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.

[CHEE]

Mr. GOP President, what took you so long. Talk about the untimely closing of the barn door - them hosses are way gone.

[TruthFactor]

democrats DO NOT want gasoline prices to drop. They want the American people be squeezed as tight as possible. Some are environmental zealots, and want to destroy all the big, bad polluting technology. Some want to see America go down in a hard crash, because America's capitalist system is evil, and must be destroyed. Most are of both ilk.

Almost all democrats are sick, pathetic people.

[popdonnelly]

“That’s one way to piss off congress”

The more Congress is pissed off, the better it is for the country.

[Army Air Corps]

I know that the Pacific Legal Foundation has tackled litigious greenies before. It may be time to donate some cash to them to battle the envirobastards.

[thackney]

Ask how many years the permits have been held up for building the pipelines into the NPRA? They are adding to the leases already sold, will they finally approve the permits?

I was on the design team for the first Wellpad Production Facility to be built in NPRA by ConocoPhillips years ago. Construction for it is still not approved.

[DaveTesla]

“Don’t you hear the sound of a herd of green tied lawyers rushing to file a lawsuit to block the decision?”

Now you don't think the commie's are going to bring a bunch of watermelon lawyers to a fight against 250 million angry Americans do you?

My moneys on the angry Americans.

[mylife]

We have been griping for tort reform forever.

[popdonnelly]

How about a coalition of outraged gasoline consumers picking up some of the costs of litigation?

Remember, if you want energy, you first have to defeat the environmental lobby.

[Squantos]

So the pacifier from the polidiots analogy was close.......?:o)

Thanks T !

[b4its2late]

My exact thought.

[hole_n_one]

From The Dept. of the Interior..........

Office of the Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 16, 2008	Contact: Sharon Wilson or Ruth McCoard (907) 271-5555 Celia Boddington (202) 208-6913 Frank Quimby (202) 208-7291
Record of Decision Sets Stage for Major Lease Sale in National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a Record of Decision issued today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it will make land available for oil and gas leasing in the northeast portion of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). “This action sets the stage for a major lease sale this fall. This is welcome news at a time when Americans are paying record prices at the pump,” said C. Stephen Allred, Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals, in signing the ROD. At the same lease sale, the BLM also plans to offer land in the northwest portion of the NPR-A. “The rapid increase in energy costs facing our nation is driven by a worldwide imbalance in energy supply and demand,” Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne said. “Developing the NPR-A in an environmentally sound manner will contribute to our domestic oil and natural gas supplies. Together with proposed new production from other offshore and onshore areas, these increased supplies will help to stabilize energy costs.” The lands made available for leasing under plans for NPR-A northeast and northwest could result in a much as 8.4 billion barrels of oil being developed. The lands could also provide trillions of cubic feet of natural gas for shipment to North American markets through gas pipelines currently in the planning stages. “This decision provides for the protection of high value wildlife, including waterfowl and caribou, and meets the subsistence needs of North Slope residents while making lands with oil and gas potential available for leasing," said BLM-Alaska State Director Tom Lonnie. The plan includes protections for the polar bear, including requirements to consider impacts on areas used by polar bears for denning. Additionally, with the listing of the polar bear the agency will continue to work closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on future oil and gas activities. According to the Record of Decision, the BLM defers leasing for 10 years on land currently unavailable for leasing north and east of Teshekpuk Lake. The Record of Decision for the Northeast NPR-A Final Supplemental Plan can be reached through a link on BLM-Alaska’s home page at www.blm.gov/ak. The BLM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages more land — 258 million surface acres than any other Federal agency. Most of this public land is in 12 Western states, including 80.8 million surface acres in Alaska. The Bureau also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on the public lands.

[SMCC1]

Well, this poses a problem for the liberal MSM. Do they report it, at the same time oil prices are dropping thereby verifying that increased supply will indeed have an effect on prices? That of course totally negates the Democrats/Obama bogus argument that we “can’t drill our way out of this.”
...Or they could spin it and say...”Oh well, look we opened this land up. Prices will go down. Problem solved. No need to drill offshore and hurt the seahorsies or open ANWR and kill the caribou now. Issue closed.”

[OldNavyVet]

I want the ANWR project authorization carved in stone before the election.

There is no way in hell we can trust Congress after the election.

[Army Air Corps]

I am game. Maybe the lawyers on FR can tell us whether we can file a class action suit against the greenies. Interference of commerce and all that. I would love to see citizens sue the living $#@* out of the buggers.

[Right Wing Assault]

Is that 3.9 Million, or 3.9 milli acres? Little “M” usually means milli, as in 1/1000.

Yeah, I too wondered why they were using 'm'.

[TigerLikesRooster]

The start of GOP’s major political offensive in the election year?

[ken21]

yeah, some people enjoy pain and things not going well.

i have a democrat tv-viewer friend who delights in disasters.

she fears everything.

[samiam1972]

WOW! Okay, so I’m not going to hold my breath for the price at the pump to drop but it sure is encouraging!!

[Dog Gone]

All these lands were previously authorized to be leased to oil companies.

This is good news, but it's not anything representing a reversal of former policy.

But there's no reason why this couldn't be as big as opening ANWR, either. The drillbit will tell us.