Biden Boasts His Offshore Drilling Plan Provides "Fewest Oil and Gas Lease Sales in History"

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Gulf oil lease program smallest in history as Biden bets on future offshore wind
The administration designed its program, according to the notice, to allow for the minimum amount of oil and gas leases in the Gulf while still meeting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) requirements for offshore wind.

By Kevin Killough | Published: December 18, 2023 11:47pm

The Biden administration is releasing its finalized five-year offshore drilling program, which it boasts provides the “fewest oil and gas lease sales in history.

The rules were first proposed in late September, and as was in the proposed plan, the final program allows for three oil and gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, which will be held in 2025, 2027 and 2029.

Oil companies will have one last opportunity Wednesday to purchase leases, and then there will be no more lease sales until 2025 under the plan.
The administration designed its program, according to the notice, to allow for the minimum amount of oil and gas leases in the Gulf while still meeting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) requirements for offshore wind.

The IRA prohibits the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from issuing leases for offshore wind development unless the agency offers at least 60 million acres of offshore oil and gas leasing in the previous year. With the three lease sales, the program will allow the Biden administration to reach its goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030.

Since taking office, President Joe Biden has been trying to reduce oil and gas development on public land as much as possible. A week into his presidency, Biden issued a moratorium on all new oil and gas leases on public lands, which a federal judge in Louisiana shot down the following summer. Despite the setback, the Biden administration has kept leasing on federal lands to a trickle.

Tim Stewart, president of the U.S. Oil and Gas Association, told Just The News that these restrictions have a large impact on the economy as operations on federal lands account for between 15% and 20% of oil and gas production in the U.S.

“So with this announcement The Administration has shut down 1 of 5 barrels of future production. Imagine if they announced they were shutting down 20% of our agriculture production or 20% of our manufacturing capacity. What if they announced they were throttling down 20% of our rail capacity and canceling 1 in 5 airline flights for the next 15 years? There would be drastic economic consequences. It is the same situation here,” Stewart said.

Larry Behrens, communications director for Power the Future, told Just The News that the state of the economy should have led the administration to reconsider its restrictions on oil and gas production.

“Fewer American jobs and less energy security might just be the worst Christmas present ever, but that’s exactly what Joe Biden is giving us. To make matters worse, prices are still soaring and debt rising while the Biden administration is proud of the fact they are shutting off critical production and the possible revenue that comes with it,” Behrens said.

The small Gulf leasing program, according to the Interior Department announcement, is designed to “phase down oil and gas leasing” and “enable offshore wind programs to continue to rapidly grow.”

Stewart said that one offshore oil platform produces the energy equivalent of dozens of offshore wind platforms, and the energy from petroleum isn’t dependent on certain weather conditions. Petroleum, Stewart added, is also used to make thousands of products.

This past year has also thrown the future of the offshore wind industry into doubt. Inflationary pressures and high interest rates have led dozens of developers to negotiate their contracts. Concerns over rising costs to consumers led New York officials to deny one request, and one major offshore wind project off the coast of New Jersey was canceled.

Despite these setbacks, Biden plans to make offshore wind the focus of America’s energy future.

In addition to the restrictive policies of the Biden administration, the oil and gas industry has also faced the same problems as the offshore wind industry, but without the substantially larger subsidies that renewables receive. The industry still managed to hit record-high production levels this year.

Oil companies, especially in Texas’ Permian Basin, have been engaging in billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions that suggest they see demand for petroleum continuing well into the future.

Stewart said production levels are a “double-edged sword.” The U.S. lacks refining capacity for the light sweet crude that is a large portion of the oil and gas production. Most refining is calibrated to refining heavy or sour crude, which is what’s coming out of the Gulf of Mexico.
“That is one reason why this is so problematic. The Administration is choking off the US supply to our US based refiners and forcing them to turn to Venezuela and other countries for supply,” Stewart said.

Stewart said it would require substantial billion-dollar investments in refining capacity to utilize the light sweet crude, which the Biden administration would also oppose. Without bringing more production of heavy crude online, the problem will persist for years.
Behrens said, besides the impacts to the U.S. economy, Biden’s energy policy will also make U.S. producers less competitive against other oil-producing countries.

“Strong energy production is a testament to America’s workers, but Joe Biden sees it as a reason to kneecap them at every turn. No doubt this decision is a great gift to Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Iran, but the United States is stuck with another year of ‘How the Biden Grinch Stole American Energy Independence.,” Behrens said.

© 2023 Bentley Media Group, LLC


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Remember, Ann you will have nothing and like it.

Maybe the oil companies should just pump some of their proven reserves and drill on private land, but then they have to pay fairly for what they get instead of the bargains they get OUR oil for.

Leave publicly owned oil in the ground in case it's badly needed later, oil company profits is a poor reason to use up our collective reserves while they sit on their own.

Same with our timber and grass. The stupidity of spending more to put in roads for timber sales than the timber companies pay for the timber should end. I've bought lots of lumber but I've never seen a board with a sticker that said "Discounted because it came from a publicly-owned tree".

I am also in favor of kicking all the cattle and sheep off Federal grazing land, it's just subsidies for ranchers that provide no benefit to the public. Let the pronghorns and elk and bison have the grass.

I'm so old, I remember when gas stations that were across the street from each other would compete on lowest price. Saw it get down to 19 cents a gallon once.

I actually worked at a Texaco as a gas jockey back before self-serve during the first Arab oil embargo when prices shot up. I never heard so much bitching from customers my whole life. I put a quart of oil in some old dude's car without telling him that it was $1.10 or whatever and I thought he was going to attack me he was so mad. From there on, when customers needed oil, I made sure I told them the price.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jefffive:
Maybe the oil companies should just pump some of their proven reserves and drill on private land, but then they have to pay fairly for what they get instead of the bargains they get OUR oil for.

Leave publicly owned oil in the ground in case it's badly needed later, oil company profits is a poor reason to use up our collective reserves while they sit on their own.

Same with our timber and grass. The stupidity of spending more to put in roads for timber sales than the timber companies pay for the timber should end. I've bought lots of lumber but I've never seen a board with a sticker that said "Discounted because it came from a publicly-owned tree".

I am also in favor of kicking all the cattle and sheep off Federal grazing land, it's just subsidies for ranchers that provide no benefit to the public. Let the pronghorns and elk and bison have the grass.[/QUOT

Spoken like a true tree hugging, big brother knows best fan. Since it’s federal policy to phase out oil based energy, exactly what rainy day are we saving federally owned oil for?? And since veganism is the wave of the future, we obviously don’t need beef production. Wow, just wow, what great ideas….

Is there any discount on that free grazed beef? And we don't need to keep handing out oil leases when they aren't using the ones they already have.

People dont realize getting the lease is only the first step.
It can take years and lots of $$ to get approval from all the other agencies to just get to the lease.
Want more forest fires? Dont do any cutting in the forests. No roads to access when there is a fire really helps. Ask Australia how well it worked for them a few years ago, when they had their fires. All roads were blocked into their national forests...... they burned.

Old growth forests are unproductive and unnatural to be left in huge swaths. Younger trees absorb more C02. Wildlife gets most food in openings, clear cuts, fire razed areas. There is nothing bad or wrong with managing and harvesting forests.

If you are worried about the price of beef then buy direct from a rancher and get away from middle man and feed lot garbage in the store. Or raise your own.

I was hoping Ty would address the grazing, he would be more current on things.
The BLM issues grazing leases. It used to be $1.35 a unit per month. A unit being 1 cow and 1 calf. Cheap right?
They are/were not just given out to anyone. The ranch land had to abut the BLM land. Thats important.
The ranch had to allow access to the BLM land to get the grazing lease.
The BLM knows if the ranches that struggle to stay afloat sell out, developers are the most likely buyer. When a ranch, or farm or woodlot around here is sold to a developer, it's cut up into chunks. What are the odds of someone with a 10-20 acre lot allowing access to trespass?
If you dont care about being shut out of some BLM lands, you dont care if grazing rights go away. Hunters, fishermen, hikers and birdwatches etc had better let BLM continue what they do.
I realize wymple isnt smart enough to know this, but jeffi knowing all about AG should have.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I was hoping Ty would address the grazing, he would be more current on things.
The BLM issues grazing leases. It used to be $1.35 a unit per month. A unit being 1 cow and 1 calf. Cheap right?
They are/were not just given out to anyone. The ranch land had to abut the BLM land. Thats important.
The ranch had to allow access to the BLM land to get the grazing lease.
The BLM knows if the ranches that struggle to stay afloat sell out, developers are the most likely buyer. When a ranch, or farm or woodlot around here is sold to a developer, it's cut up into chunks. What are the odds of someone with a 10-20 acre lot allowing access to trespass?
If you dont care about being shut out of some BLM lands, you dont care if grazing rights go away. Hunters, fishermen, hikers and birdwatches etc had better let BLM continue what they do.
I realize wymple isnt smart enough to know this, but jeffi knowing all about AG should have.

Does the ranch have to allow access to the BLM land through their private land if that is the only means of access?

No. The west is different than most places in the eastern half of the country. There was just a big case about corner jumping. Where there is private land on a corner, with public land forming the other two points. The law states that not only is private land private, but it extends into the sky above the property. A court just ruled persons can cross the checkerboad from public to public, if they do not touch the private land. Not sure if it has been appealed yet or not.

quote:

Originally posted by Aspen Hill Adventures:
Old growth forests are unproductive and unnatural to be left in huge swaths. Younger trees absorb more C02. Wildlife gets most food in openings, clear cuts, fire razed areas. There is nothing bad or wrong with managing and harvesting forests.

If you are worried about the price of beef then buy direct from a rancher and get away from middle man and feed lot garbage in the store. Or raise your own.

"Old growth forests are unnatural" is certainly a new one...

Biden is so bad on this, right?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/mone...a3fc3d8170fc49&ei=35

quote:

Originally posted by wymple:
Biden is so bad on this, right?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/mone...a3fc3d8170fc49&ei=35

Was going to post that. trump says drill drill drill, but offers no explanation for how that's going to give the cheap gas that his MAGA idiots cherish so much.

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:
Maybe the oil companies should just pump some of their proven reserves and drill on private land, but then they have to pay fairly for what they get instead of the bargains they get OUR oil for.

Leave publicly owned oil in the ground in case it's badly needed later, oil company profits is a poor reason to use up our collective reserves while they sit on their own.

Same with our timber and grass. The stupidity of spending more to put in roads for timber sales than the timber companies pay for the timber should end. I've bought lots of lumber but I've never seen a board with a sticker that said "Discounted because it came from a publicly-owned tree".

I am also in favor of kicking all the cattle and sheep off Federal grazing land, it's just subsidies for ranchers that provide no benefit to the public. Let the pronghorns and elk and bison have the grass.

Jeez...Biden might be senile but he's not stupid. There is no mechanism for energy transition that doesn't include oil and gas for awhile to come, other than a mass move to the south (tail-wags-dog, we invade Mexico for warm weather and force regime change by immigrants).

Pinedale Anticline antelope hunting is a goner for the most part, if it isn't due to a few hundred gas wells drilled on it I'd like to know what else. Actually there are two what-elses, but I don't think they would have made antelope as scarce as they now are. We may not be done with coal yet, either.

Ann is right about supermarket meat. Buy from a rancher, just go see the cow first so you're not buying one that was ridden to market and milked to death. Been there, done that...

quote:

Originally posted by TomP:

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:
Maybe the oil companies should just pump some of their proven reserves and drill on private land, but then they have to pay fairly for what they get instead of the bargains they get OUR oil for.

Leave publicly owned oil in the ground in case it's badly needed later, oil company profits is a poor reason to use up our collective reserves while they sit on their own.

Same with our timber and grass. The stupidity of spending more to put in roads for timber sales than the timber companies pay for the timber should end. I've bought lots of lumber but I've never seen a board with a sticker that said "Discounted because it came from a publicly-owned tree".

I am also in favor of kicking all the cattle and sheep off Federal grazing land, it's just subsidies for ranchers that provide no benefit to the public. Let the pronghorns and elk and bison have the grass.

Jeez...Biden might be senile but he's not stupid. There is no mechanism for energy transition that doesn't include oil and gas for awhile to come, other than a mass move to the south (tail-wags-dog, we invade Mexico for warm weather and force regime change by immigrants).

Pinedale Anticline antelope hunting is a goner for the most part, if it isn't due to a few hundred gas wells drilled on it I'd like to know what else. Actually there are two what-elses, but I don't think they would have made antelope as scarce as they now are. We may not be done with coal yet, either.

Ann is right about supermarket meat. Buy from a rancher, just go see the cow first so you're not buying one that was ridden to market and milked to death. Been there, done that...

How many antelope are shot from the drilling rigs for "camp meat"?

quote:

Originally posted by ANTELOPEDUNDEE:

quote:

Originally posted by TomP:

quote:

Originally posted by Jefffive:
Maybe the oil companies should just pump some of their proven reserves and drill on private land, but then they have to pay fairly for what they get instead of the bargains they get OUR oil for.

Leave publicly owned oil in the ground in case it's badly needed later, oil company profits is a poor reason to use up our collective reserves while they sit on their own.

Same with our timber and grass. The stupidity of spending more to put in roads for timber sales than the timber companies pay for the timber should end. I've bought lots of lumber but I've never seen a board with a sticker that said "Discounted because it came from a publicly-owned tree".

I am also in favor of kicking all the cattle and sheep off Federal grazing land, it's just subsidies for ranchers that provide no benefit to the public. Let the pronghorns and elk and bison have the grass.

Jeez...Biden might be senile but he's not stupid. There is no mechanism for energy transition that doesn't include oil and gas for awhile to come, other than a mass move to the south (tail-wags-dog, we invade Mexico for warm weather and force regime change by immigrants).

Pinedale Anticline antelope hunting is a goner for the most part, if it isn't due to a few hundred gas wells drilled on it I'd like to know what else. Actually there are two what-elses, but I don't think they would have made antelope as scarce as they now are. We may not be done with coal yet, either.

Ann is right about supermarket meat. Buy from a rancher, just go see the cow first so you're not buying one that was ridden to market and milked to death. Been there, done that...

How many antelope are shot from the drilling rigs for "camp meat"?

Doubt if there are any now. Ate breakfast with some night-shift guys from the drilling rigs one year, a couple of beers each for carbohydrates and eggs for dessert. At peak, the motels and campgrounds were full, so were the restaurants. I did not smell any antelope roasts being grilled.

For a change, local kids did not have to move away for jobs, and many were driving new pickups much fancier than mine.