", Biden said that the companies are not using these permits to drill. Posted on 3/6/22 at 5:22 pm to Negatiger1986. , Is Biden sharing all the facts here? This is the path to sound energy policy that keeps America safe and strong and allows American energy to support allies. Why is fracking for natural gas important? AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File. ", "It's President Biden who is proposing to cut Medicare Advantage. The minimum royalty rate is significantly lower than those used in most states and on private land and the BLM is providing an improved return to the taxpayer by using a royalty rate of 18.75% for the leases sold in the current competitive lease sales. This is all private land, which is where 90% of the oil produced in the U.S. comes from. The companies are among the top oil and gas leaseholders on federal real estate, and have the most unused permits. 996 canceled oil and gas leases. Even then, he said, getting oil out of the ground takes time. If . 5 withdrawn oil and gas leases. Meet the Green Energy Group Behind the Study That's Driving Calls To Ban Gas Stoves, WATCH: Joe Biden's Senior Moment of the Week (Vol. 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.. Psaki said 90% of leases are on public lands and that there are 9,000 unused drilling permits. They could be drilling right now, yesterday, last week, last year." Biden's number is correct: There are 9,137 approved permits to . Cohorn said subcontractors are so busy, they can only make it to wells like this every so often. You know, if the federal government is complaining about 9,000 leases, not having anything done with them well, thats just a very small fraction of the total amount of leased acreage out there, said Hugh Daigle. "In the United States, 90% of onshore oil production takes place on land that isn't owned by the federal government. Now, his own administration is acknowledging that's wrong. 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. Hes right on the numbers of permits but what that means is a little more complicated than his statement suggests. Revenues are split between the state where the drilling occurs and the U.S. Treasury. The Democrat went on to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline and implement a moratorium on new gas leases within days of taking office. "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. Published under: As a result, Henry Resources has been standing by with an unproductive well for two months. 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. Market data provided by Factset. The Biden administration has also dragged its feet on oil and gas lease sales, only holding sales when directed by either federal courts or the Inflation Reduction Act. 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." . Now, the oil industry is sitting on a remarkable 9,173 approved, but unused, federal lands drilling permits. Investors remain reluctant to invest in fossil fuels. The American Petroleum Institute admonished the administration for its "inaccurate and misleading numbers" and called on Biden to "support American production.". Biden has a point that the U.S. produced more during his first year than Trumps first year. 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. For decades, the agency has prioritized oil and gas development over many other uses, allowing the industry to sink over 96,000 wells on public lands and accumulate millions of acres of unused leases. She added that oil and gas companies have been limiting costs and . What are the Claims of Anti-Fracking Activists? Feb 2021 Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan 2022 Feb 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700. Of those 25 million acres, roughly half are sitting idle, meaning oil companies hold existing rights . ", Biden said that the companies are not using these permits to drill. The president suggested the onus is on the industry to start drilling. It sits about an hour outside Midland and its where Henrys crews are fracking for oil. Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content. All Rights Reserved. But it does import some of its oil from Russia, Feb. 28, 2022, PolitiFact, The U.S. did not double oil imports from Russia in the last year, Feb. 28, 2022, Email interview, Vedant Patel, White House spokesperson, March 8, 2022, Email interview, Melissa Schwartz, Department of Interior spokesperson, March 8, 2022, Email interview, Jennifer Pett, spokesperson for the Independent Petroleum Association of America, March 8, 2022, Email interview, Josh Axelrod, National Resources Defense Council senior advocate, March 8, 2022, Email interview, Hugh Daigle, associate professor at the University of Texas Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, March 9, 2022, Email interview, Gernot Wagner, associate professor of environmental studies at New York University, March 9, 2022, Email interview, Gary Yohe, professor of economics and environmental studies at Wesleyan University, March 9, 2022, This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: PolitiFact: Biden right oil industry has over 9,000 permits to drill, 02-2503-2490. The time for helping Ukraine with American energy was months ago. In this case, we reached out to some of our original experts for the story, who told us Bidens overarching point remained valid, as were the caveats we mentioned in our original article. 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. "They have 9,000 permits to drill now. Specifically, they impact the ability of producers typically accountable to shareholders to take the risks involved in spending billions of dollars to find and develop oil and gas. 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. the Mineral Leasing Act. What are Alternatives to Make Fracking Less Impactful? Biden's Interior Department quietly updated its list of unused permits to reflect a much lower figure: 6,600, E&E News reported Monday. In addition, DOI has issued 7,700 unused drilling permits. A federal judge has revoked oil and gas leases sold in the Gulf of Mexico in November, saying the Interior Department did not take into account its impact on climate change. From cancelling the Keystone XL pipeline, to refusing to hold Federal leases sales, to threatening to refuse to . Are gas prices going up? Cohorn at Henry Resources said his land and legal crew started acquiring mineral leases in 2016. They could be drilling right now, yesterday, last week, last year. 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.. We should be honest about the facts.". Before drilling can occur, the lease holder has to get a federal permit. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. President Biden says he wants more domestic oil production but he is doing nothing positive to make that happen. So the surface pads, as you can see from here, its kind of hard to see. The update we have now is what we are able to provide.". The Inflation Reduction Act would end all this back-and-forth. Ive Heard that Hydraulic Fracturing is Linked to Cancer. 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. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. 25). 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. Legal Statement. 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. "The record profits oil companies made in 2022 and the thousands of approved but unused drilling permits they are sitting on shows that there is nothing getting in the way of increasing oil production except Big Oils own decision to funnel their profits into the pockets of shareholders and executives," the official told Fox News Digital. What Does EPA Say About Water Contamination? Drilling Listing leases originally filed between the 2020's and the 1820's . All rights reserved. At the same time, this is a really profitable business, especially with West Texas Intermediate trading at close to $100 a barrel. And of the remaining 10% that occurs on federal land, the oil and gas industry has millions of acres leased," Biden said. "The record profits oil companies made in 2022 and the thousands of approved but unused drilling permits they are sitting on shows that there is nothing getting in the way of increasing oil production except Big Oil's own decision to funnel their profits into the pockets of shareholders and executives," an official told Fox News. He contended that the onus is on U.S. oil and gas companies that have permits to begin drilling, but havent started. And of the remaining 10% that occurs on federal land, the oil and gas industry has millions of acres leased,Biden said. He unfurled a map on the bed of his big, red, muddy pickup truck. USd/gal. "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. How is Groundwater Protected During Hydraulic Fracturing? 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. "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 . February 27, 2023 05:28 PM. 1800 I Street NW Get the Poynter newsletter that's right for you. Here is the average price in each state. "So it simply wasnt profitable to drill with oil below $70. 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.. The president suggested the onus is on the industry to start drilling. The only thing that "the administration" could do to increase oil production, would be to get the hell out of the way. 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. The exchange comes after an assertion she made last week that the energy industry "is literally . The first, by some members of the Biden administration, including White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday, is that American oil and natural gas producers are sitting on hundreds of unused federal leases and thus do not need access to more. 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. Nearly three quarters of all active . Instead, the administration discouraged American energy. No, the U.S. did not end its domestic oil production. 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. ", In 2020, the oil bust created worker and supply shortages and caused companies to cut their budgets. Having thousands of unused drilling permits is not something that is unique to Bidens tenure. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you. 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. , Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. And as recently as November, White House spokesperson John Kirby stated that there are "there are plenty of opportunities for oil and gas companies to drill here in the United States," citing the 9,000-permit figure. The industry could move forward with the permits that it has that are currently unused and could ramp up domestic oil production to replace Russian oil, but these moves take time. Having thousands of unused drilling permits is not something that is unique to Bidens tenure. Marketplace is a division of MPR's 501 (c)(3). Biden said the oil industry has 9,000 permits to drill now. In total, the oil industry now holds leases to roughly 25 million acres of public lands an area approximately the size of Kentucky. But US producers won't fill that gap, March 2, 2022, PolitiFact, Are gas prices going up? Corporate strategy has fundamentally changed.. Those permits include those issued under . 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. They have 9,000 to drill onshore that are already approved. But US producers won't fill that gap. Private property is also where almost all of the oil in this part of Texas comes from. . The average barrels of crude oil produced per day spiked during Trumps subsequent years, swelling to almost 12.3 million in 2019. At the end of 2021, there were 9,173 approved and available permits to drill on federal and Indian lands. Oil production on federal lands fell to 12.28 million barrels per day in November, the latest month with data. Closer to downtown Midland, Mike Oestmann drove me around a frack site to see how things are progressing. More: Gas prices are high and up another 7 cents nationwide. According to DOI, 53 percent of leased onshore oil and gas acreage is non-producing while 77 percent of leased offshore acreage is non-producing. Halting new federal mineral leases will reduce oil and gas investment by hundreds of millions of dollars in Colorado and . But its not as simple as Biden made it seem, because there are some steps before companies begin production. It canceled energy infrastructure, blocked development in parts of Alaska, entertained new taxes to punish the U.S. energy industry and chilled future investment by signaling that oil and gas wouldnt be part of Americas future energy mix. 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. , The second, by some industry opponents, is that ramping up U.S. production will not help the Ukrainian people today. With oil at $120 or more, drilling there is wildly profitable.". It suggests American producers have been motivated by a desire to manipulate the market during the current crisis in Europe. Companies dont have to immediately begin drilling as their leases last 10 years and can be extended beyond that. 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. "Oil and gas companies already have leases the size of Indiana," said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) Now, the oil industry is sitting on a remarkable 9,173 approved, but unused, federal lands drilling permits. She was part of the team that launched PolitiFact Florida in 2010 and, All Rights Reserved Poynter Institute 2023, The Poynter Institute for Media Studies, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3. They have 9,000 to drill onshore that are already approved., Biden said that the companies are not using these permits to drill. More from the Sommers piece in Fortune: While its unclear what lies ahead as Russia invades Ukraine, we know one thing for sure: American energy is a positive force in difficult times, helping to provide stability and security for allies abroad. How Much Water Does Hydraulic Fracturing Use? Meanwhile, its been 242 days since the Department of the Interior allowed the five-year offshore leasing program to expire, and the administration held just one quarterly lease sale in 2022 after not holding any in 2021, as required by law. Most importantly, it should complete work on a long-term plan for offshore oil and gas development, to replace the one that expires this summer. But one year after announcing a halt to any new federal oil and gas leasing, Biden has outpaced Donald Trump in issuing drilling permits on public lands.After setting a record for the largest . 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. re: 9000 unused oil leases. In other words, 9,000 chances to increase the supply of oil and gas and drive down prices. 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. Thousands of unused permits are not uncommon in any presidential administration. 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. "They have 9,000 permits to drill now. "Families cant afford that companies sit on their hands. More classified documents (were) found at the University of Delaware, the equivalent of a tractor trailer worth., Remarks by President Biden Announcing U.S. Ban on Imports of Russian Oil, Liquefied Natural Gas, and Coal, "EIA expects annual U.S. crude oil production to surpass pre-pandemic levels in 2023,", New Data: Bidens First Year Drilling Permitting Stomps Trumps By 34%, Responding to the White House Blame Game on Leases, Biden outpaces Trump in issuing drilling permits on public lands, More oil supply could stop massive price spikes. Government policies can either discourage or encourage oil producers to take the risk of investing billions of dollars, plus considerable time and effort, to find out whether or not the lands they lease are viable sources of oil. 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.. 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It seem, because there are some steps before companies begin production of crude oil in. Technically, theres some truth there because, indeed, increasing American oil and investment! Easy thing to do, he said, getting oil out of the ground takes.! His statement suggests to cut their budgets help Ukraine today 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) after an she... Is all private land, which is where 90 % of the oil industry now holds leases roughly!