Quote:
Originally Posted by Colts Fan
You all make good points. But Democrats blaming the situation on speculators is down right stupid. Commodities speculators play a very important role in diverting risk in the market. It is a simple fact that due to an increased demand in China, India and other developing countries, and a finite supply of crude, the future trends look to rising prices due to those simple supply v. demand factors. That coupled with a pathetically weak dollar add up to the situation we see ourselves in today.
The answer is simple. We need to drill now while it is profitable to do so, thus increasing supply aand lowering prices, while at the same time continue to develop the technologies that will get us off of oil.
Sign the petition at www.americansolutions.com to let Congress know that we want to drill in our borders and off the shore to alleviate the pain we are feeling at the pump.
Ummmmmmmmmmm....Ok.
Seriuosly ...How do you propose the drilling begin? Where do you propose the drilling begin?
Right now the biggest road block to new drilling, on land, is not lack of permits. It is people and equipment. The drilling companies themselves(don't mistake "Oil" companies for "Drilling" companies) , are finding that the equipment that has been "stacked" since the mid-80's...didn't hold up so well to the elements..so..they have to build new equipment...which requires massive amonts of steel...which is expensive. It also requires those companies..that no longer manufacture the needed auxilary equipment...be replaced or re-tooled..to build that equipment. Add into the, the simple fact that even thugh the "OIL" companies need the drilling compnaies to drill the wells...those same "Oil" companies are not going to sell the drilling companies fuel and lube products on the cheap.
As far as people...it is hard for drilling and service companies to find people whom are trainable, whom can pass a drug test, and whom are willing to work long hours. In the 70's and 80's..that was not a problem. There were plenty of people with good work ethics willing to go to work in the oilfields...not so today...all the people now want everything given to them.
Now...for "Offshore" drilling. The biggest roadblock here is again...lack of serviceable equipment. To drill in deep water..it takes a much larger platform, than what is used in shallow water. The majority of replacement platforms will ot be deliveried to the "Gulf Coast" system until later next year. The majority of those platforms currently under construction are already under contract to drill in "International" locations.
Here in this area(SE Texas)...all the shallow water platforms that were being used to repair the wells in shallow water, that were damaged by hurricanes in 2005, are one by one being stacked out, to eventually be turned into replacement production platforms...or scrapped..because they are useless in deep water, and there is no need for them over-seas.
Here is a decent article with plenty of useful information, about what it costs, both to establish a drilling program offshore..plus the cost's of short-sightedness, during storm evacuations;
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science...orm/index.html