This post is updated June 13, 2008 9:09 AM MST, AZ
The Washington Times reported yesterday that China is not drilling, but that Cuba has leased out exploration blocks 60 miles off Florida – these are off shore blocks. Whether it be China drilling or exploring or Cuba the impact is the same. We will not drill this water for environmental or other reasons, but Cuba may very well do so. There will still be oil platforms drilling off the coast of Florida that are of a foreign power. Why are we not touching this oil field again? You can modify the question below to replace “The Peoples Republic of China” with “Cuba” and replace “drill” with “exploration for drilling”.
Update: June 12, 2008 11:55 PM MST – Arizona
The Washington Times reports that China has not started drilling, but is exploring.
Added June 12, 2008: Whether they are actually drilling as yet or just doing exploration right now does not change the paradigm. If a foreign sovereign power is capable of drilling in waters where we will not allow our companies to drill the effect is the same.
Now the post as it originally appeared with lined through corrections:
It started when I came upon an article in a newspaper about China drilling off Florida. I have learned that the NY Times reported on the start of drilling in May 2006. I have seen a detailed diagram of the drilling area in a report by CNN Money. I have read where Senator Mel Martinez, when asked about this drilling, in a Palm Beach newspaper said it is not happening. Recently The Washington Times had an article on the drilling.
I have decided that where there is smoke there is fire and that drilling (I stand corrected – exploration for drilling) is taking place. I have even read where domestic companies were asked to bid on the drilling and could not because they are prohibited. It seems that in the 80’s Congress passed legislation declaring the continental shelf off Florida and California off limits for drilling due to environmental reasons. Does it make sense that the Chinese foreign oil companies partnering with Cuba can drill explore for drilling into the same continental shelf and the same oil our domestic companies cannot touch by law? Does it make sense that when China Cuba started drilling exploration for drilling, we did not allow our companies to start drilling exploration for drilling?
I called My Congresswoman’s (AZ CD8 – Democrat, Gabrielle Giffords) office in Washington yesterday and asked this simple question. Why is The Peoples Republic of China able to drill into the continental shelf off the coast of Florida for oil and our domestic companies are not permitted? The party I spoke with said he did not know and would have to check. When he came back to the phone, he advised that they would have to have someone call me back with an answer. I did not get a call back, so today I called again. Again, I was told that someone would have to call me back.
If you are interested in why this country has been energy dependent on foreign oil and why we have sent trillions to foreign governments making them richer and more dangerous, then you might ask this question of your Congressional Representatives. Why is The Peoples Republic of China able to drill into the continental shelf off the coast of Florida for oil and our domestic companies are not permitted?
If you don’t know how to reach your representatives – try the “Contacting the Congress” web site.
Want to read the CNN Money article? click on China Oil Article.
Want to read the New York Times article? click on Times China Article.
Today at 12:30Pm AZ Mountain Time, I received the following response or non-response to my question via email:
June 12, 2008
Dear Mr. Moyes,
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) announcement to expand drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, coast of Virginia and Alaska.
The DOI decision to boost oil and natural gas production within the United States is an attempt to curb our ever increasing dependency on foreign oil. The plan, specifically known as the Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program, proposes 21 lease sales between 2007 and 2012 in the above mentioned locations.
This attempt to increase our focus on domestic fossil fuels, however, is a short-sighted approach to our dependence on foreign oil, and can make only marginal impact on our overall importation of oil. Rather, we must focus our efforts and resources on developing alternative fuels that can provide clean, renewable energy and a long-term solution.
To take America toward energy independence, the 110th Congress voted in the first four months to roll back $14 billion dollars in taxpayer subsidies for big oil companies-already enjoying record profits. Instead, that money will be reinvested here at home in clean, alternative fuels, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Congress has also launched a carbon-neutral Greening the Capitol initiative to set an example here in Washington and created a Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence.
Ending America’s addiction to foreign oil, investing in renewable energy, especially solar, and achieving energy independence is the Apollo mission of our generation. I believe we can make Southern Arizona the “Solar-con Valley” of the nation.”
I always appreciate hearing from constituents, like you, who are informed and interested about issues of importance to Arizona and the nation. My job as your representative is to help you connect with federal agencies, access services and get your questions answered thoroughly. Please do not hesitate to contact me again in the future if you require assistance and sign-up for e-news updates on my website at www.giffords.house.gov.
Sincerely,
Gabrielle Giffords
Member of Congress
For more specific information with numbers on our energy resources, read: Why We Must Drill Now and Drill Here!
I just sent a message to both of my Congressmen and my state rep (not that that would do any good)
Message as follows. I did a little research myself regarding this article.
My question is simple. Why is the People’s Republic of China drilling in the continental shelf only 60 miles off the coast of Fla. and Domestic Companies are not allowed to even bid?
We did the prospecting there, and now Cuba and China are reaping the benefits, of one of the largest oil deposits we’ve ever found in the United States. Some articles I’ve read have said it would put our oil production on par with Venezuela’s. In a time like this, it would seem immediate action should be taken to further our independence from foreign oil.
The following links are sources of the information I am referring to.
http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/09/news/economy/oil_cuba/index.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/09/washington/09drill.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
The answer to your simple question is….THE CHINESE ARE NOT DRILLING FOR OIL 60 MILES OFF FLORIDA’S COAST! Have you never heard of Google or Nexus? By the way, it was Jeb Bush who asked President Bush (his brother) to restrict oil drilling off Florida’s coast.
China is drilling oil off the Florida Coast see; http://www.adn.com/oil/story/434045.html As long as the Democrats control congress and the Democrats answer to the radical green movement we will not be allowed to drill our own oil, build new refineries. Also we cannot touch billions of barrels of oil in Alaska. The Democrats just blocked drilling for billions of barrels of oil off the coast of Alaska. So we will have to buy our oil from communist countries like China, Cuba, and Russia. The Democrats will continue to answer to the Green movement which only wants to destroy our ecconomy while working with the UN for a US takeover of our country.
1) There isn’t enough oil in the continental U.S. and Alaska to make a difference; 2) it will take at least 10 years to bring ANWR oil to market, while other producers such as SA and Mexico will continue to decline, and demand will continue to rise.
Anyone who believes that we can solve our energy needs just by pushing environmentalists out of the way and drilling hasn’t got their facts straight.
And that “oil” in North Dakota is mostly oil shale, not light sweet crude. And to get to it you’d have to dig through prime farmland.
And if the US did pump its oil, there’s no guarantee that it would go into American gas tanks. It will go to the highest bidder on the market–that’s your “free market” capitalism at work.
Because for the US to keep its own oil would mean–horrors! Commies under the beds!–nationalizing oil production, like the baddies in Venezuela and Russia do.
I called Senator Bayh (D) and Senator Lugar (R) in Indiana. Senator Lugar’s office had strong pro-drilling opinions. Senator Bayh’s office fed me the “we don’t know his position, we’ll get back to you” line of bull.
JMarra,
Some estimates put us at having enough oil here on the homeland to last 100 years! What you posted is environmental propaganda that has kept us dependant on foreign oil for the past 30 years, when we could have been working towards energy independence.
And, if our congress had the courage to create their own “war on gas prices”, opening every resource for drilling, we would see the price of oil plummet, as the speculators would quickly be out of the game.
When are we going to come together as Americans? We are in an unfortunate position to have oil as the biggest threat to national security. Until we as a nation can gain independence from other nations we need to protect our resources. America sits on a precipice of history. She needs to opens her collective eyes and see this.
Hey Stan,
Could you please post some link or refernce to where you got the estimate of having enough oil to last 100 years?
According to an MSNBC article today : The 574 million acres of federal coastal water that are off-limits are believed to hold nearly 18 billion barrels of undiscovered, recoverable oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to the Interior Department. The country each year uses about 7.6 billion barrels of oil and 21 trillion cubic feet of natural gas ( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25241280).
According to those numbers, costal drilling will provide us with ~2.4 years of oil and ~3.7 years of natural gas. And since it will take a number of years to do the exploratory work and then build the rigs and then actually start drilling, it doesn’t seem like a wise investment for such a short term gain.
I am, however, trying to find out where they got these numbers from so take it with a grain of salt. I’d believe it if it came from an actual oil company or some government agency but I’d write it off if it came from an “environmental expert.”
So I’d like to have a link to where you got your information and read it for myself and stack their facts up against those presented by MSNBC. After all, the only way to make the right decision is to be as well informed as possible.
Thanks.
Andrew, I can’t give you Stan’s number, but I can give you better numbers than you have – try:
http://brokengovernment.wordpress.com/2008/06/16/why-we-must-drill-now-and-drill-here/
You people are missing the point of authorizing domestic drilling. Simply the act of approving domestic drilling will pressure the radical muslim regimes that currently control the fuel of our economy into increasing production and lowering thus lowering the cost.
JMarra it is obvious that you have a “chip” on your shoulder about a free market economy, perhaps you have been a lazy under achiever most of your life expecting someone else to provide for you, but those free markets are the way it has been in this country for over 200 years and what has made this country the strongest economic force in the history of the earth. In case you haven’t noticed it works.