama Volvos.

Is it a DMV requirement to have an Obama Sticker on a Volvo, old or newer models?

[Jedidah]

Good grief. Settle down. Bush has never “restricted the production of oil,” as you say.

“Until now” was referring merely to the current (i.e. 2008) mess. Bush has been trying to get the lilly-livered Congress to drill for more oil since he first took office, but the comfort of cute little caribou won the public heart.

Americans live in a bubble. Planning ahead is inconvenient, and we simply don’t do hard stuff if we can avoid it. It took the current pain at the pump to wake people up and to make it possible for Bush to take the steps he has taken in the past couple of weeks with the public behind him.

It may be convenient to blame all our woes on the President, but I’m convinced that most of our problems stem from short-sightedness and neglect over decades.

I’m talking both about terrorism and energy shortages. None of this is new, but at least we have one guy trying, against tough odds, to do something about it.

Neither problem will be solved overnight. God help us put someone in the White House who “gets it.”

[bobsunshine]

Per Google News, the NYT and Forbes has some news out today. From Forbes:

For the fifth time in a decade, the federal government will allow oil companies to bid for oil and gas leases in the sprawling National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, officials announced Wednesday.

No oil or gas production has resulted from previous lease sales. However, officials with the Bureau of Land Management touted the upcoming sale, the fifth since 1999, as an opportunity to offset high fuel costs.

“This is welcome news at a time when Americans are paying record prices at the pump,” said C. Stephen Allred, the Department of Interior's assistant secretary for land and minerals.

The government estimates that the roughly 3 million acres it plans to put up for bid this fall could yield several billion barrels of oil and a significant amount of natural gas....

[BOBTHENAILER]

Is it a DMV requirement to have an Obama Sticker on a Volvo, old or newer models?

ROFLMAO...In Denver it's a catfight between Subaru & Volvo drivers over who can have the most OBAMA stickers.

[tubebender]

the Ice Truckers are going to have a load of stuff to haul up north.

My wife's brother went up there to haul pipe for the original pipeline in the mid 70s and stayed on to haul general cargo to Prudoe Bay. We heard he "retired" last winter after he got stranded in a White Out one too many times.

[mware]

I watch that show and Deadliest Catch, all the time.

I guess no one told them about global warming.