The helpless oil junkies in Congress.
By on Aug 1st, 2006 at 7:15 pm
The helpless oil junkies in Congress.
The Senate voted 71-25 today to open up eight million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling. The area will provide all of 47 days worth of oil and four months worth of natural gas. Between 1980 and 1999, three million gallons of oil spilled from offshore drilling operations in the Gulf — that’s 150,000 gallons a year.
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Well, at least they can stand up in November and say they have done what they can to lower the price of gas—–while pointing their fingers as the other side of the aisle.
August 1st, 2006 at 7:20 pmJesus Christ. Can’t we pass a bill to establish a wind farm somewhere? Wouldn’t that make a heck of a lot more sense?!?!
August 1st, 2006 at 7:28 pmThe “47 days and four months” figures are misleading.
The lease is estimated to hold between 240 and 370 million barrels of oil. Sierra Club makes their calculation based upon the approximate US demand of 19.9M barrels of oil per day.
It would take between 5 and 10 years to utilize the oil in the field, and offshore drilling would be likely be productive for 20-30 years.
August 1st, 2006 at 7:29 pm#2 – We in Texas are proud we now lead the nation in wind energy production.
We don’t need legislation to establish wind farms. All that’s needed are entrepreneurs and private investment.
August 1st, 2006 at 7:39 pm
#2 Dr.Sinker, we do have a huge wind farm it’s called congress and all they do is blow hot air and distroy all our rights..Then we have the gusts that viset here they are called trolls and roaches…..The later blow in with stupid stuff to try and derail us all the time….Blessings we all need them..Peace, demand it now..
August 1st, 2006 at 8:01 pmChase: “The lease is estimated to hold between 240 and 370 million barrels of oil. Sierra Club makes their calculation based upon the approximate US demand of 19.9M barrels of oil per day.
It would take between 5 and 10 years to utilize the oil in the field, and offshore drilling would be likely be productive for 20-30 years.”
August 1st, 2006 at 8:05 pm- – Math isn’t your strong suit, is it.
*sigh*
[walks to the gun cabinet]
‘why, my god, am i such a failure! listen to the fool!’
[shutgun barrel inserted into mouth]
BOW
/end scene
August 1st, 2006 at 8:08 pm*sigh*
[realizes her gun went 'bow' instead of 'pow']
‘god, i am an idiot, my gun can’t even shoot me right; damn you chase!’
*KERPOWWWW*
blood, death.
/end scene
August 1st, 2006 at 8:10 pm#6 – I didn’t even run the math. It was a quick assumption.
Come to think of it, I have no idea where the Sierra Club got that figure.
I would submit they are incorrect.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:14 pmChase,
You might want to check your numbers in post #2, ‘cuz they don’t make a whole lot of sense.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:15 pm#10 – Yeah, I botched that real good.
The 240-370million estimate, the time to market and the production longevity estimates I stand by, though.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:16 pmAccording to the Dept of Energy the Destin Dome contains reserves of up to 2.6 TRILLION CUBIC FEET of natural gas. Four months worth of natural gas? Bwahaha! That’s a flat out lie!
More like 40 to 50 years.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:25 pmChase: “The 240-370million estimate, the time to market and the production longevity estimates I stand by, though.” – - The 20 million barrels used per day in the U.S. is accurate. (Do your own quick search.) How those 370 million barrels are going to be stretched out to last 10 years is going to require some “fish and loaves” sleight of hand that not even Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and all of Haliburton’s men are not capable of.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:34 pm#14 – What do you mean by “stretched out”?
August 1st, 2006 at 8:36 pmnot even Karl Rove, Dick Cheney and all of Haliburton’s men are not capable of. – - Ugh, I said double negatively.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:36 pmChase: What do you mean by “stretched outâ€? – - Seriously, can’t you do math? Got an abacus?
August 1st, 2006 at 8:39 pm#17 – I just don’t know what you mean by stretching out 370 million barrels? I’m not talking about math, I’m just asking you to explain that.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:42 pmChase: What do you mean by “stretched outâ€? – - The liberal extremes in your numbers; 370 million barrels and 10 years. Simple math tells you that’s 37 million barrels per year. If we’re drinking 20 million barrels per day, well, I think you see where this is going…
August 1st, 2006 at 8:43 pmChase: I’m not talking about math, I’m just asking you to explain that (”stretching out”). – - I assumed you’d understand the analogy I made to stretching the oil in the same way Jesus stretched his reserves of bread and fish. Nevermind.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:46 pm#19/20 – I hope you don’t mean to say all of our 20 million barrel per day consumption would come exclusively from Lease Sale 181.
And I understood the Biblical allusion, I just don’t understand the underlying premise.
August 1st, 2006 at 8:50 pmIt would take between 5 and 10 years to utilize the oil in the field, and offshore drilling would be likely be productive for 20-30 years.
Comment by Chase
CITE!
August 1st, 2006 at 8:52 pmI made to stretching the oil in the same way Jesus stretched his reserves of bread and fish. Nevermind.
Comment by Badmoodman — August 1, 2006
We have been able to synthesize oil from coal for some time;
CITE; Fischer-Tropfh. Yes as you say we can split the aether, the piscium, and stretch our reserves, and at the current cost/rate of a barrel of oil, synthetic fuel is looking more and more viable and may allow us to do so.
I am not for the burning of more coal or oil, and think that maybe we should strive towards wind and thermal [not 'nuclear' [barium, natural uranium] methods of electrical generation.
August 1st, 2006 at 9:00 pm#23 – My apologies.
I got that from the Informational Brochure on Proposed Lease Sale 181, from the Mineral Management Service OCS Report from 12/2000, available here.
August 1st, 2006 at 9:01 pm#25 – Chase,
August 1st, 2006 at 9:48 pmThat reports a 12 (twelve) day supply from this effort. Is it worth it?
chase… why…? you should just “listen”…
August 1st, 2006 at 9:53 pmUsing the ‘240-370′ estimates Chase gave us, if we use 19.9 million barrels a day, the oil would last from 12 to 18 DAYS.
August 1st, 2006 at 9:58 pmUsing the ‘240-370′ estimates Chase gave us, if we use 19.9 million barrels a day, the oil would last from 12 to 18 DAYS.
Comment by Cyra Brown — August 1, 2006 @ 9:58 pm
Not if we sell it to Japan along with the oil from ANWR fields. Since “we” won’t be using it, then “we” won’t be wasting it.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:09 pmI don’t understand why people are having such a difficult time comprehending this. 240-370 million total barrels of oil divided by 20 million consumed per day in the U.S. is less than 47 days of consumption (actually more like 12-18). No one is saying that all our oil is going to come exclusively from this area, just that over 10, 20, or 30 years it will be a neglible amount.
For example over 10 years if oil consumption remains steady (actually without renewables it will increase) we will consume:
19.9 million barrels x 365 x 10 = 72,635 million barrels of oil
which means that if this area produces fully 370 million barrels
370 million / 72, 635 million = .0051 percent*
This whole project will supply .0051 percent of our oil demand over 10 years, at best! Good job Congress.
*please note, if oil production is steched out to 20-30 years percentage will be less.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:10 pmYes BUT wouldn’t we all agree that the money paid for these barrels of oil and natural gas would stay in the USA and not be used to fund the radical terrorist in the middle east.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:30 pmI think that cutting funding to these extremist is a good thing. Also, need I remind you that it was Sen. Kennedy that killed the wind farm in his state because it would have been seen from his compound. Good job K man. Great environmentalist concerns you drunk. Now we just need to start drilling in Alaska before the Russians suck all the oil out from under our land. How wide is the Bering Strait?
This isn’t an attempt to ease pump prices, it’s another boondoggle for the taxpayers, and more windfall for the oil industry.
Just keep feeding the beast, my Congressional whores.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:32 pm#30
You’re right, the estimated reserves for Lease 181 are small…compared to the 2.33 billion barrels (at least) in the outer continental shelf. (Dept of Interior MMS, 1995).
But why are you ignoring the 2.6 TRILLION cubic feet of gas in this lease? That’s huge! This small area of the eastern gulf would become one of the 10 largest gas fields in the US. Gas fields this large will produce for 30 to 50 years. But that is just a fraction of the 27 tcf of recoverable reserves (excludes unproven) in the OCS.
BTW, for all of you global warming fanatics you think there would be support for a clean fuel like natural gas.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:33 pmFor the equivalent amount of power, natural gas produces only 30% less carbon dioxide than burning petroleum. It is also a nonrenewable resource. The more we become dependent on nonrenewables the harder it will be to transition to other forms of energy. If we had focused more on alternative energy during the last energy crisis, we wouldn’t be in such a pickle now. If you examine the facts, alternative energy OPPONENTS have caused more economic damage than environmentalists in the long run!
August 1st, 2006 at 10:41 pmHmmm, 2.6 trillion sounds like a lot of cubic feet of natural gas, till you realize its about a 45-60 day supply according to the DOE. See here for current and projected natural gas usage.
August 1st, 2006 at 10:49 pm#36, I guess that’s one way of looking at it, until you realize that a gas field this size will produce oil and natural gas for 30-50 years. And Lease 181 is a very small area within the Eastern Gulf.
August 1st, 2006 at 11:26 pmThe Senate is filled with complete imbiciles > might be best to abolish the Senate and take away all their retirement pay as well > they can go beg for quarters on street corners > lol.
August 1st, 2006 at 11:45 pmWow I’m sure this will lower the price of oil by about $.05 a barrel, for about a month.
But hey, look at us, were Congress and we care so much about America, we run around like headless chickens making decisions that barely help in the short term with no vision for the future! Hurray!
August 1st, 2006 at 11:54 pmany fuel that has carbon isn’t a “clean” source of energy (like natural gas – CH4). you’ve still got to peel those hydrogens away from that carbon somehow — which takes energy. and then you have to get rid of the carbon waste.
and somehow i just don’t buy that spending more money toward non-renewable resources (that will impact only a small fraction of our energy needs) and the resulting environmental damage is a better investment than putting our money into renewable energy.
carbon fuels are so 20th century.
August 2nd, 2006 at 12:45 amWhat can I say but this makes me S I C K! Sick at heart, sick in my soul, sick in that part of me that connects with the ocean and the life of our planet. This sickens me to my core, in my deepest gut, profoundly.
August 2nd, 2006 at 1:44 amif you really want to be sick, check out what sam’s doing in the hurricane thread…
already notified tp admin…
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:03 amYes Rex I noticed > I contacted Judd, so hopefully he will delete Sam’s posts, and ban him from posting ever again.
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:06 ami think i got him to leave…check out my next to last post…
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:10 amoops, now he’s posting as “craig”.
what a freak.
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:13 amThese are some pretty interesting estimates for Gulf of Mexico OCS reserves.
Another interesting report about OCS energy reserves.
In the end, the days of $2.00 a gallon gas are over. I think everyone realizes this. The move to so-called ‘alternative’ energy is inevitable. What will finally accelerate the development and eventual deployment of non-petroleum energy sources is private investment – not government research grants, nor executive pronouncements that we are “addicted to oil”.
The effect of opening the OCS to production will be to soften the transition on the pocketbooks of those most susceptible to high gas and energy prices – the poor. When gas is $4.00 a gallon, it will be annoying to the upper-middle- and wealthy-classes but an absolute nightmare for the poor.
By prohibiting further domestic oil and gas production, either by limited the drilling zones or preventing the construction of refineries, we risk extending the financial effects of the transition between legacy energy and future energy.
Alternative fuel technology is not yet mature enough to fully replace petroleum. That is going to take time, no matter how much money we pour on the problem. Why should the gap between now and then prove disastrous? Allow for the expansion of domestic production and refining capacity by private industry at the same time investment is made (by other individuals, consortiums, etc) into alternative energy technology. That is a sensible plan.
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:45 amand now he’s posting as me. that’ll teach me.
those wingnuts are so resourceful! durn! outfoxed again!
and to think they could be out there stopping those global warmers.
August 2nd, 2006 at 2:46 amChase,
If you can’t do the arithmetic, then I don’t see how you can be trusted with the ‘economics’. This is what really needs to change. Governments and corporations must stop bullshitting us with numbers and statistics that make no sense. It’s called honesty.
You tried to slip one past us. It didn’t work. Never does. The neocons fail to see that we LIBRULS check and double check every single thing they say and do. We know the realities. The only thing stopping us from implementing real solutions is lack of power. That may change soon enough.
August 2nd, 2006 at 8:20 am[...] The Senate voted 71-25 today to open up 8 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico to oil and natural gas drilling. The area will provide a whopping 47 days worth of oil and an incredibly 4 months worth of natural gas. Between 1980-99, 3 million gallons of oil spilled from offshore drilling operations in the Gulf-that’s 150,000 gallons a year. [...]
August 2nd, 2006 at 8:48 amWell at least the surf will be nice and slick and glassy. Good luck staying on your oil coated board though.
August 2nd, 2006 at 8:54 amThe current congress is a very important cog in the wheel of organized crime that is junior’s admin.
The rest of our government, and the msm, not holding their war mongering, corporation kissing asses to the fire clearly shows that they are very eager associates.
Their mission is to suck this country dry, then borrow on the backs of others for as far as the eye can see.
They like their chances.
August 2nd, 2006 at 9:20 am#48 – I tried to slip on by you?
If you’re talking about my early post, I simply made a mistake. When I realized the error, I admitted it. What more can I do?
August 2nd, 2006 at 9:25 amThis is an obvious move enabling them to say they are working on the problem. Disregard the fact that simply saying they will drill is a long way away from actually doing it, getting it to a refinery (which have been reduced in number since the oil companies merged), process it and get it to the public.
August 2nd, 2006 at 10:36 amIt is not unlike drilling in ANWR – a lot of hoopla for something that is years away, and will produce very little product, with short term results, at great cost and risk to the environment.
Isn’t EXXON still balking at paying the $$ they owe from the Valdez spill?
This is just another sop to the oil companies, and a shaft to the public.
We should be demanding more wind farms, solar energy R&D – but no oil companies will get rich on that proposal will they?
August 2nd, 2006 at 10:39 amNever mind that an entire new industry can be realized in the development of wind and solar power.
[...] Even though the oil will not be immediately available, the move is in the right direction. Even though we will eventually be trying to kick the oil habit, there’s no reason that in the meantime, we should continue to consume foreign oil. But, predicatable, the powers that be within the left are opposed to the drilling, citing “environmental reasons.” Take a look at the comments section at ThinkProgress.org or HuffingtonPost.com to see the various ad hominem attacks against anyone who isn’t driving a hybrid and pocket-mulching. Although these people want energy indepedence, they are not in touch with reality: oil will still be around, as long as the market dictates. [...]
August 2nd, 2006 at 10:58 am#54 – There is a burgeoning wind energy industry. As I mentioned above, here in Texas (where we, again, lead the nation in wind energy production) there is growing investment in capacity:
Why is it that you feel we should “demand” oil companies to invest in alternative energy? They would be smart to, but if they want to sluff it off, why not let them shoot themselves in the foot?
August 2nd, 2006 at 11:12 amEven if drilling at this site could produce enough oil to actually offset the price of gasoline in the US (which would have to be a HUGE amount), do you think it will? Do you think if Exxon is starting to save 5 or 10 cents per gallon of gasoline they are going to just pass that on to the consumer? Hell no. They already have enough oil. They are limiting refinement on purpose to reduce demand while they stockpile it. Some of it is legitimate in a sense (unstable areas of the world and all that), but mostly it’s just greed. They found an excuse, a willing and equally greedy congress and president, and they are taking advantage of it. This is why they have windfall profits.
Congress needs to make it harder to drill for oil, not easier. It’s dirty, polluting, stinks, and is a health risk for us and all life on this planet. Congress needs to spend more time and energy pushing for renewable resources. And we Americans need to get our egos in check. Seen those new hummer commercials where they basically say “restore your manhood by buying a hummer?” That’s just wrong. Oh wow 20mpg estimated highway. Good work on making the H3 super-efficient, GM. *sarcasm off* How can they brag about that in the commercial with a straight face?
You don’t need a hummer. A station wagon or minivan with a smaller engine (NOT the silly Dodge Magnum Hemi Hog) will haul your family around just fine. And if you don’t have a family, get a two seater. Stop buying polluting cars to make your manhood feel bigger. There are expensive electric/hybrid sports cars too, you know, if you HAVE to have a cool car. They look awesome, are SUPER fast, and have low or zero emission. If I had the cash, that’s what I would buy!
August 2nd, 2006 at 12:22 pm#56, Chase
Wow I agree with Chase! Screw the oil companies!
Now here’s where we will diverge (I am guessing). Let’s reinstate ALL the taxes we gave breaks for to the oil companies and remove all give-aways to them and use that cash to fund companies that ARE working on alternative energy sources and technology.
BTW, wind farms are great (MUCH better than coal or “newkewlar”), but they can pose a hazzard to migratory birds, so I would like to see more research done that will mitigate the threat to the birds from the turbine blades or see Solar Farms installed instead. I don’t go by “Parrotlover” for nothing… ;-)
August 2nd, 2006 at 12:26 pmFunny thing is, it will be sold to the highest bidder, other countries are more than willing to pay much more for gas than here in the US.
August 2nd, 2006 at 12:42 pmSo this newly pumped oil will be added to the global supply, not domestic, so how much will this little addition really offset the overall supply and demand?
August 2nd, 2006 at 12:43 pmWhy is it that you feel we should “demand†oil companies to invest in alternative energy? They would be smart to, but if they want to sluff it off, why not let them shoot themselves in the foot?
Comment by Chase
Because their foot is planted firmly on top of our throat.
August 2nd, 2006 at 3:07 pm#58 – I don’t agree with you that we should “reinstate” the prior tax breaks but I have no problem saying we should end tax breaks and subsidies for oil companies.
#60 – It will be in the “global supply” insomuch as oil pumped in West Texas enters the “global supply”.
Common sense says that the majority of oil pumped from Lease Sale 181 will end up being sold at retail in the US.
#61 – Take a look at a product like hybrid cars. Toyota was the first major automaker to bring a hybrid to market in model year 1997. It took Ford until 2004 to release the Escape Hybrid, the first American made hybrid.
The government didn’t “force” Ford or GM to develop hybrid cars. Toyota (and Honda soon after) recognized the future market for hybrids and put their own R&D money in to the technology. Because of that, for nearly 7 years they had a virtual monopoly on hybrid cars. Today, even though all automakers can’t put enough hybrids into production, the leaders in both technology and sales are still Toyota and Honda.
Similarly, if oil companies want to say “oil is the energy of the past, present and future” and only invest modest amounts into alternative fuels, let them! As other, more forward thinking, innovative entrepreneurs become involved, and the more consumers demand something different, you will see the oil companies rue the day they didn’t take alternative energy more seriously.
August 2nd, 2006 at 4:06 pm#56 Did I say we should demand that the oil companies seek alternative energy?
August 2nd, 2006 at 4:06 pmI don’t think so. I wouldn’t trust Exxon, or any of them, with anything.
We should be demanding that Congress offer incentives to NEW industries as well as existing ones in R&D for renewable energy sources.
#63 – All right, I can agree with that.
At the same time, why would you not permit oil companies to explore for more resources?
As I said above – the days of a petroleum based energy system are numbered. Until other alternatives are mature enough to be brought to market at rates reasonable for most Americans, why would we knowingly drive up the price for existing energy (energy for which there is, again, no currenly viable alternative), causing immeasurable harm to those most sensitive to high energy prices – the poor?
August 2nd, 2006 at 4:27 pmEveryone take note, Chase is the only level headed poster on this thread. It sure is fun to watch the PROGRESSIVES (socialists) point fingers and assign blame at anything that resembles capitalism. Its funny how the liberals act concerned with the plight of the poor but are the first to want the government to reinstate taxes on the people that can least afford it. Can anyone say tunnel vision? Try and see the big picture. Remember that if people don’t have cheap natural gas the first thing they will do is buy wood burning stoves and burn anything they can find that will burn (coal, wood, trash, plastic milk bottles). Relax and don’t cut your nose off despite your face.
August 2nd, 2006 at 10:21 pm#65 – Piper,
August 2nd, 2006 at 10:37 pmIf any of my neighbors burned plastic milk bottles to keep warm, I would cut off my nose in spite of my face. During WW II, one neighbor tried to burn waste from a nearby crab shelling facility in his fireplace and was nearly lynched. It took the Towson (Maryland) cops to save his butt (Like three squads). He moved.
#66 – That’s an amazing story. I never heard of such a thing.
And Piper, I never really thought about the environmental dangers associated with high oil and gas prices (leave it to a conservative to, once again, forget the environment). Thanks for bringing that up.
August 2nd, 2006 at 11:07 pm#67 – Chase,
August 3rd, 2006 at 1:05 amIt’s true, the guy lived on the corner (Northeast on Greenleigh Road) across from Mrs Barry(SP?) and the smell was something to experience. I was only about four at the time but remember it to this day.
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