[K-oneTexas]

I do not remember the US Congress passing the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which contains this 200 mile limit (exclusive economic zone - EEZ). When did that happen? I thought the bill was still in Congress however not acted upon as yet.

In the Gulf of Mexico I would think many countries would be tripping over each others 200 mile limit. I just don’t see mutual friends in nations battle for exploration rights of the sea bead (for oil/ng) in this EEZ. If it is the in the EEZ why would we allow a British company to drill rather than a US company? Doesn’t make real economic sense, except for an Administration that opposes drilling (for American companies on American territory).

[thackney]

We still us the 200 mile limit.

Treaties and Conventions to which USA (contiguous states) (USA) is a Member
http://fishbase.org/Country/CountryTreatyList.php?Country=840

[thackney]

Also see:

The Federal Government administers the submerged lands, subsoil, and seabed, lying between the seaward extent of the States’ jurisdiction and the seaward extent of Federal jurisdiction.

http://www.mms.gov/aboutmms/ocsdef.htm

Federal jurisdiction is defined under accepted principles of international law. The seaward limit is defined as the farthest of 200 nautical miles seaward of the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured or, if the continental shelf can be shown to exceed 200 nautical miles, a distance not greater than a line 100 nautical miles from the 2,500-meter isobath or a line 350 nautical miles from the baseline.

Outer Continental Shelf limits greater than 200 nautical miles but less than either the 2,500 meter isobath plus 100 nautical miles or 350 nautical miles are defined by a line 60 nautical miles seaward of the foot of the continental slope or by a line seaward of the foot of the continental slope connecting points where the sediment thickness divided by the distance to the foot of the slope equals 0.01, whichever is farthest.

[thackney]

BP and their partners bought the rights to this lease at the federal auction. BP is the largest oil and gas producer in the US Gulf of Mexico.

BP is also the largest oil producer in all of the US.