Gas Drilling Off California Coast
Energy bills receive bi-partisan suppor.
SacBee reports: “A House committee voted Wednesday to end long-standing moratoriums that have prevented opening new areas off the coast of California and other states to natural gas development.”
Sounds like progress.
If enacted into law, the provision could immediately open for development the Eel River basin in Northern California and the smaller Pitas Point gas field in the Santa Barbara Channel.
The federal Minerals Management Service estimates that there is some 2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in those deposits, mostly in the Eel River area.
But there’s actually more than 17 trillion available.
Led by Reps. John Peterson, R-Pa., and Neil Abercrombie, D-Hawaii, drilling proponents said that short supplies and high prices are driving U.S. businesses such as aluminum smelters and fertilizer plants to countries where natural gas is a fraction of the domestic price.
“We are talking about the survival of this country,” said Abercrombie, a Democrat with moderately high ratings from environmentalists.
. . .Among the bill’s sponsors is Rep. John Doolittle, R-Roseville, who said that an increase in natural gas prices of as much as 70 percent after Hurricane Katrina will be heavily felt in California.
The bill passed on a 27-16 vote. The legislation containing the offshore provision almost certainly would pass the House. Whether such a provision could win passage in the Senate is uncertain.
September 29th, 2005 at 11:23 am
Its a smart move for two reasons; one is to tap some of our vast resources and two to lower the prices. I have two concerns; one please lets try to AVOID polluting the river as well. I know we want the resources but lets not bleep up the land too (and no I’m not a tree huger but I do care about the environment). Two is that yes we are drilling for the gas but we need the capacity to transport it to where it is needed (and this doubles for oil drilling).
September 29th, 2005 at 11:26 am
We agree. Thanks for your comments.
September 29th, 2005 at 8:53 pm
I live in long beach, which has 4 offshore oil wells beautifully decorated and shrouded. This is a busy industrial shipping port as well. There is a plan to build a LNG (liquid natural gas) refinery/terminal in Long Beach, which answers a question about gas transport. Although i am concerned about the California environment as everyone else, i must voice approval for plans to drill for gas in previously off-limit offshore sites along californa coast. We in California and the US have a serious energy problem, especially in our dependence on unstable overseas supplies and in the Hurrican prone gulf coast. This will cause catastrophic high home heating bills this winter for everyone. By the way, Offshore drilling rigs do not have to be ugly and unsightly, and they may provide man-made habitat/ecosystems for a variety of sea life.
September 30th, 2005 at 8:51 am
Excellent comments, Peter. We hope your perspective reaches more people.
March 12th, 2006 at 9:54 pm
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