"In Utah alone, the industry is sitting on more than 1.7 million acres of unused federal oil and gas leases on some of our nation's wildest and most culturally significant public lands . Biden said the oil industry has "9,000 permits to drill now. 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.. "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. Photo of electric charging station powered by diesel generator is emblematic of the electric vehicle movement. Before drilling can occur, the leaseholder has to get a federal permit. 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. Rifles were involved in 297 deaths in the U.S. in 2022 and constipation killed 2,167., Drinking or using tap water treated with chlorine is dangerous because chlorine is a poison., Joe Biden described America as the foothills of the Himalayas with Xi Jinping., Kid Rock tweeted, Some people wouldnt recognize tyranny if it slapped a mask on their face, made them stand 6 feet apart, and forced them to take a vaccine for a virus with a 99.8% survival rate., The train that derailed in Ohio was carrying over 300,000 gallons of a chemical that was banned in 1974.. | Terms & Conditions | Privacy, Psaki has made the claim about unused federal leases, Pipeline Strategic Data Tracking System (PSDTS). or redistributed. Bidens number is correct: There are 9,137 approved permits to drill on federal and Indian land, and the oil industry could use those permits and drill. March 2, 2021, PolitiFact, No, the U.S. did not end its domestic oil production. The president suggested the onus is on the industry to start drilling. The decision, which halts the potential to drill for oil . Investors remain reluctant to invest in fossil fuels. Late last . "So it simply wasnt profitable to drill with oil below $70. "Families cant afford that companies sit on their hands. 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 . Thousands of unused permits are not uncommon in any presidential administration. Conclusion. No, the U.S. did not end its domestic oil production. ", "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. 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. Companies dont have to immediately begin drilling as their leases last 10 years and can be extended beyond that. earlier this month on the Senate floor, blasting the industry for "squatting" on Americans' land to drive up prices to make . Joe Biden: The oil industry has "9,000 permits to drill now. The Biden administration quietly updated a federal database that shows how many unused oil and gas drilling permits that it has approved, reducing the number by more than 2,000.. 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 . ", "Almost every study now has said with these new boosters, you're more likely to get infected with the bivalent booster. It suggests American producers have been motivated by a desire to manipulate the market during the current crisis in Europe. He said that right now, even if he can get the upfront cash he needs to drill more wells, its unlikely he could make it happen. The Democrat went on to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline and implement a moratorium on new gas leases within days of taking office. President Biden says he wants more domestic oil production but he is doing nothing positive to make that happen. Department of the Interior Before drilling can occur, the lease holder has to get a federal permit. A drilling rig operated by Camino Natural Resources, LLC, in Calumet, Oklahoma. The average barrels of crude oil produced per day spiked during Trumps subsequent years, swelling to almost 12.3 million in 2019. This is false. REPUBLICANS UNVEIL EFFORT TO REMOVE BIDEN ADMIN'S BARRIERS BLOCKING OIL AND GAS DRILLING, President Joe Biden and his administration had repeatedly cited 9,000 unused oil and gas drilling permits, arguing that the oil and gas industry had the ability to immediately begin producing to reduce high fuel prices. , "Oil and gas companies already have leases the size of Indiana," said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) In addition to Biden, top administration officials such as National Security Council spokesman John Kirby and former White House press secretary Jen Psaki have used the 9,000-permit talking point to argue that the oil and gas industry has "plenty of opportunities to drill here in the United States." The Bureau of Land Management, which oversees nearly 250 million acres of federal lands, altered its estimate for the current number of approved but unused applications for . Previously, he worked as a reporter for Axios, where he covered, Amy Sherman is a staff writer with PolitiFact based in South Florida. That's enough to last the industry another 10 years, by one estimate . . Pavel Molchanov, an analyst at Raymond James, told CNN Business that "oil and gas companies do not want to drill more. [9] As a result, the moratorium on new leases will not impact the production of oil and gas in the short term as drilling will likely . The Biden administration quietly updated a federal database showing how many unused oil and gas drilling permits it has approved, reducing the number by more than 2,000.. The truth is that Big Oil already has over 10 million acres of unused leases in its arsenal, as well as enough unused approved drilling permits to last over a decade. "They have 9,000 permits to drill now. They could be drilling right now, yesterday, last week, last year. ", stated on January 30, 2023 in a Facebook post, How oil drilling in Bidens first year compares to Trump. The U.S. has more than 24 million acres under lease to oil and gas companies onshore close to half are not producing. Still, the Biden administration maintained its anti-oil rhetoric. a bipartisan bill with Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa to modernize the federal oil and gas program's outdated . Hes right on the numbers of permits but what that means is a little more complicated than his statement suggests. "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," Frank Macchiarola, the American Petroleum Institute's senior vice president of policy, economics and regulatory affairs, told Fox News Digital. So this is a map of our acreage, he said, referring to an area between 6,000 and 7,000 acres in size. President Biden and top White House officials repeatedly stated last year that oil and gas exploration companies were sitting on 9,000 unused drilling permits, a figure the administration admitted was inaccurate Monday.. ", In 2020, the oil bust created worker and supply shortages and caused companies to cut their budgets. Onshore, of the more than 26 million acres under lease to the oil and gas industry, nearly 13.9 million (or 53%) of those acres are unused and non-producing. Heres some money, go get a third rig. I cant get the pipe. I stopped his Election from being stolen. Totals may change based on date of report generation due to ongoing data cleanup efforts. 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. The U.S. Energy Information Administration in 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. Before coming to API, Kevin served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President in two different roles, and as Deputy Solicitor for Energy & Minerals at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Join us for a free, virtual event for International Women's Day on March 8! Then, Biden administration support for robust U.S. production might have helped deter Moscow from thinking that European nations dependent on Russian energy might do less to oppose Russia the aggressor. The Biden administration quietly updated a federal database that shows how many unused oil and gas drilling permits that it has approved, reducing the number by more than 2,000. , 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. Cohorn at Henry Resources said his land and legal crew started acquiring mineral leases in 2016. 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. stated on February 8, 2023 a Facebook post: stated on January 29, 2023 an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press": stated on January 17, 2023 a press conference: stated on January 3, 2023 a press release: stated on December 16, 2022 a town hall for U.S. veterans: stated on December 14, 2022 a press release: stated on December 9, 2022 a press conference: stated on November 27, 2022 an interview on CNN: stated on November 10, 2022 a statement on Truth Social: stated on October 31, 2022 a campaign ad: stated on February 25, 2023 in a Facebook post: stated on February 22, 2023 in a Facebook post: stated on February 26, 2023 in an Instagram post: stated on February 27, 2023 in a Facebook post: stated on February 15, 2023 in a Facebook post: stated on February 26, 2023 in a video on Facebook: stated on February 25, 2023 in an Instagram post: stated on February 18, 2023 in a Facebook post: All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2020, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! They exist. order signed by President Biden shortly after taking office did "direct the Department of the Interior to pause new oil and natural gas leasing on public lands and offshore waters, concurrent with a comprehensive review of the federal oil and gas program." . One of PolitiFacts longstanding principles is to rate fact-checks based on evidence available at the time. Thousands of unused permits are not uncommon in any presidential administration. PolitiFact: Biden right oil industry has over 9,000 permits to drill. Now, his own administration is acknowledging that's wrong. Tomorrow's lease sale is a step in the wrong direction, and the administration needs to do better." After decades of an industry-first management approach to offshore leasing at DOI, oil and gas companies have stockpiled more than 9.3 million acres of unused, non-producing leases sitting off U.S. coasts. The argument about "unused" leases is a red herring, a smokescreen for energy policies that have had a hamstringing effect on the world's leading producer of natural gas and oil. Is Biden sharing all the facts here? Copyright 2021 - API. "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.". All rights reserved. Source: Bureau of Land Management data. What Does EPA Say About Water Contamination? "These are the facts. Instead, the administration discouraged American energy. ", "Florida's water is dirtier and sicker than when Gov. He contended that the onus is on U.S. oil and gas companies that have permits to begin drilling, but havent started. The average barrels of crude oil produced per day spiked during Trumps subsequent years, swelling to almost 12.3 million in 2019. 801 3rd St. S "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. However, once the permit is approved, drilling doesnt start overnight. So, I took a trip out to ground zero for domestic oil and gas production Texas Permian Basin to hopefully bring some back. Thomas Catenacci is a politics writer for Fox News Digital. The oil and gas industry has a substantial number of unused permits to drill onshore. "The argument about "unused" leases is a red herring, a smokescreen for energy policies that have had a hamstringing effect on the world's leading ", "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. 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. "So, I would suggest you ask the oil companies why they're not using those, if there's a desire to drill more. the Mineral Leasing Act. Labor is in such short supply in the region that stories like this are common, Cohorn said. All Rights Reserved. The oil and gas industry has stockpiled millions of acres of leases on public lands and waters. Posted on 3/6/22 at 5:22 pm to Negatiger1986. Oil production on federal lands fell to 12.28 million barrels per day in November, the latest month with data. some 40% of the mineral acreage leased by companies goes unused . 25). The BLM's current lease sales and NEPA process have included a 30-day scoping period, 30 . The BLM state and regional offices hold quarterly oil and gas lease sales if they have parcels available. For federal onshore, the Mineral Leasing Act prevents any one company from locking up unproductive excessive federal acreage. Washington, DC ", "I got a list of 20 jurisdictions that defunded the police to the tune of over $1 billion total. Alaska leaders demand Biden administration 'not kill' oil drilling project, West Virginia House approves pay raises for governor, other officials, West Virginia House passes bill to ban child marriage, Cruz, Roy demand answers from Garland on FBI allegedly secretly recording progressive anti-abortion group, Biden quotes Dr. Seuss after previously erasing beloved author from National Reading Day. "There are 9,000 unused approved drilling permits," former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last March. "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. But that location is just right up there, where the frack crew is.. At the end of 2021, there were 9,173 approved and available permits to drill on federal and Indian lands. Now, the oil industry is sitting on a remarkable 9,173 approved, but unused, federal lands drilling permits. Here is the average price in each state. What are the Claims of Anti-Fracking Activists? . It took us all of probably three to four years to consolidate enough acreage to start drilling to begin with, he said. So it simply wasnt profitable to drill with oil below $70. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. They could be drilling right now, yesterday, last week, last year. You can view The Poynter Institutes most-recent public financial disclosure form 990, Poynter ACES Introductory Certificate in Editing, Why Fox News might prevail in court but lose in the court of public opinion, Food stamp emergency benefits end today for 28 million Americans, Communications Specialist - Richmond, VA (23294), Connecticut College - Director Media Relations - New London, CT (06320), NY Daily News Politics and Government Editor - New York, NY (10004), Journalism and Communications Internships - Washington, DC (20009), University of California Berkeley - Cohort Manager (4517U) - 48381 - Berkeley, CA (94720), Need Someone Who LOVES Local News! For Fox News Digital the electric vehicle movement us for a free, virtual event International... S outdated lease holder has to get a federal permit he wants more domestic oil on... Million acres under lease to oil and gas lease sales and NEPA unused federal oil leases have included a scoping... 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