Those permits . Biden again reiterated that there are 9,000 unused oil drilling permits on federal lands, and called on Congress to make oil companies pay fees on wells from leases that they "haven't used in years and on acres of public . And the bottom line is, if people like Mike Oestmann and Patrick Cohorn could drill more, they would. Out in the Midland Basin, a whole slew of ranchers own the rights to the oil underground. At the same time, this is a really profitable business, especially with West Texas Intermediate trading at close to $100 a barrel. CEO of Alaska Oil & Gas Association Kara Moriarty joined "Fox & Friends First" to discuss the implications of canceling the project and why it would hurt the locals most. Thousands of unused permits are not uncommon in any presidential administration. Experts also suggested that drilling domestically is more costly than drilling overseas, which could further deter oil companies in the U.S. from upping production. Some companies choose not to drill for corporate reasons because they can raise funds from investors by not drilling on leases with proven reserves. What are the Claims of Anti-Fracking Activists? President Joe Biden. 25). noted that the oil and natural gas industry, Why politicians have little sway over gas prices, To drill or not to drill, that is the question with oil at $80 a barrel, In West Texas, astronomers worry about growing oilfield light pollution, Texas oil and gas industry should temper its job-creation claims, report says, Fracking flourishes as era of net-zero carbon looms, Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on, Confident in the economy or not, American consumers are going out, Why the U.S. wants more limits on Americans' private investment in Chinese firms, Ticktock, TikTok: Government agencies are on the clock to purge the app from all devices, Biden's student loan forgiveness plan goes before the Supreme Court. There is actually an incentive for the companies not to develop these resources because for publicly traded companies, these reserves get reported and influence market valuation, Daigle said. Biden has a point that the U.S. produced more during his first year than Trumps first year. Here is the average price in each state. Those guys are tripping in and out to go in and try to latch on to that ESP and try to pull it out, Cohorn said. We need your help. This is exactly what the worlds leading producer of natural gas and oil should do, especially in times of turbulence. Labor is in such short supply in the region that stories like this are common, Cohorn said. The president suggested the onus is on the industry to start drilling. Gas prices are high and up another 7 cents nationwide. District of Columbia The EIN for the organization is 59-1630423. I sent in the FBI and the U.S. While the cost to extract one barrel in Saudi Arabia is somewhere around $10 or $15, in West Texas it can be as high as $70, Gernot Wagner, an associate professor of environmental studies at New York University, told PolitiFact. And is it Joe Bidens fault? TheU.S. Energy Information Administrationin January forecasted that U.S. oil production will average 12.4 million barrels per day during 2023, surpassing the record high for domestic crude oil production set in 2019. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. FOSSIL FUEL PROFITS ARE VITAL FOR GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS DEMS ROUTINELY TOUT, "Right now, the oil and gas industry is sitting on nearly 9,000 unused but approved permits for production on federal lands," Biden remarked in March 2022. In response to widespread criticism regarding the administration's restrictions on federal fossil fuel leasing amid all-time high gasoline prices, the White House repeatedly touted the 9,000-permit figure and argued industry had the ability to immediately begin producing. "Producers also have to put a drilling plan together, secure rights of way and work with state and private landowners," Pett said. They could be drilling right now, yesterday, last week, last year.". Those permits include those issued under Biden and those still active from Trumps administration and potentially before, said Josh Axelrod, of the National Resources Defense Council. Corporate strategy has fundamentally changed.. For perspective, Doug Ackerman, President of the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, said it takes upwards of 12 months to get the 30-50 permits required to drill a single well during a House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing earlier this month. "Right now, the oil and gas industry is sitting on nearly 9,000 unused but approved permits for production on federal . Production peaked at 13 million barrels a day under the Trump administration. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you. The time for helping Ukraine with American energy was months ago. Experts also suggested that drilling domestically is more costly than drilling overseas, which could further deter oil companies in the U.S. from upping production. All Rights Reserved. the Mineral Leasing Act. They could be drilling right now, yesterday, last week, last year.". How Many Jobs Has the Oil and Natural Gas Industry Created? Biden complained about unused leases in his bid to spur supply and reduce gasoline prices. And of the remaining 10% that occurs on federal land, the oil and gas industry has millions of acres leased," Biden said. At the end of 2021, there were 9,173 approved and available permits to drill on federal and Indian lands. The Bureau of Land Management, which oversees oil and gas development on federal lands, updated its tally in an end-of-the-year report that shows that figure instead should have been much less, standing at about 6,600 untapped permits as of this month.. "Sometimes there might not really even be producible oil and gas on a lease," Daigle said. What are Alternatives to Make Fracking Less Impactful? Oil and gas companies can raise funds from investors by not drilling on leases with proven reserves, said Hugh Daigle, an associate professor at the University of Texas Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. Of those 25 million acres, roughly half are sitting idle, meaning oil companies hold existing rights . Inform me please. OScannlain is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Notre Dame Law School. Before drilling can occur, the lease holder has to get a federal permit. "Theyre not drilling. How is Groundwater Protected During Hydraulic Fracturing? Suggests "108 FIFA registered players/coaches have died" because of COVID-19 vaccines. some 40% of the mineral acreage leased by companies goes unused . During Bidens first year in office, the U.S. produced an average of about 11 million barrels of crude oil per day compared to Trumps 9 million barrels per day in his first year. A frack pit is basically a pond full of water thatll be used to help force oil out of the ground. Investors remain reluctant to invest in fossil fuels. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist and president of the American Action Forum, a center-right think tank, said firms are trying to assess the durability of the global rebound. ", "It's President Biden who is proposing to cut Medicare Advantage. Prior to that, he was an attorney for Chevron, DLA Piper LLP, and the U.S. Senate. Feb 2021 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 2022 Feb 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700. Ultimately, energy policies affect the energy investment climate. Sign up for the daily Marketplace newsletter to make sense of the most important business and economic news. Before drilling can occur, the lease holder has to get a federal permit. ", stated on January 30, 2023 in a Facebook post, How oil drilling in Bidens first year compares to Trump. March 2, 2021, PolitiFact, No, the U.S. did not end its domestic oil production. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy, Psaki has made the claim about unused federal leases, Pipeline Strategic Data Tracking System (PSDTS). From a federal regulatory standpoint, once a permit is approved, industry can proceed. The U.S. has more than 24 million acres under lease to oil and gas companies onshore close to half are not producing. Get the Poynter newsletter that's right for you. The head of the biggest U.S. oil lobby groups said the Biden administration is "misusing facts" when it claims the industry has more than 9,000 federal drilling permits on which it can drill . Even then, he said, getting oil out of the ground takes time. Companies sometimes hold leases as a bit of a mind game with their competitors, or even just because they didnt properly assess the production potential prior to leasing due to lack of data or that sort of thing., In 2020, the oil bust created worker and supply shortages and caused companies to cut their budgets. earlier this month on the Senate floor, blasting the industry for "squatting" on Americans' land to drive up prices to make . Those 9,000 permits Biden mentioned allow companies to drill on federal land. . The agency explained: "This number has been updated to account for a reporting discrepancy resulting from a transition to a new database in mid-2020. Companies dont have to immediately begin drilling as their leases last 10 years and can be extended beyond that. FACT CHECK: Is Tom Brady's New Girlfriend Jewish? Department of the Interior President Joe Biden said that his policies have not made the U.S. less equipped to withstand the impact of the ban on Russian energy imports. ", "They are under pressure from the financial community to pay more dividends, to do more share buybacks instead of the proverbial 'drill, baby, drill,' which is the way they would have done things 10 years ago. Companies have to contract rigs to drill the wells, and build a sufficient inventory of permits before rigs are contracted, said Jennifer Pett, a spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Association of America, a trade group that represents oil and natural gas producers. That data showed that as of the end of 2021, there were 9,173 approved and available permits to drill on federal and Indian lands. That's enough to last the industry another 10 years, by one estimate . 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Revenues are split between the state where the drilling occurs and the U.S. Treasury. Having thousands of unused drilling permits is not something that is unique to Bidens tenure. You rely on Marketplace to break down the worlds events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. 3395 issued by the acting secretary of the Department of the Interior, Scott de la Vega, on January 20, 2021, which implemented a 60-day suspension of new oil and gas leasing and drilling permits for federal land and water. During Bidens first year in office, the U.S.produced an averageof about 11 million barrels of crude oil per day compared to Trumps 9 million barrels per day in his first year. Previously, he worked as a reporter for Axios, where he covered, Amy Sherman is a staff writer with PolitiFact based in South Florida. Are gas prices going up? Production peaked at 13 million barrels a day under the Trump administration. Everything in yellow is acreage that we own and operate, he told me. The second, by some industry opponents, is that ramping up U.S. production will not help the Ukrainian people today. Eric Gay/AP. T he Interior Department revised down its estimate of the total number of unused federal drilling permits, which the Biden administration used much of last year as a . At the end of 2021, there were 9,173 approved and available permits to drill on federal and Indian lands. The revenue reported includes the first year's rent of $1.50 per acre, a bonus bid of not less than $2 an acre, and an administrative fee. No, the U.S. did not end its domestic oil production. "Its simply not true that my administration or policies are holding back domestic energy production," Biden said March 8 in a speech announcing a U.S. ban on Russian oil imports. While crude oil production fell slightly in December 2021 compared to November 2021, the EIA has predicted U.S. production of crude oil will rise to average 12 million barrels per day in 2022 and . Shortages of steel pipe, sand and workers are cutting into potential oil production. Lets address two claims heard about American natural gas and oil production amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis. "It is time for the administration to end the finger-pointing and instead support American production with a comprehensive strategy for American energy development one that includes a final five-year program for offshore leasing and quarterly onshore lease sales," Macchiarola continued. Those companieswhich determine their drilling plans more than a year in advancehave also faced labor shortages under Biden, with the oil industry comprising roughly 12,400 fewer workers last year than it did prior to the coronavirus pandemic. What Does EPA Say About Water Contamination? "Psaki has made the claim about 'unused' federal leases before," O'Scannlain notes. They have 9,000 to drill onshore that are already approved., Biden said that the companies are not using these permits to drill. Were just there as oversight.. Reacting to todays news, Frank Macchiarola, APIs senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs said, Despite the administrations inaccurate and misleading numbers, the reality is that the U.S. natural gas and oil industry is confronting the global energy crisis by continuing to work to meet the energy needs of U.S. consumers and our allies abroad. Gas prices later reached record highsin June 2022, the average price for a gallon of gas in the United States hit $5 for the first time ever. A shale well, for example, could cost about $7 million to drill. More: Gas prices are high and up another 7 cents nationwide. Investors remain reluctant to invest in fossil fuels. or redistributed. But it does import some of its oil from Russia, The U.S. did not double oil imports from Russia in the last year, "George Soros has endorsed (Ron) DeSantis for 2024. Experts also suggested that drilling domestically is more costly than drilling overseas, which could further deter oil companies in the U.S. from upping production. However, the unused drilling leases represent a fraction of the active permits, many of which are being used by the private sector to produce oil and gas daily, industry groups said. "There are 9,000 unused, approved drilling permits. "They have to be sure that the costly investment (and time) that it takes to turn a lease into a producing well is worth it.". Beyond that, he doesnt really know what politicians could do to get more oil out of the ground. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. , Patrick Cohorn, operations manager at a family-owned energy company called Henry Resources, headquartered in Midland, Texas, drove me out to a stretch of land just north of the town of Rankin. PolitiFact: Biden right oil industry has over 9,000 permits to drill. What the administration is doing is theyre trying to do what they can, with what little leverage they have, to try to get oil and gasoline prices down.. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. For nearly a year, the Biden administration has attempted to redirect scrutiny over its slow walking of federal oil and gas leases by chastising U.S . 33701 Is Biden sharing all the facts here? President Biden says he wants more domestic oil production but he is doing nothing positive to make that happen. A drilling rig operated by Camino Natural Resources, LLC, in Calumet, Oklahoma. March 8, 2022 There are 9,000 unused oil and gas leases on Federal lands that the companies have not touched. Companies have to contract rigs to drill the wells, and build a sufficient inventory of permits before rigs are contracted, said Jennifer Pett, a spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Association of America, a trade group that represents oil and natural gas producers. The numbers on oil and gas leasing in Nevada over the last several years show us how broken the federal leasing program is. Occidental has more than 500 unused federal permits. "They have 9,000 permits to drill now. They arent necessarily the same people who own the mineral rights. I try to think of what could they do immediately to make a difference, and I think, Change that rhetoric. Thats an easy thing to do, he said. Under Biden, new oil leasing has slowed to its lowest level since World War II, with the Democrat only approving court-ordered or congressionally mandated leases. According to Interior's figures, more than three-quarters of the offshore federal waters already under lease remain unused that's about 8 million acres where companies could drill new . Sometimes there might not really even be producible oil and gas on a lease, Daigle said. But US producers won't fill that gap, March 2, 2022, PolitiFact, Are gas prices going up? Hes right on the numbers of permits but what that means is a little more complicated than his statement suggests. Douglas Holtz-Eakin, an economist and president of the American Action Forum, a center-right think tank, said firms are trying to assess the durability of the global rebound. Were a company running two rigs. FOSSIL FUEL PROFITS ARE VITAL FOR GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS DEMS ROUTINELY TOUT. In addition, DOI has issued 7,700 unused drilling permits. 5 relinquished oil and gas leases. Totals may change based on date of report generation due to ongoing data cleanup efforts. The decision, which halts the potential to drill for oil . As of September 30, 2021, the oil and gas industry holds more than 9,600 approved permits that are . , "They have 9,000 permits to drill now. How Much Water Does Hydraulic Fracturing Use? . Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. ", "Almost every study now has said with these new boosters, you're more likely to get infected with the bivalent booster. The DOI has delayed issuing a congressionally five-year plan for offshore drilling and is weighing a complete block on such leasing through 2028. Before drilling can occur, the leaseholder has to get a federal permit. Fossil FUEL PROFITS are VITAL for GREEN energy PROJECTS DEMS ROUTINELY TOUT PROFITS are VITAL for energy. I try to think of what could they do immediately to make a difference, and the line... Get the Poynter newsletter that 's right for you not touched newsletter that 's right for you prices are and! 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Not end unused federal oil leases domestic oil production amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis a permit is approved, industry can.. Times of turbulence to cut Medicare Advantage in Calumet, Oklahoma investment climate, energy policies affect energy. Get more oil out of the most important business and economic news lease holder has to get a permit! Pit is basically a pond full of water thatll be used to help force oil out the... And oil should do, especially in times of turbulence rewritten, or redistributed doesnt!