Taking heat on the campaign trail over fossil fuel production on federal lands, the Interior Department today announced an oil and gas lease sale that will offer more than 20 million acres off the coast of Texas and will make available all unleased areas in the Western Gulf of Mexico Planning Area.
The sale will be held Nov. 28 in New Orleans.
“The President’s commitment to a comprehensive, all-of-the-above energy strategy is creating jobs here at home while reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar. “Exploration and development of our Western Gulf’s vital energy resources will continue to help power our nation and drive our economy.”
This will be the first offshore sale under the Administration’s new Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2012–2017, a five-year program that’s come under criticism from Republicans.
Gulf Coast Sens. David Vitter (R-La.) and Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) fought back this summer with a bill, which got stuck in committee, to repeal and replace with a 5-year plan “more in line with the energy and economic needs of the United States.”
“Obama’s five-year lease plan for offshore production is only half of what the previous plan was – moving us in the complete wrong direction of where our energy production should be headed,” Vitter said. “The fall-off from the leasing and permitting actions of the Obama administration is very significant, and it’s projected to get even worse.”
“This sale is part of the regionally tailored approach that we are taking under the Five Year Program,” said Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Tommy P. Beaudreau. “We are committed to promoting the safe development of the Nation’s vital offshore oil and gas resources while also safeguarding the marine and coastal environments.”
UPDATE: House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) charged that the administration is desperately trying to pretend it supports increased oil and gas production.
“With only two weeks until the national election, President Obama is recycling his failed energy policies by announcing an offshore lease sale for the same areas that the Administration held a sale for last December. Meanwhile, at a time when increased offshore energy production in new areas could create thousands of jobs, President Obama is keeping 85 percent of America’s offshore under lock and key,” said Hastings.
“President Obama has spent the last four years constructing American energy roadblocks and his five year moratorium on 85 percent of America’s offshore energy resources is just another example of how his efforts are making America more dependent on foreign energy. With 23 million Americans looking for work, President Obama is still using his same failed energy policies that haven’t helped create jobs, grow the economy or make America more energy secure.”
From Sen. Vitter: “There is no disputing the fact that our nation’s domestic energy production on federal lands is far lower than it was before this administration took office, yet they continue to manipulate the data. Energy production on federal property is a process that requires leasing, permitting, exploring, more permitting, and then hopefully production. The federal government can cripple any one of these stages, and this administration has made it their standard to stymie the process.”
That’s mighty generous of Obama. Note the sale will be held on November 28. Checking my calendar, I notice that’s AFTER the election. So, assuming Obama gets another term (which I seriously doubt) he can order his marxist buddy, Salazar, to renege on the “promise”. Or drag their feet so much it’ll be after 2016 before anything happens. Either way, this is all bullsh*t. Oh wait, Obama said Romney does that. The “proposed” sale, then, is a another lie.
Yeah I noticed that too – I would expect it to be cancelled after the election for some reason (i.e. “postponed” with a new date never set). Either due to pressure from the Green lobby (with Saudi funds) or out of petty punishment against those “racists” who didn’t re-elect him.
This lying snake, poor excuse for a human being will say anything to hold onto the reins of power. Of course, everything he says has to be taken as the uttering of a pathological liar and narcissist. I cannot think of another dishonest politician who lies as well, and there is enough of a long list to cull from.
Not unlike Islamists, leftist revolutionaries are schooled in lying, and this is why they are incapable of telling the truth. It is part of their ideology, and then becomes part of their character.
As such – http://adinakutnicki.com/2012/10/13/the-liar-in-chief-his-many-tall-tells-end-game-purposefully-tearing-the-u-s-from-its-constitutional-roots-commentary-by-adina-kutnicki/
Besides, only those who WANT to be fooled will be.
The plan will be to go through with the sale then regulate it to the point that nothing gets done. Gotta prevent those accidents don’t you know!
This is good news, right?
I would be a little concerned to whom the one ( if re-elected ) will sell it to.
China, Venezuela, Russia, Brazil, Egypt….
It’s supposed to be a competitive bid, but I could see any of those countries using proxies to (high) bid for leases. It would also not surprise me to see the sale postponed if Obama wins.
Let’s take a look in this horse’s mouth and see if it has any teeth.
Five Year Plan?
Where have we heard THAT before?
+1
5-years plan is pure Communist planned economy talk
Martin,I noticed that too. Five-Year Program sounds suspiciously like Five-Year Plan. Added to “Forward!” and “fair share” you have to wonder how they think we won’t realize what they’re really up to.
Leasing and permitting are just for show. They finally gave in and gave Shell the go-ahead to explore some VERY promising prospects off Arctic Alaska. Then they threw up every regulatory roadblock they could come up with and so delayed Shell’s start that they got in only a couple of days of drilling this year before the ice became too dangerous. If they win, they’ll just cancell it all.
Well…how about that.
I work in the offshore Oil Patch, and my, but how two years and one Presidential debate make a difference…from the Obamatorium,(where we found out who’s ass Obama ended putting his boot in…it WASN’T Broken Pipes), to drill baby drill.
I do note that these parcels are all still in the Western Gulf, which means that the economic development and benefits will accrue mostly to Texas and Louisiana, (too bad that neither state is going to vote for Obama), and leaves the Eastern Gulf off limits, which means that Alabama and Florida won’t see as much “love” as they might if their offshore was opened.
Of course, Alabama and Gulf Coast Florida were never going to vote for Obama either.
Better brush up the resume…it’ll be “hiring time” again!
Published October 10, 2012, Application for ND oil refinery approved, would be first built in US in 30 years. NEW TOWN, N.D. – Plans for an oil refinery on the Fort Berthold Reservation, the first major refinery to be built in the United States in more than 30 years, cleared a milestone Wednesday. By: Amy Dalrymple, INFORUM
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/376913/
Hydraulic Fracturing of Oil & Gas Wells Drilled in Shale. Hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have turned unproductive shales into the largest natural gas fields in the World.
How Long Has Hydraulic Fracturing Been Used?
The first use of hydraulic fracturing to stimulate oil and natural gas wells in the United States was in the 1940s. The method successfully increased well production rates and the practice quickly spread. It is now used throughout the world in thousands of wells every year.
What is Hydraulic Fracturing?
http://geology.com/articles/hydraulic-fracturing/
Great reply. I recall reading about this or a similar process back in the 1980s, when I was more heavily involved in local PA politics. Libs tend to not believe fracking has been around for decades. I’m bookmarking your link!
Well ….. who’d a thought it.
A Five Year Plan. Greetings from Comrades Lenin, Brezhnev, and ……. O’bama. “Two of ‘em are dead”, you say?! Yes, but they’re voting!
Go President Romney!
I don’t see any big issue here. The Bush Administration offered a similar amount of acreage for lease in the Gulf back in 2008 and there were no takers.
The devil is in the details. Provide them or STFU. Politicians and their mindless supporters have a modus operandi of comparing A and B where only the first level meta descriptions are similar. It turns out in most cases that A is feces when B is chocolate fudge. One can be transformed into the other, however the odor presents a detail that cannot be ignored. Comparing what obummer-idiot says or does with any other human being is futile.
And your point is……………
The point? He said you are comparing two things with a multitude of differences that are only superficially alike. He is saying that your post is a hollowed-out turd.
Then I can assume that neither you nor Joe Normal know much about the leasing process or energy development in general.
Well, if you have a checkmate in mind then go for it. Don’t let me stop you. Please, do explain how the leasing process of oil lands has any benefit for the inane attempt to compare Obama, who has been resolved agsinst oil energy production from the start, and who is trying to push oil production now as an obviously pathetic, hypocritical, and smarmy attempt to keep Independents from jumping ship, with Bush.
Refresh my memory, please:
– Was President Bush running for a third term in the White House?
– Was the Bush Administration anti-domestic-petroleum exploitation or refining?
– Had the Bush Administration flagrantly defied a series of court orders to resume the permitting process for offshore oil exploration and exploitation?
I’d say those are rather significant differences between then and now.
I’d say that your points have borderline relevancy and there are not significant differences between 2008 & now. The moratorium in the Gulf made sense considering the scope of the BP disaster and its impact on other economic activities in the region. As for energy development in general, the US is again a net exporter of petroleum products for the first time since 1962. Thanks to fracking & other new technology, we have a glut of natural gas, with wells being capped, and production of oil is now up over 10 million barrels per day. This has all occurred in the current national Administration.
Your facts may be accurate but, please consider that virtually, if not all, the increased production has happened on PRIVATE PROPERTY. Production on federal lands has declined significantly since Jan 2009. Of course, I have never had a taste for kool aid.
Oh yeah, oil production is up..ON PRIVATE LAND… In fact so don’t pat him on the back..he does not deserve it.
Call me cynical, but assuming Obammer loses the election I would prefer this sale take place in mid- to late-January 2013.
Even if Romney wins next month, I’d STILL prefer the sale date be delayed until a new administration takes office in 2013.
I base this preference on having watched how literally billions of dollars of treasury were spent as “stimulus” only to later realize that it was nothing more than a slush fund for his political allies.
I could see this being handled very similarly by the Obamazombies….
Sorry, barry. Too late. This clown really does think we are stupid. If he were to tell me the sun will rise in the east tomorrow, I would not believe him.
Such largesse with the US territory from the guy who has an entire army fighting on His behalf.
Any beltway watchers here seeing evidence of Obama political appointees burrowing into civil service jobs yet? I’ve been surprised at how quiet it seems to be on that front.
Haha. If you vote Romney the 20 million acres will be opened up AND you don’t have to vote Obama. This guy doesn’t know how to cut a deal.
things are coming apart for the kenyan.
1. polls say he is losing badly to romney
2. cheap gas in swing states? guess who will pick up that slack. like obamacare & the la. purchase. steal here, pay it out there.
3. delaying the announcement of over 120k lockheed workers layoffs and promising that we will pay lockheed’s penalties for keeping quiet (breaking the law, again) until after the election. 10′s of billion$ it will cost taxpayers.
4. (naacp) bringing in u.n. progressive (on our dime) observers to try to obscure our results. probably trying to find a ‘legal’ option once he loses.
wonder what horrific law breaking we will discover once he is gone?
these slackers will do anything to keep the handouts coming in.
Pathetic. If anyone falls for this I feel sorry for them. Romney will open up drilling all over, not just where he needs votes.
It’s always the same modus operandi with Obama– make a great show and pretense of doing something the people want, while in substance doing nothing.
He uses that tactic in energy acquisition. And he used the same tactic in retaliating for the atrocities committed against our embassy personnel — he’ll arrest the varmints and bring them to justice.
We all know who the bullshi**er is in this election.
.
How can any single person (even the president of the US) be allowed to control (give rights to) the development of energy that belongs to the people? Can any congressman or member of the Supreme Court explain it? Is it time for the masses to rise up and clean up the definition of powers too long abused by one branch? Five hundred or so elected officials paid to do what? Where is the outrage? Does it take four years to oust an employee who isn’t qualified, doesn’t
even pretend to work, and steals taxpayers’ money to pay for expensive vacations never earned? I am disgusted.
Ahhh….. The voice of common sense…….
Excellent….
Oh, wonder by the way who is paying for the “retirement” home in Hawaii that Michelles momma is bragging about..Saw it on the internet, Maui…wow…wonder if the dog gets to go. Guess no one is moving back to Chicago..Just curious.
Another October/November surprise from our disingenuous divider in chief. Disgusting, unethical and immoral.
I assume they will refuse this offer. He would rip it out of their hands right after the election. Rattlesnake, Obama.
Obama has none of the admirable qualities of a rattlesnake, namely tenacity. He is more justly compared to a jellyfish, spineless.
No matter what Obama says or does or “promises,” he has no intention of opening up new oil fields, or of increasing supplies of petroleum in this country; note the refusal of the Keystone pipeline. Absolutely minimal disturbance of the “Environment” or the “Ecology.” Additional trade with a long-time friend of the U.S. Probable shipment of the Canadian oil to CHINA, an adversary and probable enemy of the U.S. Two new oil fields are in Alaska, the Arctic off-shore field will forfeit to Russia if we don’t develop it—another adversary. And Obama did say, on the sly, to Medvedev, that he would have more “flexibility” when he won reelection…….
Wait, Obama is saying, “Drill, baby, drill?”
HUH??!!!