The Gas Prices We Deserve

I know I'm quickly becoming the forum's tiresome energy bore. But here is a must-read from George Will on the astounding hypocrisy and shortsightedness being displayed by Congress, even by that august body's comically low standards.

One million barrels is what might today be flowing from ANWR if in 1995 President Bill Clinton had not vetoed legislation to permit drilling there. One million barrels produce 27 million gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel. Seventy-two of today's senators -- including Schumer, of course, and 38 other Democrats, including Barack Obama, and 33 Republicans, including John McCain -- have voted to keep ANWR's estimated 10.4 billion barrels of oil off the market.

Also disqualified from complaining are all voters who sent to Washington senators and representatives who have voted to keep ANWR's oil in the ground and who voted to put 85 percent of America's offshore territory off-limits to drilling. The U.S. Minerals Management Service says that restricted area contains perhaps 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas -- 10 times as much oil and 20 times as much natural gas as Americans use in a year.

Drilling is underway 60 miles off Florida. The drilling is being done by China, in cooperation with Cuba, which is drilling closer to South Florida than U.S. companies are.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/04/AR2008060403052.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

It's anything but a bore Randall. The reason you don't hear much is because the talking heads from the other side can not counter your logic and reason.

You're not boring us, Randall. I think it's terrific we have a member so dedicated to such an important issue.

Randall,

(Baby's not out yet).

You hear no responses because you are so correct (if I may parrot Aaron and Stephanie). The public needs to get educated and that right soon. 5 bucks a gallon may make for better "students" of the issue.

When George Will gets a righteous groove going, there's none better. I think China's presence in the strait of Cuba is a potentially good thing. They get a Kyoto pass and come in and drill our oil...

Why do those babies insist on waiting until the last possible moment?

Well Randall I partly (maybe mostly agree).

A lot more domestic production is warranted (and like I posted elsewhere is imminent. It takes awhile to get the leases signed and get geared up, etc.)

I just don't see ANWR playing a big part.

There is a lot more potential and production is a lot more practical here in the lower 48.

As Randall did such a fine job explaining why we should be drilling in ANWR, perhaps you can explain why you feel we shoudln't be.

Well as I understand (and Randalls figures seem to verify) potential production there is not as huge as many contend.

The lag time to production would be much longer.

And there is no distribution system to handle it.

As I understand, much of the current north slope production is sent to Japan.

So why risk destruction of a sensitive area like that when it is much more practical and production could be online quicker by concentrating production in the lower 48?

Like WV?

WV doesn't have the proven reserves ANWR does.

Well I did not say wv has the reserves ANWR does.

I do not know if we do or not.

That is irrelevant in any case.

How is it not relevant?

Well because I was referring to the lower 48.

Of which wv is only a part.

You seem to want to compare ANWR to only WV, but WV is only a part of the lower 48.

The proposed development area of ANWR is about 2000 acres.

You’re right Sherm. It's not fair to compare such a small area with 17 billion barrels of oil and 34 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to WV's 25 million barrels of oil and 4 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Thank you Aaron. Many posters on here will not acknowledge when they make a mistake.

So I appreciate that.

So when are you?

Below is a map of the proposed development area. If we can get as much as 30% of the oil out of one small area with our energy crisis, why are we setting on our hands doing nothing?

You say you want out of Iraq. I say horse manure Sherm. To me, anyone that wants out of Iraq knows the only way that happens is if we become energy independent. We don't become energy independent by ignoring billions of barrels of OUR own oil and natural gas.

Well Aaron like I have posted repeatedly it makes more sense to me to drill here in the lower 48.

Instead you insist on drilling ANWR.

Why I don't know, other than your attitude of DISAGREEING WITH ME no matter what I say.

If we got any oil from Iraq maybe your argument would make sense.

Or if most of the north slope oil was coming south.

But Iraq oil will not come here.

And in addition the proven reserves in ANWR pale in comparison with what we have here in the lower 48.

I don’t know if you realize it or not Sherm, but we're in the middle of an energy crisis that threatens our entire economy and you favor, in your words, a Band-Aid approach. I don’t. I'm for American energy independence and I believe we need to look at our needs for not only 2010, but 2050 and 2110 as well. I want to drill in ANWR, the lower 48 and the outer shell and anywhere else we feasibly can. We need to improve MPG standards and look at new ways with which to run trucks, look at nuclear energy, explore altertanitive and do everything we can to reduce pour need for foreign oil. And we’re going to need all the oil and natural gas we can get and ANWR's resources are needed.

As for disagreeing with you, I only do that when I think you are wrong as you are in that you think Iraq oil or North Slope oil doesn’t effect America simply because we may not buy it or use it domestically. I k9npow you’re not quite so dumb that you do not have a concept of the overall world economy so why act like you don’t Sherm?

Well now, maybe we hadn't oughtta rush into that "lower 48" thingy so sudden like ....... but instead maybe just talk it and discuss it for another 25 years to make sure we "get it right", ............... right Shermmy?

.

Well Sam I am not sure how much you get out, but like I have been posting elsewhere they are busy as bees leasing up all the drilling rights they can get their hands on.

I am almost old as dirt and don't recall anyone ever failing to drill on private property for any reason other than economics once they get the rights leased.

Do you know of any?

Sherm, even if the additional North Slope production did go to Japan, it would still inject billions of dollars into the U.S economy and (slightly) ease prices worldwide.

Sherm,

The people of Alaska want to drill in ANWR!

http://www.anwr.org/People/Alaskans-Support-Development.php

The only people living on the coastal plain of ANWR support drilling!

http://www.anwr.org/People/Residents-of-ANWR-Support.php

Only 8% of the region is being considered for exploration. The remaining 17.5 million acres would be off limits.

North Slope production is in decline! Peak production of 2 million barrels a day in 1980 is down to 730,000 a day now. Alaska needs the revenue, we all need the revenue, we all need the oil.

So now Alaska has no rights of self governence? They need the jobs, we all need the oil. Alaskans are paying the highest prices for gas in the country, for crying out loud. They need the relief.

shermangeneral wrote:Well Sam I am not sure how much you get out, but like I have been posting elsewhere they are busy as bees leasing up all the drilling rights they can get their hands on.

Sherman, in language you understand ...... that is called ..... CTA'ing.

And Sherman, ..... that is nothing new, ..... they have been doing it for years n' years, .... ever since Hector was a pup and he died long before you were born. Iffen youse had been paying attention to what was going on .....instead of yapping BS a politicking ..... all those years you was hanging around the Court Houses ....... then you would have learned that 20 - 30+ years ago.

shermangeneral wrote:I am almost old as dirt and don't recall anyone ever failing to drill on private property for any reason other than economics once they get the rights leased.

Well Sherm, I can understand why you "don't recall" such things, ....... but being it is Sunday morning I will refrain from commenting on that statement.

shermangeneral wrote:Do you know of any?

Just how many "anys" would ya like for me to tell you, Sherm?

Sherman, let me clue you in on a "couple things" that you have mistakenly ASSUMED ...... from/by what you have been reading in the newspapers.

1. YES, drilling permit appplications have increased about 40%, ..... the reason being the price of NG has almost doubled.

Thus the WV producers (drillers) can make twice the money ...... and the NG suppliers in the North East will purchase all the WV gas they can get .... because shipping/transporting costs are a hell of a lot cheaper for them than the costs for shipping/transporting Louisiana or Texas NG (gas).

The companies that transport that NG, such as NiSource Gas Transmission & Storage, Columbia Gas Transmission, Columbia Gulf Transmission, Granite State Gas Transmission, Crossroads Pipeline, Central Kentucky Transmission Company, Hardy Storage Company and Millennium Pipeline ....... don't do it for free ya know.

2. Many, many, many "gas leases" that were "signed" 10, 20 or 30 years ago are now coming due, expiring, up for re-newal, whatever, ........ and of course it seems like a "mad rush" of lease signings .... because it is.

With the price of NG what it is, and no fear of it dropping, ...... the producers are scrambling like hell to get those "expiring leases" signed over with their name on it.

.

"...Alaskans are paying the highest prices for gas in the country, for crying out loud. They need the relief...."

Steph that statement might be true on the face of it.

But unlike here in wv, Alaskans get a kickback from oil revenues.

So whenever a million bbl's get pumped, each Alaska citizen gets a check.

That does tend to make them favor drilling there, dont you think?

Like Sam says above, transportation/distribution of wv gas is a lot cheaper to the northeast US than gas or oil from Alaska.

Also as I understand McCain has a plan to greatly expand alternative energy sources.

So by the time any ANWR oil can be produced, it might not be worthwhile.

I say go with what can be tapped quickly.

(which is what the industry is gearing up to do.)

There is not enough skilled labor and other resources to do both now anyway.

shermangeneral wrote:"...Alaskans are paying the highest prices for gas in the country, for crying out loud. They need the relief...."

Steph that statement might be true on the face of it.

But unlike here in wv, Alaskans get a kickback from oil revenues.

So whenever a million bbl's get pumped, each Alaska citizen gets a check.

That does tend to make them favor drilling there, dont you think?

Like Sam says above, transportation/distribution of wv gas is a lot cheaper to the northeast US than gas or oil from Alaska.

Also as I understand McCain has a plan to greatly expand alternative energy sources.

So by the time any ANWR oil can be produced, it might not be worthwhile.

I say go with what can be tapped quickly.

(which is what the industry is gearing up to do.)

There is not enough skilled labor and other resources to do both now anyway.

Sherm,

It's their state! It's their natural resources! They should get a check!

John McCain has oodles of plans I'm sure. Of course, the fact he has them doesn't mean he's going to be elected President, or that if he is elected he can get Congress to pass them, or that they will actually work, or that they will resolve our problems, or that he'll get to it before he bombs Iran and who knows what else.

Give me a break.

It's their state. They need the revenue. We need the revenue. You do realize the Feds get a cut to, right? How are we going to pay for all those socialist programs the trough feeders have become so dependent upon, plus all the new socialist programs the liberals are demanding if we're importing more and more oil from Saudi Arabia and Mexico and Canada and Kuwait and Iraq because the reserves we currently tap are dwindling?

How are all those poor disenfranchised, low-income, minority/elderly/single-parent households going to afford that heating oil if we don't take the steps necessary to drill domestically for oil and natural gas? Do you think John & Cindy McCain are going to hit up her trust fund to convert all these heating systems from oil/gas/propane so they can run whatever alternative fuel he has up his sleeve? I don't think so.

You're not being realistic. You refuse to look at the big picture.

Drill in ANWR

Drill off-shore

Drill in the Dakotas

Domestic production will solve many, many problems.