Offshore drilling, thoughts?
 

As the gas crunch worsens, we see more and more cries to lift the ban on drilling off the American coast. I must admit it seems pretty attractive, and I've heard it claimed that there's more oil on our continental shelf than in the whole of Saudi Arabia. But surely there are drawbacks...

Discuss.

Environmentalism is a good excuse for not drilling it, whereas the true reason seems to be global, long-term economics. "Let's use everybody's else's oil up before we touch the rest of ours. Then, we'll be the ones sittin' pretty!"

I can wipe my own ass....we (as a nation) should also be as self-sufficient.

That sounds possible, but I am no expert on the subject, but off shore drilling will contaminte the area for sure and our Al Gore's would go ape shit on if the govt. allowed that.

Whatever you think, this is the reality: China is already there, and already drilling. If someone is going to drill right off our shores, it should be us. Not just for our own economic future, but consider who's going to do a better job--us or the chinese who can't even make toothpaste that won't kill you?

1) Hydrogen electrolysis for cars
2) Nuke for electricity
3) Grow hemp for a million different reasons
4) Destroy E85
5) Plan global reforestation
6) Educate the billion poorest people (the most rapidly populating sector) about renewable resources and birth control
7) Hire the folks from #6 to do #5

Sorry for not answering your question.

It's my understanding that the offshore oil stores are not that large. But even if they were, it's also my understanding that refining is the gating item. Plus, others are already doing it (chee wan).

The best thing about domestic oil, by far, is divorcing Haji.

But I don't know shit.

prolonging the inevitable is not a solution.

Prez W a few years ago: america is addicted to oil
Prez W recently: lets get high off our own supply

oil procurement and corn production (ethanol) are probably two of the most economy-confounding things going on in our nation today.

anyway, it is a mistake to think that giving the "OK" for drilling today would have any impact (economically or with respect to foreign policy) whatsoever in less than 5-10 years. Unfortunately the average driver hasn't been told that. They don't know that gas prices that influence voters are very far removed from actual presence or availability of oil.

drill away... the more you drill offshore the more I get paid :)

<=== Works in the subsea oil/gas equipment repair sector

Also note: we drill off the Chinese coast, as well. One example: Bohai Bay; I helped in that project.

1. Meh.. Sounds too fruity (honda) ish.. They've already put billions into research for this and we have what, two prototypes?
2. A-Fuckin-Men.
3. Can't really agree, but whatever.. I don't smoke -- Anything.
4. Sounds fun, think I'll join.
5. And destroy the tree huggers like Al Gore.
6. You mean China / Mexico? Yes. Agree 100% and would vote on that in a heartbeat.
7. You're a good thinkin' man, and I like it.

Not that much oil? I heard (now this is speculation purely..) its something like 10 billion barrels of oil a day. Tell me how thats not supposed to affect the bottom dollar I pay for fuel? 1 Barrel = 42 gallons. 2 Gallons of Crude Oil = 1 Gallon of refined Gasoline. Thats 420,000,000,000 gallons of oil a day recovered, 210,000,000,000 gallons of refined Gasoline for sale.. Less not forget about ANWAR where I've read theres HUNDREDS Of billions of barrels unrecoverable because we're not allowed to drill where we might upset the mating of some fucking moose which I'LL HAVE DIED BEFORE EVER... EVVVVVVVVVVVER SEEING!

Speaking of ANWAR, I also read another article the other day that one oil well would take up roughly less than 1/2 acre of space.. Something like 60,000 square feet for the ENTIRE SHITTIN Shebang! With technology we have for horizontal drilling now its not gonna make a damn bit of difference one way or another!

[/Rant]

All I can say is I've got 3 vehicles and I'm fucking tired of paying 60$ a tank PER FUCKING CAR.

Drill, drill, and drill some more. It isn't gonna fix our refining capacity. We need to build more refineries, and NOW. I think the feds should require our refining capacity to be doubled in 5yrs or start fining companies. Give out short term exemptions for "environmental impact studies" and such, to make it easier and faster to build. After we can out refine our demand, then start drilling more, and weening ourselves off the Mideast oil.

So you have to see something to legitimize it? I'll probably never see you before I die...

It's like last night at the drug store. we turned down a second plastic bag because the first was only half full and the guy was like "you can have it--it's free!" and we looked at him like he was a short bus rider. it shocks me how short sighted he was. where does the bag come from? where does it go when you throw it out? did he understand that it's made from the same oil his $4.17/gallon gas is? it's ok, it's free!

Smart man. I am waiting for the day we reach peak oil...

Considering how regulated the oil drilling industry is and how they take ever conceivable precaution to prevent disasters these fucking hippies should settle the hell down and let us drill.

I still dont understand why we listen to a minority of people if its majority rule.

I heard on the radio the other day that something like 70 floating rigs in the Gulf of Mexico got taken out by Katrina and the other one I can't name without any noticeable spillage or pollution. Even assuming the guy giving this info was thoroughly full of shit and exaggerating the number by 300 percent, that sounds like the real risk of an environmental catastrophe from an accident isn't that great.

If the majority is uneducated (which it is) I'll listen to the minority.
There is not that much oil to be drilled, I for one like moose, and global demand has gone up because China and India's oil consumption is going through the roof so the days of cheap gas are gone no matter what.
Y8s, you sound like a cool guy.

1) People have gotten it to work, but its not a full standalone system, it just runs parallel to gas and allows for less gas to be need per mile. Again the system and idea needs to be worked out better.
2)I prefer the idea of IDK installing solar panels on roofs of housing and buildings to help cut the cost.
3) Hemp is different then weed.. similar plant but the hemp, I hope the OP is talking about, doesn't produce THC but does have high soy and oils. Allowing for cheap products to be made and grows at an alarming rate. I want to say it was like a 3 month cycle from birth to full growth.
4) E85 is a joke
5) reforestation... never heard of it
6) sounds like a plan, that or how about stop letting people on warefare keep having kids.
7) Hey that sound like an kick a$$ idea.

they take precautions and still tankers end up spilling oil all over the coastline of alaska, california, washington... and what's more, they get off easy. the courts just basically gave exxon mobil a slap on the wrist this week by cutting the punitive damages they have to pay for the Valdez spill from $2.5bil to 500mil. Oh and I wonder how they are gonna budget for that.

why let the minority rule? I look at it this way:

the average IQ is 100 (a priori)
and that's not very bright.

I keep hearing that oil companies have record high profits. Is there any truth to this? I figured it's another one of those rumors. If it is true why is gas still so high?

Capitolism is rooted in greed, to put it in blunt terms. Thats why it makes so much fucking money, and works pretty nicely for big companies.

Oil companies want to make as much money as they can, do you really think they would lower prices if they could just keep raising them and making more money? They are running a business, and do anything they can to make a buck.