U.S. OKs Expanded Oil Drilling in Alaska

iWon News/AP ^ | January 21, 2005 | H. JOSEF HEBERT

[The Loan Arranger]

WASHINGTON (AP) - Citing a need for domestic energy, the government plans to open for exploratory drilling thousands of acres on Alaska's North Slope that have been protected for decades because of migratory birds and caribou.

The Bureau of Land Management has concluded that oil and gas exploration in the northeastern corner of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska can be conducted with "minimal impact" on the area's wildlife.

While most of the 22 million-acre reserve is open to oil development, its lake-pocked northeastern corner has been fenced off, dating back to the Reagan administration, because of environmental concerns. That area also is viewed as having the highest oil and gas potential within the reserve.

Interior Secretary Gale Norton is expected to sign off on the BLM's recommendation next week, said a department official, speaking on condition of anonymity because a final action has not been announced.

The NPRA, which was created in 1923 specifically to have access to oil if needed, is not to be confused with the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge farther to the east, which has been the focus of intense debate in Congress over oil development.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, which like the BLM is part of the Interior Department, has said the area around Lake Teshekpuk in the northeast corner of the NPRA is among the most important molting areas in the entire Arctic for wild geese. It is also used for calving and insect relief by herds of caribou.

The BLM, however, has concluded that more than 400,000 acres surrounding Lake Teshekpuk should be opened for exploratory drilling with restrictions. The government estimates the area contains about 2 billion barrels of economically recoverable oil and 3.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

[The Loan Arranger]

Good news, from the sound of it.

[mlbford2]

Folks in Alaska will be happy about this. They have been wanting to drill forever. The new jobs and influx of revenues will be good for them. I'm sure that there will be 1000s of enviro nuts just waiting for 1 drop of oil to hit the ground and they will claim environmental disaster.

[7.62 x 51mm]

GREAT NEWS! Drill away!!

[microgood]

Good news for the caribou too. If they don't keep pumping oil through the pipleline, those critters are going to freeze to death.

[Conservative Goddess]

That is great news.....my Excursion is a thirsty beast! Refine that Diesel!

[stockstrader]

Great news!! Hopefully, ANWR will be next!

[Blood of Tyrants]

More crude oil leaks naturally into the ocean every year from undersea oil reserves that has been spilled into the ocean accidentally since the beginning of the 20th century.

[SouthTexas]

It's not ANWR, but at least a step in the right direction. All I want is MY share of the oil, the wackos can keep all the caribou.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Johnny Crab]

Good news indeed.

The other good news I keep waiting to hear is WHEN a natural gas pipeline will be run from the vast reserves that now are either pumped back into the ground or have to be liquified, shipped via tanker to an LNG terminal, and then "defrosted" to be put back into the US grid.

[Quix]

Wonderful.

Gopher baroque.

[newsgatherer]

Good news bump

[aShepard]

THIS IS TERRIBLE NEWS!

Yet, it's great news!

Bush hasn't talked this up enough for the average American to be able to fathom the difference between neighboring petro fields, and ANWAR!

My prediction: this news will be a total disaster to Bush. Pelosi may even crack her face open with the vitriol!
Teddy will talk about windvanes in the Chappaquiddick pond; Biden will lecture us about, well, whatever!

[Thinkin' Gal]

The Bureau of Land Management has concluded that oil and gas exploration in the northeastern corner of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska can be conducted with "minimal impact" on the area's wildlife.

And...

The Fish and Wildlife Service, which like the BLM is part of the Interior Department, has said the area around Lake Teshekpuk in the northeast corner of the NPRA is among the most important molting areas in the entire Arctic for wild geese. It is also used for calving and insect relief by herds of caribou.

The BLM, however, has concluded that more than 400,000 acres surrounding Lake Teshekpuk should be opened for exploratory drilling with restrictions.

Teshekpuk Lake is located on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. “Teshekpuk” means “the largest lake of all” in the native Inupiat tongue.

GEOTIMES

Genesis 49:26 The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

[Rudder]

I've been trying for a few years now to get a well dug on my property. This area (SE Ohio) has some of the best-producing old, shallow wells and newer, very deep wells in the country. We had a boom here in the 70's-80's. Anyway..I found a good driller-producer and we're negotiating. I asked him--2 weeks ago--if the US govt was doing anything to promote domestic drilling. He said, "Not one bit, no grants, no tax relief...nothing"

"Well," I said, somewhat indignantly, "why not?!"

"We're keeping for ourselves...as a national hedge against failure of foreign supply."

[Quix]

Amen!

[mazack]

I completely agree. My dad lives in Alaska and from the sound of it many Alaskans wanted that drilling to go through. The only people who really didn't want it were all the neopagan greenpeace liberals who moved up there just to try to stop it.

[Judith Anne]

The Fish and Wildlife Service, which like the BLM is part of the Interior Department, has said the area around Lake Teshekpuk in the northeast corner of the NPRA is among the most important molting areas in the entire Arctic for wild geese.

Whoever is worrrying about geese doesn't know geese very well. They will do whatever they want to do, molt wherever they want, fly wherever they want, lay eggs wherever they feel like it, and will attack anyone who annoys them. I do not fear for the geese.

[Thinkin' Gal]

Whoever is worrrying about geese doesn't know geese very well. They will do whatever they want to do, molt wherever they want, fly wherever they want, lay eggs wherever they feel like it...

Case in point: Boston Common. Now there's a real "green" piece of real estate. And I don't mean the grass.

[Judith Anne]

A hospital in a large Missouri city, after never having geese, suddenly became a place where they stopped, and after having stopped, stayed...they were a real nuisance...I was there for weeks when my father was dying...step mom and I would go have a smoke, see all the geese...

They may be there still, for all I know. We kept geese for a few years, very territorial and aggressive birds. Beautiful, but as good as a watchdog for the noise and attempts to bite. Getting hit by a wing is not "soft"--the dang bones are hard as rocks and leave bruises...plus those bills are sawtooth edged, and they know how to use them.

They are magnificent, though, bathing in the pond, very very beautiful.