Mulp, First off you said ANWR was open which was wrong as I showed in a report and as recently as this month congress voted it down. Secondly, what frustrated my uncle (geologist you referred to as buddy) is the prevention of drilling more test wells, especially along the coast.

Also, when I mentioned China I was referring to slant drilling off the coast to cuba into american owned mineral rights. However yuo are right that our own congress is allowing other countries to drill our coasts which is absolutely insane!

Back to another of the OP's questions about whom owns the oil fields. That answer is basically everyone that owns mineral rights where oil is located. Some is in national parks (federal land) and some oil companies have bought mineral rights so they own large chunks of it themselves. I have mineral rights (a real small fraction of a percent like so many other people), however my grandmother owns 100% of mineral rights over a square mile of land. We keep hoping a company comes in wanting to drill..........