Oil Company Leases: “Use It Or Lose It”
July 1st, 2008 | by Tom Harper |That’s the name of a bill that the House voted on last week. The official name is the Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act — H.R. 6251.
Either the “media” has been awfully quiet about this bill, or I’ve just looked in all the wrong places; and I read several news sites regularly. The only mention I ever saw was in our small-town paper. Once a week they list the major bills wending their way through Congress.
Last week they listed the “Use It Or Lose It” law — it got a majority of votes in the House. The rest of the “media” was dead silent about it, so I did a Google News search. Yes, it did get a majority of votes.
Unfortunately, it was a piece of emergency legislation so it needed a two thirds vote to become law. Without a two thirds vote, it was doomed in any case, since the Oil King was planning to veto it.
Basically this law, as the name indicates, would have told the oil companies to fuckin’ USE the leases they already have before they start tearing up oceans and wildlife sanctuaries. Who could possibly be against this???
You’d think the people who are screaming the loudest about drilling in wildlife refuges — NOW! — would be the most infuriated that the oil companies are not using the leases they already have. HELLLOOO!!!!
As we speak, the oil companies have leases on seventy million acres of federal lands, which they are NOT using. Again, that number is seventy million acres. This is land where the oil companies could have already been drilling!
Apparently there are a lot of people with a very limited intellect who think this is just fine. Oh, the oil companies are just sitting on seventy million acres that they’re already leasing? Huh. OK. But meanwhile, the only solution to the energy crisis is to Drill! Everywhere! Now! We don’t need no steenking endangered species! Get that oil! NOW!
This law would have required the oil companies to either use this land that they’ve already leased — what the fuck did these assholes lease it for if they weren’t planning to drill on it?!?!? — or give up the leases. And they wouldn’t be allowed to seek any new leases (i.e. offshore drilling, ANWR) until they’ve exhausted the leases they already have.
DUUUHHH!!! Talk about a No-Fuckin’-Brainer!
Let’s see, I have several dogs that I just can’t seem to take care of. They’re starving because I keep forgetting to feed them, some of them are sick because I can’t be bothered to take them to the vet, and they shit all over the house because I can’t remember to let them out. And I don’t have time to clean up after them. I know — I’ll go out and buy a few more dogs.
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) is one of the co-sponsors of the “Use It Or Lose It” bill. He said:
“When we sit atop only 2 percent of the world’s oil supply, but consume a quarter of the world’s supply, it’s clear we can’t drill our way out of the fuel crisis. However, we can encourage drilling on the land we’ve already leased to oil companies, much of which they aren’t currently using. There is no reason to expand drilling to new areas – areas that could suffer devastating environmental consequences – when oil companies aren’t using the land they have.”
Bingo!
Congress might vote again on “Use It Or Lose It” when they return from their July 4th recess. Good luck.
29 Responses to “Oil Company Leases: “Use It Or Lose It””
By rube cretin on Jul 1, 2008 | Reply
Excellent post. Wonder why they are not drilling? There must be an explanation, when oil is selling for over $140/barrel.
By Mateo Giovanni on Jul 1, 2008 | Reply
There are no fly by night anythings. They plan this crap out, and sell it to we the serfs as no other choice.
Oil Leases??? My ex-wife’s family have the oil rights to six sections of land in Oklamhoma. I believe that’s around 3,800 acres of land. Now these six section due have 5 wells on them. In the early 80’s Reagan labeled it all strategic reserve. Before closing these private wells; just off the 5 operating my ex-wife’s grandmunster was making just under 30,000 a month. Now the Govt. didn’t leave the family in the dark. Now we the tax payer’s subsidize them for around 10k a month.
Peace and Freedom
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
What I’d like to hear is some reaction from oil companies who have these leases but are not using them. Why, I wonder, has no reporter actually contacted the oil companies to report on their reaction. No reporter interested? No reporter has the number of an oil company in their Rolodex. No reporter interested in anything other than lambasting oil companies? Honestly, I’ve read several news reports on this and no one is ever quoted except those in support of the bill.
I’m sure there must be some reason for this that isn’t reporter bias. I mean there must be SOME reason for this. I wonder what it could be?
Or, well, maybe it IS reporter bias after all.
I wonder if there are any pro-capitalist reporters left that haven’t been let go due to newspapers leaking subscribers like water through a sieve or if they are ALL socialists now.
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not necessarily against this bill. I’d just sort of like to hear more than just one side of the issue before I decide. Is there a single reporter who could provide me that?
I haven’t run across one yet. What’s up with that?
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
For instance, THIS news report reads like a DNC press release. Not only are no representatives of oil companies quoted, not one of the nearly 200 representatives who voted against the bill is quoted as to why they didn’t vote for it. Not one! Apparently the reporters are not only anti-oil company but partisan Democrats to boot.
I’m beginning to think this isn’t just an accidental oversight.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
How come I, a lowly blog commenter, can find reaction to the bill from representatives of the oil industry but paid, professional news reporters can’t? Could it be they just don’t give a shit? Is it possible that they’ve decided they like the bill so they can’t take a chance reporting more than one side to the issue lest some reader come away with a different opinion? I don’t know, I’m just throwing ideas out there for consideration.
These reporters who produce one-sided PR releases for the Democrats and the editors who allow one-sided PR releases to be published in their rags should be honest and state up front their personal biases and these news sources who produce one-sided PR releases for the Democrats should have the decency to declare themselves as in the tank for Democrats and state up front that readers should not expect anything even remotely resembling balanced reporting from them.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Shouldn’t Lake County News change its name to Lake County Personal Publicist for Congressman Mike Thompson? Wouldn’t that be more honest than calling themselves a news source?
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
How is it that I, a lowly, unpaid blog commenter, can find reaction to the bill from representatives of the oil industry but paid, professionals in the news industry can’t?
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Twice now I’ve submitted comments that contain a link to a press release from representatives of the oil industry regarding this bill. I guess they are in moderation. Would someone please go in and release one or the other of them? One will do since they both say pretty much the same thing.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Why is it that it takes the conservative CNSNews to report reaction from Democrats in favor of the bill AND from representatives of the oil industry? Honestly. This is the first, the one and only news source I’ve read on this issue to do so. That’s sad.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Here’s an interesting press release from U.S. Rep. Charlie Wilson, published in the Ironton Tribune under the guise of a news report. It’s embarrassing. They ought to be reporting this as an in-kind political donation if it isn’t actually paid for by representative Wilson.
By Tom Harper on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Craig:
If you’re looking for a different POV, click on the Google News link in the post. The first link that comes up (as of this writing) is from Townhall.com; their take will be music to your ears.
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
And the answer is? Behind door number 3. EROI Energy Return on Investment. You see folks Peak oil occurred in the USA back in the 1970’s. There ain’t nothing but puddles left. The major oil companies got all these leases and they are selling what they can to wildcat operators who are drilling mostly dry holes. That’s where our president got his start. Seems he busted out every single time he got someone else to fund his little misventure. Check it out. Its part of the resume’ of George W. Bush. This sort of busting out made him the perfect candidate and a pretty sucessful president. He just changed from drilling to war as a method of getting the oil. Unfortunately for us he seems to have failed at both.
Seriously, EROI, Energy Return on Energy Investment is a concept developed by which folks in the energy business calculate the amount of energy or money that it will take to get the energy out of the ground. If it is projected to cost more to get it out than it is worth in both energy and/or money they just leave it alone. While it happened back in the 70’s in the USA, it is rapidly happening all over the world. Mexico and Britians north sea reached there peak several years ago, and most experts believe the mother of them all the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia peaked in 2005. The other remaining large reserves known are located in Iraq and Iran. Makes you wonder why we don’t seem to get along with folks in that part of the world. Russia still has large reserves, but are projected to peak fairly soon. In fact world wide peak oil production many believe occurred in 2005. Want to know why prices are increasing? There’s your answer. It is a fundamental problem. Rising demand/decreasing supply. Let the price decide who gets it. good ol free market we all love. You see we have already got the cheap easy stuff and the more difficult stuff remains off shore or in hostile environments and the projected profit is low or negative.
Well you say what are we going to do? Ethanol is proving to be a boondoggle. Solar and wind have a negative EROI. Nuclear has a negative EROI. In fact every thing investigated in the last hundred years has failed to meet the EROI test or approach petrolem in positive EROI. But, you say, what will we do? We use petroleum of almost everything we do? Yes we do. I came across an interesting little quote yesterday on the “oil drum” site about how much a barrel of petroleum is worth in real work. allow me please to share it with you.
“Labor equivalent value of a barrel of oil…
Assume you can use the power output of a man as efficiently as a bicycle can, so that his work output in an 8 hour day could be on the order of one kilowatt hour. Also assume that the net heat energy available from a barrel of oil is about 1500 kilowatt hours, and that you can convert that to work at thermal efficiency = 1/3, so the work available from a barrel of oil is about 500 kilowatt hours. Finally, assume you can get the laborer to work for $50 per day.
It would appear that the labor equivalent value of a barrel of oil should be something like 50×500 = $25,000.
Looks like we have a way to go.
Mark Folsom”
Hell, oil at $140/barrel is cheap. And we ain’t seen nothing yet.
Cheers
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
craig,
took a look at charlie. A Blue Dog. But Damn hard to find it on his formal site. Means he votes with repugs on most issues. Got one of those for my rep. Would vote for my ol hound dog before i would vote for a blue dog. Charlie seems to be running scared, and trying to get out in front of this economic mess, by blaming everything on the every villain he can fool the public into believing is responsible but himself.
Tom,
i looked at google news and the only thing i could find was an article by Ann C..t Please do not refer folks to that bitch for anything. My computer probably got a virus from that little misadventure.
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
a little levity on this very important subject.
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/entertainment
By mr bigstuff on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
peak oil hell. the price per barrel of light sweet crude is determined by a deregulated commodities futures market that is being manipulated by major investors who cannot earn enough return in the stock and bond markets that have been destroyed by a dollar that has been disasterously weakened by the losing wars in iraq and afghanistan and the subsequent depressed economy brought on by w the fools mismanagement. had w the fool not invaded iraq, the sanctions against iraq would have expired and the worlwide supply of oil would have increased by at least 20%, thereby bringing the gallon price of gasoline down well below the $1.19 it was before that fool invaded iraq. before the invasion the crook cheney convened a secret oil policy meeting to chart what has happened since. the crook cheney fought successfully (unfortunately) all the way to the supreme court to keep the attendees at that meeting secret. these three factors, all intentional and carefully planned out combine to bring us $4-$5/gallon gasoline. that was the main goal of this disgusting administration from jump. how fucking hard is this to understand? how fucking gullible are americans to fall for this supply and demand horsehit? every time a republican speaks of supply and demand in a free market, they mean a manipulated market set up to benefit the few at the expense of the many. yet time and again, american fools fall for it hook line and sinker repeating the words “supply and demand, supply and demand” without in any way shape or form understanding the meaning. this manipulation on a grand scale is the worst of all the many crimes committed by this criminal administration and 60 million plus ignorant americans fall for it over and over again. before any of you come back with your peak oil and dril, drill, drill arguments, remember that you too are getting fucked at the pump every time you wish to venture out from your homes. open your fucking eyes and please realize that the bush administration, the oil companies and the market manipulators have pulled the greatest and most harmful scam in world history. if you voted for w, still support this fool, or fall for this peak oil bullshit, then you are equally to blame for this shit. wake the fuck up.
craig,
no matter how eloquent your explanations are, conservative economic and foriegn policies have resulted in abject failures under w, h.w., and the bullet riddled comatose reagan. the only successful conservative administration was IKE, but we’ll never hear a neo-con artist talk about IKE because he warned us of the disasters that would be wrought by oil men from texas. nobody was litening then and they are certainly not listening now.
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
stuff,
How about peak oil and all that stuff you mention to boot. Except peak oil is a natural phenomena and the other stuff deals with symptoms of the real problem. You see we are not adjusting well to reality. TPTB are abject failures in providing the leadership required to adjust the diminishing supplies. Let me put it another way. Do you believe there is an infinite supply of petroleum on our finite planet? Yes or No?
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Tom,
Oh sure. Townhall is conservative. My complaint is that what are supposed to be straight news articles are, in fact, PR distributors for Democrats taking a pro-bill position. I shouldn’t have to look to consciously conservative news sources to find reporting on all sides of an issue.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Mr. Bigstuff,
My comments are neither particularly eloquent nor very explainy. They are rants against the state of news reportage today on important issues. They aren’t reporting news; they are taking positions and advocating for their positions. This is, in my opinion, a sad state of affairs. Maybe you like it just fine. Fine. You get the news reportage you deserve.
By Craig R. Harmon on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Rube,
My point isn’t so much the politics of Wilson or anyone else. My point is the politics of news reportage.
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
craig,
i agree with you. The american public has been programed to believe one side or the other as news is always presented in the so called balanced press as a confusing subject to complicated to really understand. Problem is that one side is sometimes totally wrong, but the lying from the that side is believed by the uninformed public. I am especially suspicious when politicians with the help of the MSM,spend all the publics time identifying someone other than themselves as the cause of the problem. I mean we have known about peak oil since the early 1950’s and yet everyone seems surprised when it finally hits. No these bastards have know for a long time about this problem and have neglected to educate the American public or take steps to put us on the path to sustainability. Read Carters malaise speech. He laid it out in great detail. But no the American public elected Mr. Morning in American Reagan and he put the petal to the medal on this contraption we call American and aimed it right at the cliff. Now that we are going over everyone wants to blame someone, when the real villain is looking us right in the mirror. Most of us supported the War (I didn’t)in Iraq, which any body paying attention knew was all about oil. Bush and Cheaney accurately predicted the sentiment of the American public in recognition of the fact a lot of disruption was going to occur once the peak hit, and went over and sat down on top of one of the last remaining large deposits left in the world. No peak oil is a fact. I have offered numerous sites and articles on the subject but folks only seem to be interested in the politics.
Hell this calls for one of my favorite quotes.
“Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it.”
Winnie the Pooh
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
from todays energy news. Stuff give this a read.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd683aa0-4764-11dd-93ca-000077b07658.html
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Here is another one Bigstuff. What about this do you not agree with?
http://europe.theoildrum.com/node/4241#more
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Bigstuff,
one day you are going to read some of this stuff, because you are intellectually curious. Once you do and find out the truth you will go through the following steps.
The stages are:
1. Denial:
* Example - “I feel fine.”; “This can’t be happening.”
2. Anger:
* Example - “Why me? It’s not fair!” “NO! NO! How can you accept this!”
3. Bargaining:
* Example - “Just let me live to see my children graduate.”; “I’ll do anything, can’t you stretch it out? A few more years.”
4. Depression:
* Example - “I’m so sad, why bother with anything?”; “I’m going to die . . . What’s the point?”
5. Acceptance:
* Example - “It’s going to be OK.”; “I can’t fight it, I may as well prepare for it.”
By Ken Grandlund on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
rube-
contrary to your thoughts that no one looks over the links you provide, I at leasat do try to check most of them out.
true, we are primarily a political outlet here, but we do touch on other things too, the oil crisis among them.
you pinpoint the problem nicely when you say that Americans are educated AWAY from real knowledge and TOWARDS spin and artificial blame. It’s been going on for so long now that most don’t even realize it, and thus can’t accept any reality that isn’t rosy American dominance as far as the eye can see. the wake up call has been ringing for decades and those who had the power or position to stop the fall abrogated their duty and covered up the real crises by excoriating about gay marriage or flag burning or other such nonsense.
your continued reminders are, to me at least, a vital part of this forum- they have led me to explore in more detail what I already understand intellectually. so thanks for that.
sadly, our culture (and most of the “modern” world) is not a proactive one at all, unless you consider the bush oil grab in iraq to be proactive. primarily we are reactive, and usually reacting far too late.
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
ken,
Thanks for your patience with an old man. I realize sometimes i jump in on things i should just keep my mouth shut about. But, having studied the petroleum issue for over 30 years I believe i have gained some insight into what’s happening. This thing is truly existential in nature and so much is misunderstood. Now i don’t claim to know all the nuances, but have worked hard to get the basics. My id likes to play here because i generally find pleasure in the banter with the group playing here. My ego however, spends many hours on more esoteric sites where the complexities are discussed and i generally just read and study. The point is IMO we are in for some very interesting times and the margin of error is going to be very small thus leaving little room for costly mistakes such as reacting far too late. If i can stimulate someone into re framing the issue or looking at it in another way i get satisfaction. Besides this is the Bring it On site and i enjoy the challenge.
By mr bigstuff on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
no doubt that the earths oil supply is finite. but once the smoke clears from the hazardous waste dump created by w and his ilk over the last eight years, you’ll see what i just posted is correct. thanx for the psych lesson there rube. as long as i must each and every day step out my back door to earn a living and in the course of doing so face mindless fools who vote against their own self interests and then blame others when the inevitable train wreck they unkowingly cause occurs, i will stop at step 2 and carry on the fight as long as my fists still swing and my warm alive fingertips still caress the keyboard with my own special touch. how’s that for a run on sentence? i learned that from winston churchill. do you suggest that i just roll over, play dead, and let the simple minded blissfully ignorant status quo pry my cold dead fingers from my keyboard? where would we be if jesus h. christ his own self had followed steps 4 and 5, took a pay off from the money changers and said “fuck it, i’ll just sit this one out on the couch and change me some water to wine whenever i need it. all these people can go to hell, daddy damn it.”?
By rube cretin on Jul 2, 2008 | Reply
Mr. Bigstuff,
we agree, w and his ink are the worst bunch of fucking crooks and lairs ever to occupy the White house. I did not vote for them and wish there was a hell because one is needed for the whole bunch. Sorry about the psych lesson. That was not my intent. The intent was to share my personal experience when i discovered and became convinced of peak oil many years ago. i found i went through these exact experiences and i ended, with step five, spending considerable time energy and money getting prepared. I am an old man now but have made modest preparations for my children and grand children in case it occurs. One thing i do know is that i wish i had someone with your vigor as a close neighbor. I am sure i would enjoy sitting down with a good bottle of spirits and discussing things of a more pleasant nature. We do agree on so many things.
By mr bigstuff on Jul 3, 2008 | Reply
rube,
your psych lesson was a point well taken. thanx. i do understand that soemtimes the fight is more painful than the source of the cause of the fight. many a boxer has gone the distance to win a 15 round slug fest only to suffer the horrible consequences of the bout for many years to come.
old is simply a measure of time. nothing else. we measure time by our planets trips around the sun and our planets spin around its axis. as such time has no meaning when compared to the value of a human life on this planet and the gifts that life bestows on others in this mysterious existence we know so little about. we gain only from our relationships with others here on earth, not from material possessions passed from one to another. my great uncle who fought from guadalcanal to iwo jima left his material possesions to others who deserved them much more than i. to all who knew him he left something much more important. he left an understanding of a time and conflict that myself and everyone else on this planet better hope we never experience firsthand. he left his humor which pulled him through those times. the man was the funniest human being time of all time. sam kinison and rodney dangerfield are in heaven now stealing material from him as we speak. and i’ll guaran damn tee you that god and his boy are laughing their asses off too. he left me the ability to face down anything, any time, any place. but mostly he showed me how to get along with damn near anybody which is more important than anything else. from the tone of many of my posts, you can tell i often forget that lesson which means i gotta long way to go here on this journey. hopefully i’ll have time to get it right before my soul ventures elsewhere. what you call your modest preparations for your family are far from that. whatever material possessions and gifts that you pass to them to cope with this coming crisis are much more valuable than you and they can understand at this time. but even these things pale in comparision to the lessons of your life experiences and the memories they will carry and pass on to their kin in the the thing we call time to come. old hell, you ain’t even got started yet compared to the legacy your people will proudly carry from their relations with you. my uncle was the very same person at 80 something as the teenager who went away to learn things most of us are too dumb to understand. the things he learned made us all better. the body ages but that don’t count for nothing. the human spirit never ages, never wanes, and never fucking quits. so get that old shit out your mind and carry on like today is your first summer after high school. live it up, express yourself and make all around you better like i’m sure you already have. now i gotta get back to figuring out what the next scam satan cheney and that fool w are gonna try to pull before they hoodwink the whole country again.
By rube cretin on Jul 3, 2008 | Reply
Mr. Bigstuff,
My Granddaddy told me to always make sure we do things with heart. You my friend have heart, and your writing shows it. Going to save your message to my permanent file.
I got your back.
cheers