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Science/Tech See other Science/Tech Articles Title: Oil, much gas off limits on public lands BILLINGS, Mont. — A new report from the Bush administration says most of the oil and more than 40 percent of the natural gas beneath public lands in the U.S. are off limits to drilling. Opening those reserves — by rolling back environmental safeguards and employing new drilling technologies — would give energy companies access to an estimated 19 billion barrels of oil and 231 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, administration officials said Wednesday. The Bureau of Land Management report is likely to add to growing political pressure to curb fuel imports and dampen prices by ramping up domestic energy production. But it comes amid a development backlash in some parts of the country, where drilling rigs are blamed for interrupting wildlife migrations, fouling water supplies and marring natural vistas. “If we want to lower the cost of energy, we must be willing to use our own energy resources as part of a balanced and rational energy policy,” said Assistant Secretary of Interior Stephen Allred. The inaccessible reserves outlined in Wednesday’s report amounts to roughly a 2½-year supply of oil and a 10-year supply of natural gas, based on current consumption. It includes the Williston Basin in North Dakota. The report drew sharp criticism from a leading member of Congress for oversimplifying the nation’s energy woes. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall said drilling on federal lands has increased steadily since 2000 — even as gas prices rose. He said the BLM report gives the “absolutely false impression” that more drilling equates to cheaper energy prices for consumers. “We simply cannot drill our way to lower prices at the pump,” Rahall said. Wednesday’s report sharply ratcheted up previous estimates of restrictions to production. In 2003, a study concentrating on Western states indicated almost 80 percent of oil and gas reserves in the region was open to development. The latest study covers a much broader area — 279 million acres managed by federal agencies. It does not include state or private lands, which generally have fewer restrictions on development and account for the majority of drilling activity in many states. Nationwide, energy companies now hold mineral leases on about 44 million acres of federal land. In 2007, companies produced oil and gas from 11.6 million leased acres — or one-quarter of the total available. Oil companies face other constraints beyond laws that limit where and when development can occur. Houston-based Anadarko Petroleum Corp. says it’s producing as much gas and oil as it can given the limited availability of drill rigs and crews. Still, a spokesman said the company is in favor of more access. “We’re one of the few counties in the world that keeps much of our domestic resources off-limits,” spokesman John Christiansen said.
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