The 5 year plan is for the federal offshore areas only.
Posted on 03/04/2015 5:10:06 AM PST by thackney
The administration released in late January its draft five-year plan for offshore oil and gas leasing, the game plan for what areas will be open for exploration and how they will be managed. By no small coincidence, opponents of offshore exploration are now beating the drum to close off areas to oil and gas and put the emphasis entirely on wind power.
As a country, we cannot take an either/or approach to our energy needs by picking just one source, whether it is wind or hydrocarbons. That is why the Administration’s stated goals of an “all of the above” energy strategy is the right path to energy independence.
As the draft five-year plan includes opening up parts of the East Coast to oil and gas exploration, there is one major stumbling block – we don’t know what is out there. We think the potential is enormous, but the information we have to work with is more than 30 years old, based on the limitations of the technology of the time. Those early seismic and other geophysical surveys showed fairly substantial reserves, but experts believe they don’t tell the true story. A recent analysis of the geology of the area projects it may produce the equivalent of 4.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas and more than 500 million barrels of oil a day within 20 years.
Geological and geophysical surveys (G&G), answers those questions. It is the way we determine whether there are significant pockets of oil and gas off America’s Atlantic shores, and is the safest, most environmentally sound way to tap into those resources. New technology that wasn’t invented when the last surveys were performed, will give us accurate data that will allow the country to decide what specific locations should be opened for drilling.
Again, this is where the Administration needs to truly commit to an “all of the above” energy policy. The process it has laid out to perform those seismic surveys will make it very difficult to perform the right types of surveys on an acceptable timeline.
First, the process itself is so laden with red tape and delay that acquiring a permit to perform a survey may take up to a year-and-a-half. It could become the longest part of the entire oil and gas production process. The government gave the go ahead to conduct geophysical surveys last July. Now it is time to approve the permits and get to work.
Finally, the Administration has placed excessive restrictions on how the surveys are to be performed. Regulators say these restrictions are designed to protect marine life, but they ignore the industry’s more than 40 years’ experience in working in concert with the environment and instead embrace unfounded speculation.
The plan to open up new areas of our offshore world to oil and gas exploration is very welcomed news and the Administration is to be applauded for taking that step. The decision to pursue oil and gas, while at the same time, encouraging wind and other alternative sources is wise. However, that strategy needs to include the resources and the commitment to provide us all with the best information and the best science to actually put an “all of the above” policy into practice.
Ken Wells is President of the International Association of Geophysical Contractors.
This talks a little about how the Obama Admin is giving lip service to opening the Atlantic for oil/gas explorations, while creating roadblocks to make sure it does not really happen.
Jugears dictates, he doesn't abide by anything. He's the quintessential 'my way or the highway' guy.
Remember when only communist governments had 5 year plans?
The 5 year plan for the offshore oil/gas federal waters has been used for many decades. It is a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970.
It allows oil/gas companies to see in advance what areas will come up for auction to lease and when. This is a good thing.
http://www.boem.gov/Five-Year-Program-Details/
I get it and it’s a ‘good’ thing relative to what might be, but better that the government gets out of the business of planning the economy.
You think that Federal Waters should not have a planned date for the auction of the leased areas?
No, but it should have been finished long ago. The Feds hold too much property and it’s politicized. Return it to the states.
Solar, wind, and hydro are fine, as far as they mgo, but they can’t meet our energy needs.
Nuclear energy should be part of the equation.
But we must develop our own oil and natural gas. This means fracking, drilling offshore and in ANWR, and other measures.
But that will lower the price worldwide and weaken the economies of some of our enemies — the real reason Obama so fiercely opposes it.
You believe individual Coastal States should have economic jurisdiction of the 200 mile EEZ?
No, I haven’t studied this issue at all. I was referring to federal lands. Sorry. As for this auction, my first impression is that it should have been auctioned off long ago and the right to drill/explore placed in private hands.
The 5 year plan is for the federal offshore areas only.
I was referring to federal lands.... should have been auctioned off long ago and the right to drill/explore placed in private hands.
I agree with this!
The fed collects all those royalties and the state gets none, so offshore drilling became the exception with just a few states consenting. Because, if there is an accident, the state's coastal economy takes a severe hit.
This changed with Royalty Sharing, in which the feds give part of their royalty to the state. In 2006 Congress passed GOMESA which gave royalty sharing to TX, LA, MS, and AL.
It was only after GOMESA that the Atlantic states became interested in drilling those waters, predicated on receiving the shared royalty.
This has not been totally resolved. Under GOMESA, those Gulf states could use this shared royalty only for hurricane protection and coastal protection/restoration.
I know that Virginia wants to use the shared royalty for building roads. So they will have to get support from the interior states who will oppose, unless they are given some type of financial incentive.
Oil, gas and coal are eeevil and pollute, can’t have ‘em. Nuclear is real scary, can’t have that. That leaves hydroelectric, wind and solar. Pure and simple a long as rivers run, the sun shines and the wind blows, right?
But wait...hydroelectric inconveniences the fishies; scratch that. Windmills chop up the birdies, and their whining noises scare other critters; no go. Solar collectors cook the birdies when they fly over... none of them!
Hey greenies, freeze and starve in the dark!
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