Quote Originally Posted by CajunZ1 View Post
_ Wait, I thought it was a 6 month moratorium. Is it now a year?? Does this apply to wells that are currently drilling?
igeaux.mobi _
Sorry to be confusing. There is a 6 month moratorium that was imposed last week on all new drilling permits. That has not changed. What I was referring to is back before the BP incident when Obama announced that he was going to open drilling in previously closed areas off of Florida and the East Coast he closed off (permanently) areas in Alaska that were already leased an mapped with reports that Shell was ready to spud within a year. Unlike the areas he "opened" on the East Coast this bay area in Alaska has already be prepped and wells were ready to begin to be developed. This area in Alaska could have likely seen first production within the year if they hit pay with the well. It would not take long to bring the well to production since much of the needed infrastructure is already in place in Alaska.

Even if the 6 month moratorium on new drilling were not in place the areas off of the East Coast and Florida will likely take years to see first production. I'm not even certain if those leases have been bid yet. I seriously doubt if the area has been seismically mapped if it has not been leased. And since no infrastructure is in place as it already is in Alaska and offshore Texas and Louisiana, even once the exploratory well is a legitimate find platforms, pipelines and other handling facilities have to be built. It won't happen overnight. I sincerely believe Obama had no real intent to back an increase in domestic production. If he did he would not have shut down the drilling in Alaska. It was, IMO, all a political ploy meant to falsely position himself to the center as he pushed for his cap and trade bill. He knows that the East Coast drilling would take years to become reality and it he could reverse his position later or rely on environmental groups and Salazaar and the bureaucracy to block it.