[biff]

We aren’t even in the same ball park in this discussion.

I certainly don’t know everything about it but I can tell you this, my experiences and my families experiences in the oil and gas industry goes all the way back to the mid 30’s. My father used to make a grand a month retipping rock bits in the 30’s, enough to buy a new car every month, an enormous amount of money back then.

The oil bunch have never, ever been forward thinking nor has this country ever had a national energy policy. It has come a time we as an industry and country think about the future. Taking the typical 20th century attitude of “the hell with it we will drill more wells tomorrow if we need it” will no longer work because there are fewer and fewer places to drill that have “the stuff”.

I am not saying we should try to manipulate the supply and demand curves but I am saying we should think of ourselves and the countries future first and use what assests we have prudently.

So, do you fit into the typical baby boomer attitude of “screw it, I’ll save money for retirement tomorrow?” Or are you gonna save today for tomorrow?

Of course, we could just give it all to Obamma and the Ketchup man and let them give it away.

[familyop]

BTW, in some locales, nearly every bureaucrat and public employee is invested in every local energy company. For example, when propane prices go up, electricity prices follow. Those investments come mostly from debt, fee and tax hikes (the “feeding frenzy”) because of runaway increases in spending. Something to think about. Things have changed. The recent propane hike should have been a loud enough signal (exports, drying of ethanol crops, etc.).

Reacting with arguments does no good. Politicians are in the pockets of the few most influential constituents. The answer is to plan, design and build. Keep doing so. Anyone willing to do real work is capable.

[thackney]

I am saying we should think of ourselves and the countries future first and use what assests we have prudently.

I do not understand why you think a mineral owners assets are yours to determine what to do with?

So, do you fit into the typical baby boomer attitude of “screw it, I’ll save money for retirement tomorrow?” Or are you gonna save today for tomorrow?

You are making a false comparison. I want the jobs and the supply that come from a market that can handle booms with more than a bust in prices, destroying the supply for years to come.

I saw what the effect of the West Coast Oil Glut was in the 80s. When the price for Alaskan oil coming down to the West Coast was $3 a barrel, that market died. They didn't shut down the pipeline but they sure as heck quit investing in any more production for a long time.

Alaska North Slope First Purchase Price
http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=F005071__3&f=M

Maybe you are unaware of how the Natural Gas Drilling has already greatly tapered off.

Maybe you are hopeful the associated gas from oil production will magically meet the supply. But the reality is that is a relatively small supply.

Now drilling in the shale gas fields has been very productive.

But these are not the traditional wells of old that flow near initial rates for decades. They fall fast.

We are not going to stay significantly below the market value less the cost of transportation. That thought is foolish. Investors will not continue to invest in US Gas production. It is why we have already had such a large move away from Natural Gas drilling.