[YellowRoseofTx]

Most oil is drilled for by the government or on government leased lands.

What? Where did you get this information? My husband has worked in the oil fields for years all over the U.S. and none of them have been government owned or leased lands, and the government does not do the drilling.

[thackney]

Unfortunately, most oil is not produced in the US. We only produce about 6% of the total.

[Graycliff]

Yep! I know of no government owned or operated drilling rig.

[Dr. Sivana]

Most oil is drilled for by the government or on government leased lands.

What? Where did you get this information? My husband has worked in the oil fields for years all over the U.S. and none of them have been government owned or leased lands, and the government does not do the drilling.

I was referring to the Middle East, Venezuela, etc.

I was shocked when I found out that when you "own" land in Canada, the GOVERNMENT retains mineral rights. I know someone in Alberta who owns a quarter section. Oil was thought to be in the quarter-section. The government sells a license to an oil company to go get it. The LAND OWNER does NOT get a cut. Oh, they'll pay him a fee for the right to put a rig there, and any improvements to the land (e.g. bridges) stay with the land when the oil is done, but the compensation is roughly equivalent to the property taxes on the land (big whoop). I asked him what would happen if he told them it wasn't worth it. He told me that they would just go on an adajacent piece of land and grab the oil out from under him.

Jed Clampett could never happen in Canada.