In response to congressional Democrats obstructing new offshore leasing until all existing leases are fully developed, I request that the Democratic National Committee put its money where its mouth is, so as to apply their assumed earth science expertise to locate the undeveloped petroleum precisely. Why not offer $17/ft bottomhole money to lessees to drill no shallower then 17,000 ft total vertical depth at specific surface locations of the Democrats’ choice in, say, the Gulf of Mexico’s offshore Galveston, Cameron, South Timbalier, Ship Shoal, Grand Isle, West Delta, and Breton Sound areas, in exchange for 17% working interests in such leases? Oil operators seek partners to spread risks.
Rep. Peter A. DeFazio (D-Ore.), among others, seems so certain that he knows where the undeveloped commercial hydrocarbons are that he advised his colleagues (or at least the TV news camera operators), “Hey, c’mon on, guys!.. It’s there.” All that is needed is more development of existing leases.
Democrats, deliberately remaining ignorant of petroleum, promote the harmful, juvenile fiction that merely because oil, gas and/or mineral leases exist, they must indicate presence of commercial hydrocarbons. As millions of better, wiser, mature US citizens know, initially such leases are basically hunting licenses. Someone believes that commercial petroleum may be present and seeks drilling rights to find out. Were this not so, no one would ever drill dry holes in any sedimentary basin anywhere, in Oregon, Alaska (remember Mukluk?), or elsewhere.
Much of the Gulf of Mexico, which generally tends to be gassier westward, oilier eastward, had been picked over by the early 1970s when I was one of thousands picking it over. For example, I advised my (then) employer against leasing the off-structure West Delta Block 69 North Half, as they were already producing their on-structure Block 69 South Half lease. I also mapped the West Delta-Grand Isle Federal Unit reservoir limits to present to the US Geological Survey so that my (then) employer could keep its leased acreage while productive within reservoir limits and relinquish the remainder outside these limits.
Harrison T. Brundage
Retired geologist and technical writer
Houston