Quote:
Originally Posted by mulp
Here is some data on US drilling activity for oil and gas, the number of rigs in operation at the end of each year:
1949 2017
1950 2154
1951 2543
1952 2641
1953 2613
1954 2508
1955 2686
1956 2620
1957 2426
1958 1922
1959 2071
1960 1748
1961 1761
1962 1641
1963 1499
1964 1501
1965 1388
1966 1272
1967 1135
1968 1169
1969 1194
1970 1028
1971 976
1972 1107
1973 1194
1974 1472
1975 1660
1976 1658
1977 2001
1978 2259
1979 2177
1980 2909
1981 3970
1982 3105
1983 2232
1984 2428
1985 1980
1986 964
1987 936
1988 936
1989 869
1990 1010
1991 860
1992 721
1993 754
1994 775
1995 723
1996 779
1997 943
1998 827
1999 625
2000 918
2001 1156
2002 830
2003 1032
2004 1192
2005 1383
2006 1649
And we have had lots of glowing reports of a Saudi Arabia of oil in the Gulf of Mexico in deep water, projects that the US government practically pays the oil companies to develop with all sorts of tax credits, zero royalty rates, etc.
One of the biggest constraints on drilling is a lack of oil scientists, oil engineers, and oil technicians, and even the oil rig workers who man handle the pipe on the oil rig.
The industry laid off thousands of workers over thap two decades, and only in the past couple of years have the mining schools restarted their mining programs in many cases, and for the several that kept them, expanded them.
And probably more than half the experienced people are baby boomers who are going to retire soon, or the guys before them that have retired and are now returning to work for high contract rates.
Drilling the way out of the oil crisis did not solve in during the era of conservatives directing energy policy. Reagan did nothing to deal with the problem; it had already been set in motion during the Nixon, Ford, and Carter administrations.
Conservatives just keep being stuck on stupid, thinking the solution that didn't work before might work if we keep trying it.
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I'm listening to Democrats defend not drilling offshore for oil.
Their defense "Save our pristine waters"
Apparently, Democrats in Congress do not know the US has over 2,025 offshore rigs in those pristine waters now. An increase of 15% in active rigs from last year.
Democrats said US oil companies are raising the cost of oil, as if the cost of oil is cheaper in the rest of the world. lol
Democrats did not say anything about Russia, China and France drilling in our pristine waters 60 milles from US shores.
I would say this is the most incompetent and transparent argument I have seen in some time. It's obvious, Democrats have jacked up the cost of oil to get Obama elected and Americans are paying the price for it.
