The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry has urged the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to consider regionwide leasing in the Gulf of Mexico in the government’s offshore oil and gas leasing program that runs from 2017 to 2022.
“Any scenarios that might diminish or end new leases in the Gulf of Mexico from the 2017-2022 offshore program poses significant risks to the nation’s energy and economic security as well as livelihoods and communities across Louisiana and the Gulf Coast,” LABI President Stephen Waguespack writes in the letter.
Excluding the Gulf of Mexico from the leasing program, Waguespack writes, means the country would lose 60% of its production and would have to begin importing more foreign oil to replace the loss.
Environmental groups have spoken out against offshore drilling and the sale of new oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico, including holding a protest during a lease sale held in New Orleans in March. Opponents say drilling kills wildlife and damages the environment.
On Monday, more protesters gathered at another BOEM meeting in New Orleans. The meeting was held to get public comment on the potential environmental impacts of offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting was the first in which the federal government sought input from supporters and opponents of offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico Region. The second meeting is taking place until 7 p.m. today in Houston.
The BOEM promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through managing offshore energy resources. It was created after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, which killed 11 people and unleashed a torrent of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Today marks the sixth anniversary of the explosion.
In his letter, Waguespack writes that technological advancements are being made every day to protect wetlands and aquatic habitats as well as the workers on the rigs and platforms.
“The Gulf of Mexico’s offshore resources are a critical component of a sensible national energy policy that promotes access to reliable, affordable domestic energy for years to come,” Waguespack writes.
Waguespack, in a statement, says the BOEM excluding the Gulf of Mexico from the 2017-2022 leasing program will have disastrous effects on Louisiana’s economy and the country’s energy security. Louisiana is the nation’s second-largest oil and natural gas producer and has the second-largest refining capacity.
“The Gulf of Mexico provides 20 percent of the nation’s crude oil supply, performing an essential service to meet the nation’s energy needs, and providing jobs and economic opportunities for the American workforce,” he says.
