U.S. Chamber of Commerce | Tuesday, October 20, 2015
The CEO of NOIA member BHP Billiton, Andrew Mackenzie, sat down with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to discuss the U.S. crude oil export ban and how the ban limits economic growth and innovation.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce | Tuesday, October 20, 2015
The CEO of NOIA member BHP Billiton, Andrew Mackenzie, sat down with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to discuss the U.S. crude oil export ban and how the ban limits economic growth and innovation.
Platts Capitol Crude Podcast | Monday, October 26, 2015
Today, October 26, 2015, NOIA President Randall Luthi appeared on Platts' Capitol Crude: The U.S. Oil Policy Podcast. Hosted by Platts senior editors Brian Scheid and Herman Wang, the podcast concludes a three-part series on U.S. offshore oil and gas policy and the impact of the cancellation of future U.S. Arctic lease sales by the Obama Administration.
You can listen to the podcast here
For Immediate Release: Saturday, October 17, 2015
Contact: Nicolette Nye, (202) 465-8463, nicolette@nullnoia.org
Washington, D.C. – NOIA President Randall Luthi today issued the following statement regarding the Interior Department’s decision to cancel two offshore Alaska lease sales and deny requests to extend current Alaska offshore leases:
“The cancellation of scheduled federal lease sales offshore Alaska and the denial of lease suspension requests from Statoil and Shell are extremely disappointing and short-sighted. It is clear that this Administration used Shell's recent dry-hole experience as an excuse for a political exit from the Alaska offshore area. The Shell outcome should not have resulted in the cancellation of these two sales, which have been scheduled since 2012. Shell proved that exploration and drilling can be done safely in the Arctic, but the real challenge was navigating under the regulatory thumb of the Federal government.
“The overall potential oil and gas outlook of offshore Alaska remains enormous. Government estimates show the region could hold over 24 billion barrels of oil and over 104 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The world will continue to need more, not less, energy and the rest of the Arctic will likely continue to be explored by other countries such as Russia and China, while the U.S. oil and gas industry is unfortunately forced to sit on the sidelines.
“Without a doubt this is the most energy ignorant Administration in our lifetime. The sales could have set up a long term plan for continued energy sufficiency and independence. Even with the downturn in oil prices, most prognosticators say we are going to be using oil and natural gas heavily for the next generation or two. This cavalier and short- sighted decision does nothing to help Alaskan natives or our nation's energy sufficiency and reliability.”
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ABOUT NOIA
NOIA is the only national trade association representing all segments of the offshore industry with an interest in the exploration and production of both traditional and renewable energy resources on the nation’s outer continental shelf. NOIA’s mission is to secure reliable access and a fair regulatory and economic environment for the companies that develop the nation’s valuable offshore energy resources in an environmentally responsible manner. The NOIA membership comprises nearly 300 companies engaged in business activities ranging from producing to drilling, engineering to marine and air transport, offshore construction to equipment manufacture and supply, telecommunications to finance and insurance, and renewable energy.
Morning Consult | Monday, October 5, 2015 | By Randall Luthi
Last week, in the wee hours of the morning on the East Coast, Shell announced it was suspending its offshore Alaska operations, after finding insufficient quantities of hydrocarbons to justify further development at its sole well in the Chukchi Sea. The news rippled its way around the globe, through Washington, DC and the North Slope of Alaska, leaving in its wake jubilant opponents of oil and natural gas development, disappointed job seekers and industry supporters in Alaska (and in the Gulf of Mexico), a half empty trans-Alaska pipeline, and questions within the energy industry of what comes next.
Shell expended over $7 billion on this “dry hole”. In addition, they have battled transportation mishaps, expensive renovations to drill ships, Green Peace hounding their every move, and an exploration plan unnecessarily crimped by Federal regulations. I heartily commend Shell for their efforts and their steadfastness in working with the local native governmental groups to pave the way for local support and understanding of oil and natural gas exploration. More importantly, Shell showed a wary public that exploration and drilling can be done safely in the Arctic. The technology is there, it has been used in other parts of the world, but the real challenge was navigating under the regulatory thumb of the Federal government.
From the view of the Federal regulators, they were going to do everything in their power to allow little or no margin for error. Shell was required to have the equipment and ability to cap a leaking well, response ships on stand-by and another drilling rig sitting idle in case a relief well was needed. The regulatory prohibition of not being able to drill more than one exploratory well certainly made that a Hail Mary attempt.
To the cheers of many environmental groups and the disappointment of others, Shell’s long shot missed. But the attempt doesn’t mean there aren’t commercially available oil and natural gas resources in the area; it just means there weren’t any where Shell drilled. But, what does it really mean? Is future Arctic exploration frozen out, or is this just a step backward, while gearing up for a big leap forward?
TribLive | Tuesday, September 29, 2015 | Jeffrey Kupfer
Speaking to a crowd of oil and gas field workers, Gov. Jeb Bush gave a national voice to what everyone in this region has experienced — that developing and using our domestic energy resources is essential for strong economic growth.
Gov. Bush has the evidence to back him up. According to consulting firm IHS CERA, our country's new oil and gas production — anchored by this area's Marcellus shale — has been responsible for nearly 40 percent of U.S. overall GDP growth from 2008 to 2013.
All of this means that what we're doing in Pennsylvania to get energy out of the ground is essential to creating good, high-paying jobs, restarting our factories and making America even more competitive. Over 240,000 Pennsylvanians are working in jobs tied to natural gas production, and homeowners are saving on average $1,200 a year in lower energy bills compared to 2008.
Recent declines in oil and gas prices have curtailed investment in the energy sector. Sure enough, that has hit businesses and workers. However, we don't need to take that situation as a given, as something outside of our control. If we implement the policies outlined by Bush, we can continue to have an affordable and reliable supply of energy, as well as create vibrant economic growth in this region and the rest of the country.
Jeffrey Kupfer is the former acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Energy Department. He is also an adjunct professor of policy and management at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College.