Questions about offshore drilling

[Proud Liberal Dem]

Like everybody else, I've been following the ongoing debate over offshore drilling and, frankly, am rather confused about it.
For starters, it is obvious that there will be no short-term increase in supply and it's even entirely possible that oil and gas companies may end up sitting on at least some of those leases and never drill anyway like they are apparently doing with so many leases so why is it being touted as such a serious solution to the problem?
Suppose, the ban on offshore drilling gets lifted by Congress, then what? Do people honestly think that prices are going to suddenly drop? Is THAT what is likely to happen? I can see a small decrease perhaps as a sign of the Oil and gas companies' (how shall we say) "gratitude" for Congress giving them the opportunity to add to the areas in which they can drill but has the average person been led to believe that gas prices will significantly decrease and/or fall back to pre-Bush prices overnight (if ever)?
Plus, if gas prices do drop because of the simple approval of more offshore approval and demand increases as a result, well then what? The oil that may be recovered from some of the new areas won't be available for several years and it won't even be guaranteed to end up HERE for OUR exclusive use so how will this benefit US and make us more independent of ME countries and what is the interim solution for higher gas prices?
Bush has refused any releases from the SPR and the Republicans in Congress have blocked legislation addressing speculation, so.......????? Is anybody calling for oil and gas companies to fix up/adequately maintain their facilities? Is anybody leaning on the automobile industry to get us some more fuel-efficient cars? I recall that some in Congress have been fighting for these things (among other initiatives) but it seems like others (mostly Republicans) have been blocking them. Yet they seem to be getting credit now for at least acting like they are doing something for the average person through their support of increased offshore drilling? How messed up is that?

Let me just close with a big :wtf:

[liberal N proud]

1. Ban on offshore drilling gets lifted the oil will be sold to highest bidder

It will not necessarily go in your gas tank.

Read this analysis:

ANALYSIS-US oil firms seek drilling access, but exports soar

By Tom Doggett

WASHINGTON, July 3 (Reuters) - While the U.S. oil industry want access to more federal lands to help reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, American-based companies are shipping record amounts of gasoline and diesel fuel to other countries.

A record 1.6 million barrels a day in U.S. refined petroleum products were exported during the first four months of this year, up 33 percent from 1.2 million barrels a day over the same period in 2007. Shipments this February topped 1.8 million barrels a day for the first time during any month, according to final numbers from the Energy Department.

The surge in exports appears to contradict the pleas from the U.S. oil industry and the Bush administration for Congress to open more offshore waters and Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

<snip>

The 1.6 million barrels a day in record petroleum exports represented 9 percent of total U.S. refining capacity of 17.6 million barrels a day.

However, with refiners operating at 85 percent of capacity during the January-April period, the shipments represented a much a larger share of total U.S. oil products produced.

The exports were also equal to half the 3.2 million barrels of gasoline, diesel fuel and other petroleum products the United States imported each day over the 4-month period.

http://in.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idINN0243539720080703?pageNumber=3&virtualBrandChannel=0

[Bob Dobbs]

2. Just another con job by the elite to fleece the rubes

and destroy the environment.

This will only extend the profiteering by the elite and will not solve the long term problem.

[seasat]

3. The DOE agrees that offshore drilling won't make a difference.

Here's their report.

And here's the money quote:

The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. Total domestic production of crude oil from 2012 through 2030 in the OCS access case is projected to be 1.6 percent higher than in the reference case, and 3 percent higher in 2030 alone, at 5.6 million barrels per day. For the lower 48 OCS, annual crude oil production in 2030 is projected to be 7 percent higher—2.4 million barrels per day in the OCS access case compared with 2.2 million barrels per day in the reference case (Figure 20). Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. One more additional question

WHY are we losing in the polls over this and how do we win this debate(if we can)? The people that support more offshore drilling (whom are apparently in the majority at the moment) seem to hear the GOP talk about more offshore drilling lowering gas prices and their minds seem to be closed to the actual facts of the matter and/or seem to think lifting the ban will immediately reduce gas prices even though AFAIK it WON'T and it is even questionable (as others here have pointed) out how much it's going to help in the long term.