Offshore drilling hits record high under Obama

[Schadenfroh]

Offshore oil production in The Gulf of Mexico, that is...

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/03/president_obama_says_gulf_oil.html

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama said Friday that oil production out of the Gulf of Mexico is at a record high
...
Obama said that in search of adequate supplies, "first we need to continue to boost domestic production of oil and gas."
...
the president, who noted that his administration had "approved more than 35 new offshore drilling permits" since the Deepwater Horizon disaster
...
The president also said the administration was pressing oil companies to move ahead on drilling on idle leases that are going "undeveloped."

I applaud Obama for voicing that we need a holistic approach to dealing with energy dependence problems. In the short term, we should drill, but in the long run, we do need to focus on reducing dependence on fossil fuel and focus efforts on alternative means to power our trains, ships, trucks and automobiles. Being energy independent would allow us to have a huge advantage over many developed nations.

It is obvious that every little drop of domestic production helps, when Libya, which produces less than 2% of the world's oil supply, can cause speculators to hike the price of oil sky high. Take it, some of that is fear that the unrest will spread to Saudi Arabia.

If only battery technology was a bit more advanced and cheaper...

Would be nice to see a world where one could plug in your car and charge it at night from a grid powered by hydroelectric dams and nuclear power plants, having the trains / cable-cars get their power from said grid and large container ships being powered by small nuclear reactors like naval vessels (although the Somali pirates might have something to say about this).

 

[Doc Savage Fan]

Drill baby drill!

Now we need to get nuclear going.

 

[Fear No Evil]

So Obama is adopting Sarah Palin's energy policy? Maybe we should just eliminate the middle man and put her in charge..

 

[boomerang]

So Obama is adopting Sarah Palin's energy policy? Maybe we should just eliminate the middle man and put her in charge..

Patience, patience...

 

[Patranus]

LOL

 

[werepossum]

That's weird, just heard last week on the radio that the first new permit since the BP spill had been approved. Maybe they meant deep water?

In any case, permits /= drilling.

 

[ElFenix]

That's weird, just heard last week on the radio that the first new permit since the BP spill had been approved. Maybe they meant deep water?

In any case, permits /= drilling.

yes, first new deep water was last week or so.

 

[wuliheron]

Whether you agree with him or not the man's obviously an empiricist rather then just another ideologue. It's nice to someone is actually at the helm rather then going on autopilot.

 

[PeshakJang]

LIE

Obama said that last year America's domestic oil production "reached its highest level since 2003," and that "for the first time in more than a decade, imported oil accounts for less than half" of what the nation consumes.

http://www.api.org/Newsroom/upload/February_11_Petroleum_Facts_at_Glance.pdf

"Total imports in January 2011 as a percentage of total domestic petroleum deliveries:
61.7 percent (January 2010: 60.6 percent)."

Also:

http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&s=MCRFPUS1&f=M

Saying that we are at levels not seen since 2003 while ignoring the larger trend is pretty disingenuous. Similar to his habit of claiming record high deportations while ignoring a year or two that would invalidate the statement.

 

[Red Dawn]

So Obama is adopting Sarah Palin's energy policy? Maybe we should just eliminate the middle man and put her in charge..

She doesn't have a policy, she just has slogans given to her by speech writers. Hell she makes ole GW look like an A student.

 

[Zstream]

Well you know that it takes around 5 years at minimum to change oil production? I don't see how Obama had anything to do with creating oil. In fact, the past year he has stopped it. It will get worse in 4-5 years time.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It is obvious that every little drop of domestic production helps, when Libya, which produces less than 2% of the world's oil supply, can cause speculators to hike the price of oil sky high. Take it, some of that is fear that the unrest will spread to Saudi Arabia.

I think you are misunderstanding what's happening in the market. It isn't that 2% is involved but that there is instability. That would exist even if we contributed the quarter to 1/2 of what Libya does. None of the oil being drilled is "American". It's going to be put on the market and there won't be any positive effect unless we're talking cents on a bbl.

While I'm not opposed to drilling, it's net effect is to stall a transition to other forms of energy. That happened when Ron R. killed Carters energy programs. If we had stuck with Jimmies program all those decades ago we would be saying "Oil? People still burn that?"

Instead we'll play lip service and put our head back into the sand for energy independence.

 

[Red Dawn]

I think you are misunderstanding what's happening in the market. It isn't that 2% is involved but that there is instability. That would exist even if we contributed the quarter to 1/2 of what Libya does. None of the oil being drilled is "American". It's going to be put on the market and there won't be any positive effect unless we're talking cents on a bbl.

While I'm not opposed to drilling, it's net effect is to stall a transition to other forms of energy. That happened when Ron R. killed Carters energy programs. If we had stuck with Jimmies program all those decades ago we would be saying "Oil? People still burn that?"

Instead we'll play lip service and put our head back into the sand for energy independence.

How dare you say Raygun did something that was harmful to this country, he's the greatest President of our times, or at least the Wingnuts would want you to believe that.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

How dare you say Raygun did something that was harmful to this country, he's the greatest President of our times, or at least the Wingnuts would want you to believe that.

I'm a hard sell

 

[Throckmorton]

I think you are misunderstanding what's happening in the market. It isn't that 2% is involved but that there is instability. That would exist even if we contributed the quarter to 1/2 of what Libya does. None of the oil being drilled is "American". It's going to be put on the market and there won't be any positive effect unless we're talking cents on a bbl.

While I'm not opposed to drilling, it's net effect is to stall a transition to other forms of energy. That happened when Ron R. killed Carters energy programs. If we had stuck with Jimmies program all those decades ago we would be saying "Oil? People still burn that?"

Instead we'll play lip service and put our head back into the sand for energy independence.

Did I wake up this morning in some parallel dimension?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Did I wake up this morning in some parallel dimension?

Well it would be hard to say one way or another.

What you've quoted has always been my take on our energy non policy. Use the search feature..

 

[Fern]

Well you know that it takes around 5 years at minimum to change oil production? I don't see how Obama had anything to do with creating oil. In fact, the past year he has stopped it. It will get worse in 4-5 years time.

Yeah, thinking the same thing.

Fern

 

[CycloWizard]

She doesn't have a policy, she just has slogans given to her by speech writers. Hell she makes ole GW look like a A student.

QFP.

 

[charrison]

And now for the side of story he neglected to mention

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/565809/201103111903/Running-Empty.htm

Trying to assuage the public, he noted that U.S. energy production has increased on his watch. But industry sources say that's mainly due to leases issued years ago.

Meanwhile, oil production on federal land and waters is 16% less than what was projected four years ago, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Of course, the president made no mention of production shutdowns in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. And don't even ask about Alaska, where Obama revoked permits for offshore leases already issued.

As a result, Gulf of Mexico production will fall by 15% this year and 26% in 2012 from the peak in 2010, according to the Energy Information Agency.

 

[PeshakJang]

And now for the side of story he neglected to mention

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/565809/201103111903/Running-Empty.htm

Can this president open his mouth without spouting a lie that can be disproved in 5 minutes on the internet?

 

[wuliheron]

Can this president open his mouth without spouting a lie that can be disproved in 5 minutes on the internet?

He's a politician, what do you expect? They're all millionaire lawyers these days taking billions from the wealthy, corporations, and special interest groups. You might as well ask if a bear shits in the woods.

 

[PeshakJang]

He's a politician, what do you expect? They're all millionaire lawyers these days taking billions from the wealthy, corporations, and special interest groups. You might as well ask if a bear shits in the woods.

In the past it used to be that a politician wouldn't outright lie... they'd just say something in a way that, while not exactly true, was not exactly a lie either.

This guy gets on TV and says that the sun is blue, and that it's because of him.

 

[Schadenfroh]

Some more progress being made this week.

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/67...pproved-fight-over-offshore-drilling-heats-up

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) this week issued three Gulf deepwater drilling permits for the kind of projects that were halted after last year’s Gulf oil spill

Three more deepwater drilling permits issued this week, sounds like more on the way.

Pressure is building regarding increasing the pace of drilling in already approved areas. They are even considering fining them if they do not drill.

Democrats in Congress are also hoping to put pressure on companies to tap unused oil and gas leases on public lands.
...
President Obama has said he supports such a proposal. In fact, his fiscal year 2012 budget request calls for "establishing fees for new non-producing oil-and-gas leases (both onshore and offshore) to encourage more timely production."

Seems Obama has also stepped up efforts to reduce international demand by helping to make Brazil more energy independent, by giving their state oil companies US loans.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/24/obamas-overseas-oil/

Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, received approval for at least $2 billion in U.S. government-backed loans. The money will go toward the purchase of advanced U.S. equipment that will further boost Brazil’s energy independence.

 

[_GTech]

Electric is the only real current solution, I'll be glad when everyone jumps on that band wagon, really... Car Pooling in an electric car is much more green than oil and definitely underrated.

Even China realizes at their current pace they will be just like America soon enough for consumption of Oil... They are now developing some kind of nuclear salt power plants which are reportedly more efficient and safer than current nuclear plants.

They rolled out this super train & actually built an entire Hotel in just one day, it looks like they are leading the race to go green in a huge way...

==========================

Here is a provocative thought...

What will happen to all those oil rich countries when they have no more bargaining chips with oil because America has gone electric?

Now that's food for thought...

===========================

Till the future is here I won't be skeptical or cynical of my Country, I'm sure they are thinking far into the future, it's clear to me they are creating those reserves for other reasons, like when they pass bills to mandate electric or something to that effect...

 

[Redfraggle]

Political spin will always be a part of any speech by a public figure. Saying something that people want (more domestic drilling) increased on your watch does not equate claiming it was because of you. The statement is true and helps to give the public warm fuzzies about him. It meant to do that, because most Americans do not read widely and deeply enough to even know there are two sides.

Also, no amount of domestic drilling is going to eliminate the fact that what we really need to be doing is pursuing a worthy replacement.