Clipmarks | Domestic oil production Clips

Pelosi Is Losing! Join House Republicans and Sign the Letter

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:40:27 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: An Open Letter to Speaker Pelosi

We think it is unconscionable that Congress has gone on vacation before we have addressed the high gas prices that are crippling our economy and hurting millions of families. We are asking that you reconvene the House from your five-week vacation and schedule a vote on legislation to increase American energy production. Let us be clear, we are not asking for a guaranteed outcome, just the chance to vote.

http://www.nrcc.org/actioncenter/default.asp?ID=317#sign

Clip Source: www.nrcc.org

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

On Friday August 1, 2008, at 11:23 a.m., your Democrat majority in the House of Representatives adjourned the House for five full weeks.

In protest of you and your Democrat majority not allowing an up or down vote on producing more American energy, we and our House Republican colleagues were prepared to take to the floor on Friday, August 1, 2008, and speak to the nation. Rather than allowing that to happen you and your Democrat majority adjourned the House, turned off the television cameras, shut off the microphones and turned out the lights. Nearly 50 House Republicans remained on the floor of the House in defiance speaking to those citizens gathered in the galleries and to the media.

Signed by: John Boehner, Republican Leader; Roy Blunt, Republican Whip; Adam Putnam, Republican Conference Chairman; Eric Cantor, Chief Deputy Whip; and Members of the House Republican Conference

Tags: congress, domestic oil/gas production, john boehner, roy blunt, adam putnam, eric cantor, members of the house republican conference

There's Oil in them there hills

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 06:25:46 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings

Clip Source: www.nextenergynews.com

America is sitting on top of a super massive 200 billion barrel Oil Field that could potentially make America Energy Independent and until now has largely gone unnoticed.

With new horizontal drilling technology it is believed that from 175 to 500 billion barrels of recoverable oil are held in this 200,000 square mile reserve that was initially discovered in 1951. The USGS did an initial study back in 1999 that estimated 400 billion recoverable barrels were present but with prices bottoming out at $10 a barrel back then the report was dismissed because of the higher cost of horizontal drilling techniques that would be needed, estimated at $20-$40 a barrel.

EOG Resources of Texas started a frenzy when they drilled a single well in Parshal N.D. that is expected to yield 700,000 barrels of oil that real excitement and money started to flow in North Dakota.

is expected to be one of the greatest booms in Oil discovery since Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938.

Tags: oil, petroleum, domestic, production, drilling, gas

Round, Black and Full of Hot Air

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:58:09 GMT

clipped by: Eaglewings

Clip Source: eagleviews.org

I bet you thought I was going to say Obama right? Well actually in a way I am going to say Obama. But I am referring to his energy policy which this highly educated presidential hopeful feels is our best hope for our domestic oil production problem.

Thursday, July 30th presidential candidate Barak Obama said at a campaign rally in Springfield, MO:

“We could save all the oil that they’re talking about getting off drilling, if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could actually save just as much,”

Yep you guessed it. The next time you pull into your gas station and ask for a fill-up make sure you are talking about your tires and not your gas tank.

Mr Obama seems to feel that if we all inflate our tires and give our cars tune ups we can save as much gas as is in our own natural oil resources.

For this and other ridiculous comments we have officially declared Obama as one who flew over the cuckoo’s nest.

Tags: obama, oil, conservation, presidential campaign

Energy Rhetoric vs Reality

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 11:47:24 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: RHETORIC: Oil and natural gas companies are demanding greater access to America’s resources even though they own leases on millions of acres of federal lands that are already open to drilling.

REALITY: Just because a lease is not producing oil or natural gas doesn’t mean it’s idle. Companies are actively exploring and developing the majority of their leases, but the entire process takes years and requires many steps, including securing government permits, analyzing seismic data and installing the machinery needed for drilling and production. Many leases prove not to contain enough oil and natural gas to be commercially viable, and companies can’t produce oil and natural gas where it does not exist.

REALITY: At a time when we need all the energy we can find, increasing access to domestic sources of oil and natural gas would enhance our energy security. We have enough oil and natural gas resources to power 65 million cars for 60 years and heat 60 million households for 160 years.

Clip Source: energytomorrow.org

More than 80 cents of every dollar spent at the pump goes to the price of crude and taxes. The price of crude oil is set on global markets, not by oil companies, and it accounts for more than 70 cents of every dollar of gasoline price. And the government takes nearly twice as much in taxes (13 cents) as the industry makes in profit (fewer than 8 cents)

While gasoline prices have increased dramatically this year, the price of crude oil has increased by $1.21 per gallon in 2008, compared with the price of gasoline, which is up 80 cents per gallon.

Demand is strong in both mature economies and the developing world, especially in China, India and the Middle East. The market impact of tight supplies has been exacerbated by political instability, resource mismanagement and weather. Finally, the decline in the value of the dollar against other currencies has put American consumers at a disadvantage.

Tags: domestic oil/gas exploration, government permits, seismic data, installing machinery. breakthrough technologies, multi-directional drilling,

General Electric And Al Gore $cheme To Undermine Domestic Drilling

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 00:02:28 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: GE stubbornly adheres to climate change alarmism because it has placed a huge financial bet on carbon-free energy sources, such as wind, that are threatened by domestic oil production. Climate change fears and tight oil supplies are the driving force for renewable energy. Increasing the supply of oil will reduce its price, making wind power even less competitive, even with generous government subsidies.

GE CEO Jeff Immelt, already in hot water for poor stock performance, can't afford to lose his gamble on renewable energy.

Faced with this threat, Immelt is shrewdly using his NBC news empire to promote climate change fears and wind turbines as a sound energy alternative.

For economic and national security reasons Americans desperately need natural resource development in our own backyard.

Clip Source: www.gopusa.com

Al Gore was the featured guest on NBC's "Meet the Press" on July 20. For almost the entire program, Gore spoke about climate change, bashed oil exploration and touted his idea to generate the country's electricity needs from carbon-free sources, including wind turbines. Gore did support the use of coal, but only if it was associated with carbon capture and sequestration -- another GE technology.

GE's cable business channel CNBC has also promoted wind energy in its news programming. T. Boone Pickens was given air time on "Squawk Box," CNBC's early morning news program, to present his energy plan. A major thrust of the Pickens plan involves a significant increase in the use of natural gas and wind -- two areas in which Pickens has major investments. Indeed, Pickens is building the world's largest wind farm in Texas, and his company recently ordered about $2 billion worth of GE turbines.

The scheming of Immelt and Gore undermine our national interest.

Tags: general electric, ceo immelt, t. boone pickens, texas wind farm, general electric turbines, gore nbc guest, bashed oil, carbon-free energy

GOP And Bipartisan Effort To Force Democrats To Lift A Drilling Ban

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 01:22:51 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Washington - As Congress heads into its last week before August recess and political conventions, there's one big item on the must-do list: Action to ease energy costs for American families.

[C]ongressional leaders are increasingly deadlocked over what to do. In response, frustrated rank-and-file members on both sides of the aisle are stepping up efforts to find common ground.

Rep. Nick Lampson (D) of Texas is now pursuing his own version of an offshore drilling bill that would dedicate all $2.6 trillion in expected royalties to research on alternative energy.

Last week, Republicans blocked three Democratic bills in as many days: On Thursday, the House rejected a measure that would have released about 70 million barrels of oil from the nation's SPR. On Friday, Senate Republicans blocked a move that would stop excessive speculation in energy markets. On Saturday, the GOP opposed taking up a $5.1 billion Senate measure to help low-income Americans pay utility bills this year.

Clip Source: www.csmonitor.com

Senator Obama opposes offshore drilling in protected areas. Lifting the congressional ban would "merely prolong the failed energy policies we have seen from Washington for 30 years," he said in a statement after Mr. Bush's July 14 order lifting of the executive ban.

Republicans say that a Senate vote on the issue would expose the Democrats' divisions and embarrass Obama. "Senator Reid can't allow a vote that will put Senator Obama in a tough spot," says Don Stewart, a spokesman for Senator McConnell.

Tuesday, a bipartisan working group plans to release a final draft of a comprehensive energy plan that includes the lifting of the ban. The plan locks in 40 percent of royalties from new leases on the outer continental shelf for conservation, research on renewable energy, environmental cleanup, and funding for low-income energy assistance, says David Helfert, a spokesman for Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D) of Hawaii, a cofounder of the working group with Rep. John Peterson (R) of Pennsylvania.

Tags: domestic production, democrats prevent vote, pelosi, reid, abercrombie (d) of hi, peterson (r) of pa., bipartisan comprehensive energy plan

Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:42:33 GMT

clipped by: bmeuppls
clipper's remarks: Sign the petition...

http://www.americansolutions.com/actioncenter/petitions/?Guid=54ec6e43-75a8-445b-aa7b-346a1e096659

Clip Source: hotair.com

Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn promised a tough line on energy, daring the Democrats to defy the overwhelming will of the electorate on increased domestic oil production. The Democrats walked into the trap — and they may well find a way to lose a Congressional election that they had all but won this cycle. If they adjourn for a summer break without allowing Republicans an opportunity to begin the long-term process of increasing domestic production and lowering gas prices, voters will hear all about it for the next four months … and they’ll let Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi hear about it in November.

Magical Thinking vs. Reality

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:02:45 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: amount to $1.05 to $1.38 per gallon, or 42 to 55 percent of ethanol's wholesale market price.

Ethanol does not reduce gasoline prices. If you lived in urban areas that used reformulated gasoline last summer -- that's the environmentally "clean" gasoline required for areas with air pollution problems -- you might have paid up to 60 cents a gallon more for gasoline.

That's because the federal government required oil refineries to use 4 billion gallons of ethanol in 2006, regardless of price, and gas pump prices last summer reflected the fact that ethanol was twice as expensive as conventional gas in wholesale markets, and far more costly to deliver.

The truth is that if ethanol has commercial merit, it doesn't need the subsidy. And if it doesn't, no amount of subsidy will bestow it.

Clip Source: www.cato.org

Ethanol will not lead to energy independence. If all the corn produced in America in 2005 were dedicated to ethanol production (and only 14.3 percent of it was), U.S. gasoline consumption would have dropped by only 12 percent. For corn ethanol to completely displace gasoline in this country, we would need to appropriate all U.S. cropland, turn it over to ethanol production, and then find 20 percent more land on top of that.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration believes the practical limit for domestic ethanol production is about 700,000 barrels per day -- in 2030. In 23 years, that will translate into about 6 percent of the U.S. transportation fuels market.

According to a 2005 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn ethanol costs an average of $2.53 to produce -- several times what it costs to produce a gallon of gasoline. Without subsidies, costs would be higher still.

International Institute for Sustainable Development last fall found that ethanol subsidies

Tags: expensive, wasteful, ethanol, subsidies, fed mandated

The Group Of Eights' Empty Rhetoric

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:09:13 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: With rising gas costs, Americans in a variety of polls have shown by a majority they now want to explore offshore drilling, so this move will be popular among that majority and John McCain has been pushing for it as well.

Reported on June 26, 2008, the InsiderAdvantage/Poll, asks "Do you favor or oppose increased exploration and production of oil and natural gas off the coasts of Florida?”

Favor (61%)
Oppose (32%)
No opinion (7%)
Rasmussen- June 17, 2008:
"67% Support Offshore Drilling,
64% Expect it Will Lower Prices."

Zogby- June 26, 2008: "74 percent support offshore oil drilling in U.S."

Clip Source: www.chicagotribune.com

The State, Columbia, S.C. " />

Clip Source: wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com

In an effort to reduce pressure on oil prices and increase supply of domestic oil, President Bush today lifted a ban on offshore drilling. But that does not mean drilling will start immediately. An order by Congress remains in place.

Tags: g-8 summit, lake toyako, hokkaido, japan, climate change, the food shortage, the rising global fuel prices, nuclear proliferation and development

drilling won't help gas prices

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:17:35 GMT

clipped by: fudomyoo
clipper's remarks: and anyone who believes it will is a fool

Clip Source: www.salon.com

[A]ccess to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030... Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.

Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration said in 2007

Tags: oil, gas, offshore, drilling, bush

Yet Another Reason for Alternative Energy

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:06:41 GMT

clipped by: cmstratton
clipper's remarks: It amazes me when Bush talks about how committed he is to national security - with middle east countries being the biggest targets - but does nothing to reduce our reliance on oil.

Bush continues to rely on countries he considers part of his "axis of evil" when he does nothing to further research into alternative domestic energy sources.

His answer - let's try to drill for more oil here while maintaining a military presence in the middle east that's costing this country billions and ultimately trillions of dollars.

No dumb ass, if you invested even a tiny portion of what you've spent on "securing" Iraq, on a domestic alternative energy policy, we wouldn't be in the economic trouble we're in today.

Clip Source: money.cnn.com

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries consistently claims that supply is not a problem - that there's plenty of oil to meet demand.

But last year, as the price of oil nearly doubled, OPEC was actually cutting production. The cartel produced 1.5% less last year despite adding two countries, Angola and Ecuador, to its ranks. That cutback at a time of growing demand helped drive prices up.

But it's disingenuous for OPEC's leadership to suggest that reduced production had nothing to do with rising prices. OPEC pumps 44% of the world's daily oil production and, by its own count, has 78% of the world's proven reserves. In an increasingly tight market, there's no room for the largest group of producers to drop its output without directly affecting prices. And indeed, in announcements before and during the summit, the Saudis pledged to boost production by some 500,000 barrels a day.

3 Myths About Offshore Drilling

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:10:42 GMT

clipped by: seaj11
clipper's remarks: "Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) claimed "not a drop of oil was spilled during Katrina or Rita." This myth has been told again and again by the likes ofGov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA), Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, Mike Huckabee, George Will, and Bill O'Reilly.

There were, in fact, major onshore and offshore spills due to the hurricanes."

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

As the Energy Information Administration (EIA) has explained, "access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030."

further exploitation of domestic resources will not have a long-term impact either. After 2030, the EIA found, "any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant."

There are numerous ways to immediately affect prices, from use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to improved oversight of the oil markets.

Conservatives from Rudy Giuliani to Dick Cheney have repeatedly claimed that the United States needs to start drilling for off-shore oil because China is taking "American oil" off the coast of Cuba, just "60 miles off the coast of Florida."

As Cheney was forced to acknowledge, "no Chinese firm is drilling" off Cuba's coast. Talking Points Memo has recorded the large number of conservatives hyping the false story.

Tags: energy, oil, oil drilling, offshore drilling, bush, politics, u.s.

Pelosi: Drilling In Protected Areas ‘A Hoax’

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 06:20:00 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Democrats would not say when these bills would be ready for floor consideration.

House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) took to the floor to again criticize Democrats for dodging votes on energy bills, charging that Democrats are avoiding votes on the opening up of the Artic National Wildlife Refuge and the OCS.

Hoyer soon followed to retort, saying he and Democratic leaders have for weeks been urging for drilling on approved acres, only to have those efforts blocked by Republicans.

He blamed Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney – the “two oil men in the White House” – and Republicans for setting an energy policy that has driven up gas prices and steered record profits to the energy companies.

“As every serious person who has studied this issue knows, the proposals that Democrats are producing are shams and hoaxes designed to provide political cover and not to produce more American energy and lower gas prices,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said.

Clip Source: thehill.com

“This call for drilling in areas that are protected is a hoax, it’s an absolute hoax on the part of the Republicans and this administration” Pelosi said at her weekly press conference. “It’s a decoy to punt your attention away from the fact that their policies have produced $4-a-gallon gasoline.”

Pelosi’s stand may put her at odds with a growing number of members of the Democratic Caucus who have been moving toward possible compromises with Republicans on ways to expand domestic energy production.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday told reporters that expanded offshore drilling is not off the table, and that Democrats will take a look at whether states should be able to choose to drill off their coasts. “I’m not knee-jerk-opposed to anything,” Reid said.

Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) also said committee work is being completed on bills to curtail excessive speculation in the oil commodity markets.

Tags: domestic oil production, reid, pelosi, hoyer, boehner, michael steel, oil market speculation

The Pickens Plan For Wind-Powered Energy

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:00:06 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: Joseph Romm raises interesting questions about what wind power should replace, as well as the efficiency of natural gas in transportation. So does FuturePundit.

# I believe more domestic production of oil is a marginally useful thing, but a long-term solution probably requires (short term) diversified energy sources - more plausible as technological progress allows us to capture, e.g., wind and solar energy more efficiently and to increase battery storage capacity - and (long term) nuclear energy.

# I believe the lack of fueling infrastructure is a significant barrier to using natural gas for transportation.

# I believe the scientific evidence that anthropogenic climate change is occurring is solid.

# I believe the cost of oil is significantly higher than the price of oil and the negative externalities of our oil-driven economy are a problem that needs to be resolved.

# I believe regulatory solutions to environmental problems are likely to result in path [...]

Clip Source: www.thenextright.com

I'm not entirely sure what to make of the new energy plan from T. Boone Pickens, but his piece in the Wall Street Journal is worth reading. After detailing the environmental, economic and foreign policy problems that our reliance on oil involves, Pickens writes...

My plan calls for taking the energy generated by wind and using it to replace a significant percentage of the natural gas that is now being used to fuel our power plants. ... We can use new wind capacity to free up the natural gas for use as a transportation fuel. That would displace more than one-third of our foreign oil imports.

The Pickens Plan is outlined at his website. My own thoughts...

When a billionaire puts a lot of his own money behind a project, it's a good idea to pay attention.

If this is such a good idea, why isn't profit and success sufficient to drive us in that direction?

Sending money to tyrannies is a security problem, but we don't need a re-run of the old "buy American" protectionism.

Tags: energy, t. boon pickens, billionaire, finance project, wind, power plants

FREE Email: No More Excuses For High Energy Prices!

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:16:42 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: There's just one problem: Democrats are refusing to allow the bill out of committee, so the full House of Representatives can vote on it!

Thankfully, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) has filed a "discharge petition" to get H.R. 3089 OUT of committee and force a vote on it. That petition already has 153 names on it -- but it requires 218 signatures to force that vote...

So WE need to get 65 more Congressmen to SIGN that petition, NOW!

Clip Source: capwiz.com

RightMarch.com
Patriotism In Action.

There's a great bill that Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) has introduced that could go a long way towards ending those games, and bringing some sense -- and lower prices -- back to U.S. energy policy. The bill is H.R. 3089, the "No More Excuses Energy Act," designed to encourage domestic production of energy.

This bill includes language to allow drilling in ANWR and offshore. It also includes tax credits to capture carbon dioxide coming up smoke stacks and use it to flush oil out of existing wells, allowing us to get more oil out of wells that we already have and, at the same time, reduce so-called "greenhouse gas" emissions. The "No More Excuses Energy Act" will also extend the wind energy tax credit for 10 years, and encourage investment in nuclear power plants, and in new refineries.

It's about time to unleash the creative power of American industry and unlock the energy resources we have within the United States.

Tags: gas prices, h.r.3089, anwr, offshore drilling, tax credits, carbon capture