More Oil, Less Democrats.
Posted 4 weeks 6 days ago byI'm convinced that the Democratic controlled congress, along with many limp-wristed Republicans, need to register themselves with the government as foreign agents. How else to explain their apparent desire to assist the governments of Russia and China in exploiting oil deposits in America's back yard?
I wonder if most Americans realize we are no longer adding oil to the Strategic Reserve. Yep, in the midst of a likely air-strike by Israel against Iran, which could threaten shipments through the Straits Of Hormuz, Nancy Pelosi decided it would be a good idea to threaten our entire national security by cutting off the Strategic Reserve. Even better, she now wants to drain the reserve in her convoluted logic that says doing so will lower the price of gas. Oh yeah...by how much? Let me see if I understand this, we can't suspend the gas tax for the summer because that would be irresponsible, but we can tap our Strategic Reserve in the face of a beligerent Iran? Which do you consider more irresponsible? Do Democrats understand what the word Strategic means? For Liberals like Pelosi and Obama, I guess it means no oil for America and an atomic bomb for Iran.
Supply. That is the argument which should be employed in the debate over increasing domestic drilling. I have no idea what the price of oil will be ten years from now. Neither does the Energy Department. Increased domestic production will insure supply, not price. What if the price of gas was $6.00 a gallon ten years from now based on a healthy increase in domestic production? Looking at current economic and foreign conditions that sounds pretty tempting, doesn't it? Democrats would argue that the price of gas has not fallen. The country would then vote them out of office.
Another pearl of wisdom spewing from the DNC is that large oil companies are not drilling on the leases they already control. Correct. Smaller oil companies are. Sub-leases are offered to "Mom and Pop" holdings all over the country. It's more profitable for the big oil companies to contract out to smaller fields in order not to waste capital that is desperately needed on larger ones. Its called economics. Its called economies of scale. Democrats don't understand terms like these unless they include the word "windfall."
There is no question that America will burn "clean" in a generation or less. Increasing domestic production of oil will not retard that process. In fact, it will accelerate it. Every barrel of oil produced domestically will improve our balance of trade, create jobs, and strengthen the dollar. This will create capital that will absoulutely power the start-up alternative energy firms that will grow the economy and release us from our obligations to people who's relatives strap dynamite belts on pregnant women. I hope I live long enough to see the Chinese go and fight in the middle east for their oil. That will surely be the end of Jihad.
If Democrats don't screw it up.
Thoughts
John
Submitted on July 29th, 2008 by PabloLook at BP and Citigo for starters.
If you can get a copy Yukos would be one which would have the most poltically charged Bomb out there. Because they signed a contract with Iran.
But its own by the Russian government now so good luck getting any copies. It lost its private status last year.
There currently is no totally private oil or gas company in Russia anymore. There was 22 that were created after the fall. But Putin has taken over all of the private energy sector because it makes the most money. Putin saw it as a way to solve the debts of the government.
BP and Citigo should be enough for right now.
Others are CNOOC, Abu Dhabi National , Aker Solutions, ODIM ASA, and Eni.
Here is a website I am with but rarely blog that you will find ineteresting. http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2006/0...
just maybe
Submitted on July 28th, 2008 by John 2000you could point to annual reports from such companies, por favor.
JOhn
Submitted on July 28th, 2008 by PabloNot incorrect.
China is drilling! That is true. Iran has the production rights to two old Russian platforms that have been there since 1974 and 1978 respectively.
Cuba is working to develop a huge area and it will take decades to do it. However just because it will take decades to fully develop it does not make it incorrect.
The source I gave was 18 months old. Do you think that nothing has happened since then? I still get calls by some oil companies to do consulting work. I still get the journals and the news in the oil fields. I am a geologist.
The drilling is happening. There is one location that is one of the Russian platforms which is close to America waters of the 15 mile buffer which with horizontal drilling they could be tapping US oil!
Its not a mistake! Its real. You should look more closely at several companies in their annual reports as to what their ongoing projects are. You would be very suprised by what you will find.
But if we do not take the chains off of our companies to drill outside the 15 mile buffer, then we will have Russian, China, Iran, Saudi Arabi, BP and a host of other fereign companies sitting 15.5 miles out and drilling out our resources.
You can take that to the bank!
claims are patently incorrect
Submitted on July 28th, 2008 by John 2000I don't want to get into a food fight over this, Pablo, since I do strongly support the oil exploration/drilling (including ANWR) very much as well as coal, nuclear, and most alternatives. But there is currently no foreign drilling going on there, and I would invite you to prove your very exaggerated claims, since such myths can be (and have been) dispelled. Such myths are actually harmful to the cause.
Yes, Cuba has signed some lease agreements with several national interests and is working on getting more leases, but interest isn't exactly sky high since the history offshore Cuba has been mostly poor. And deep water exploration is very costly. Sure, Cuba is interested since it gets half it's own needs from Venezuela (but cut-rate) as it is.
But, please review your sources and get back to us. The 2006 Times article has been debunked several times. Here is a mapping of leases:
http://bp1.blogger.com/_wXDx9TVRBL8/R4kS...
But I do agree with More Oil, Less Democrats sentiment very much.
John
Submitted on July 25th, 2008 by PabloThe NY times broke the news back in May of 2006.
Cuba put together a partnership that includes China, India, Spain, Canada and Saudi Arabia who are currently drilling 20 miles off the Florida coast just west of the keys. They are also drilling in another location that is 28 miles from Miami.
Only 15 miles is US territory off the coast. Thus you have foreign companies which are currently working in the area of 25 to 35 miles off the coast. With horizonatal drilling methods, they can tap into the 15 mile bumper zone of US sovereign territory!
This is nothing new. Google any country I have listed from Holland to China and off US coastal drilling and you will find hundreds of links.
If you want, you can go boating off the coast and see it! its only a 40 minute or less boat ride to see it.
As far as Russian drilling off the coast of Alaska, that is nothing new!
They have been building a refinery and a storage facility for the bearing straight platforms on Sakhalin Island for the last 4 years. They have been drilling along the boarder between the countries of Russia and the US. Which is in some places less than 1 mile from US territory because the distance between the Alaska and Russia is 2.54 miles at one point. Thus Russia can litterally drill up to the boundry. as there is no 15 mile buffer zone.
The Russians are also responsible for last years Bering Stait oil spill from a drilling operation.
Russia has several drilling platforms as well off the coast of Cuba which the Russians either still own or have sold or entered into a partnership with Cuba, China and yes Iran!
Its in that same zone where the Cubans have restarted the drilling in 2006. Basically under international law, Drilling platforms have a buffer zone. So I say, have American companies Drill the hell out of the buffer zone so that Iran, Russia, China, India, Saudi Araba or the others can not do it and prevent them from engaging in horizontal drilling which will reach into US territory.
China has already been caught doing it! See the link at http://www.usatoday.com/money/world/2007...
That was last 18 months ago.
Since then, China has moved three new rigs much much closer to the US than ever before.
Cuba is planning on taking what oil they can and hopeful that with the new oil comes the financial power that they have lacked for nearly a half century.
Its not urban myth nor is it some stunt like the democrats or other environmental friendly republicans want to claim with their smoke screen. Its happening.
Exxon and other companies have been asked to join in partnerships with foreign governments to drill off the coast of our Country! Although its not like they are drilling a few miles off the coast like in Texas and Louisiana. No its far enough out that you would never see it from the shores. But the technology is there for these companies to drill up to 38,000 feet. This can be extended horizontally an additional 5,000 feet because there is not as much downward force as the standard well.
So you are looking at currently as of this year of china drilling up to 8 miles into US controlled waters. It is expected techologically to be expanded to 15 miles over the next 10 years. Russia is the world leader in research and development in horizontal drilling out of necessity in Siberia and other Ural fields. I know I have worked in the Vankorovskoye oil field for BP back in the late 1990s. It was the last major work I did before I sold my consulting business.
Russia has been drilling in the gulf of Mexico and off Florida since the early 1970s. Russia even built 3 refineries in the Carribean.
China and India are the new players on the block. They are the primary users and are the largest developing markets right now. Their consumption is expected over the next 10 years is to exceed that of the US as far as oil consumption is concerned. No joke its really going that direction.
Saudi Arabia and other gulf states are looking for other places to drill to continue their global hold on the oil markets. The oil is expected to run out in the Saudi Arabia gulf region within 15 to 30 years depending on locality. Dubi and UAE are expected to run out of oil between 15 and 18 years from now. Its the main reason why Dubi is working like made to be the economic and pleasure hub of Asia.
But its all true and its all real.
sovereignty
Submitted on July 25th, 2008 by John 2000Can you provide any factual evidence that the foreign entities you cite are actually engaged in drilling operations off US shores? Rumors such as this can prove to be counterproductive; such as rumors that Russia will base nuclear bombers in Cuba soon. It gets to be like the boy crying wolf all the time. Pretty soon people ignore the cry even when it is real.
The other points I agree with from all of you. I also think the big mistake the the US made going back a good number of years was in pulling so strongly out of being a producer and committing so strongly to service and consumption. This nation can and must be both or its sovereignty is doomed which is closely being the case already. Has that been the 'plan' all along? I would argue yes but that is a different discussion.
The Declaration of Independence and the current US Constitution make no sense otherwise.
Redstate Baron
Submitted on July 25th, 2008 by rom12921Good analysis on Democrat "logic" regarding strategic oil reserve, gas-tax and you could throw in ANWR.
I think janmb is correct in the next 50 yrs or so. The country who has the most oil is in a better strategic position globally.
janmb
Submitted on July 25th, 2008 by PabloThat is true. However, they are off our coast drilling for Oil!
So is China, Cuba, Venezuela, Holland, Findland, Sweden, Demark, UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Nigeria just to name a few.
I am all for using up others oil in a generalized way. But if everyone else in the world is drilling our oil and then selling it back to us at extreme high prices how the hell does it help America in the end?
It does not. I think its high time that we take the chains off the oil companies require 4 new refineries,
1 in Alaska, 1 in Texas, 1 in California and the last 1 in Florida, Georigia or in one of the Carolinas.
Have American companies drill the daylights out off the coast but then you can limit how much the actually pull out of the ground and then require them to remove the rigs and platforms when they are done!
Right now there are about 70 dead oil platforms in the world's oceans that are just left to rot. The oil is gone but the platforms remain. They could have been removed.
What America will have with everyone else in the world drilling off our coast is a sea of platforms that will leave America in the end with one of the worst environmental disasters waiting to happen all because we did not allow our Companies which basically have to do what we say. In other words, Americans companies could be required to take down what they build to preserve the environment. Otherwise you promote an environmental problem.
The environmentalist are correct to a point. But the problem with their position is that its unrealistic under the world we live in. Environmentalist would have better results if they work on who and how the drilling and later remediation is done rather than take an unrealistic stand. Because their stand today does not prevent the drilling for oil. All it does is prevent American companies from doing it.
All it will do in the end is cause more pain to the American pocket book and to the environment itself.
Ironic is it not. Environmentalist are the ones who will ultimately be responsible for the environmental damages that will be seen in the future because of their current idiocy and unrealistic policies.
JUST A THOUGHT --
Submitted on July 25th, 2008 by janmbI would be inclined today, to think to use everyone elses oil up first and hoard our own.
Sure alternative energy sources will take some oil dependency away but not that quickly and absolutely.
Note for example, that Russia isn't using their oil reserves and no one knows how much they do have. They claim its too expensive now to recover it but my opinion they are HOARDING it knowing the one who in the end still has oil --will be a superpower.
I listen
Submitted on July 24th, 2008 by John 2000to those blithering idiot Dem leaders and simply marvel at the vast disconnect they are so proudly and overtly promoting. I do not care to express the expletives they bring forth. I simply want to damn them all to eternal hell.
Since I cannot imagine them to be so stupid, I can only assess them as intentionally malicious.
Fingers are crossed.
But I do not care to see a war with China and the 'Middle East'.
You got it right
Submitted on July 24th, 2008 by PabloHow many American actually know that Russia is actually working and drilling off the coast of Alaska?
How many Americans know that China, Holland, Findland, Cuba and Saudi Arabia is drilling off the coast of Florida and Georgia?
If the environmentalist actually think that they are protecting the environment they are absolutely lost in space. If those same environmentalist think that China, Cuba, Japan, Russia and Saudi Arabia or any other country will actually be extra careful to not cause environmental problems they are smoking way to much wacky weed.
I say, have only American Companys which would have direct oversight and recourse to be drilling off of the American Coast. To allow China, Russia and the rest of the world to drill it before we allow our own companies to do is irresponsible and down right tratiorous!
Perhaps its time that the citizens of America start a new revolution and actually go to congress and grab every single congressman, senator along with the president and VP and throw them all into jail!
Then put together a new 4th contininal congress where each state send 3 representatives to fix the consistitution and to put some controls on government! Like term limits for sentators and congressmen. Term limits for Judges because honestly most are horrible.
Make judges have a 10 year term and then have to go back to work in private practice.
After all, the constitution and the system we have was designed so that the leaders of this nation were to be part timers. They were expected to actually live like everyone else except that they held a position of responsibility to their neighbors and to their perspective state.
Now we have full time politicians who work for themselves to gain money and power.
We are seeing how full time politician ruin a country!