Why is China bothering to drill for our oil?

[intheknow]

If the Democrats are correct and drill for oil will not amount to a hill of beans, then why are the Chinese drilling for OUR oil?

Just off the Florida Coast

By prohibiting the United States from taking part in the same type of energy exploration that the Chinese are conducting just miles off our shores, the Democratic Majority on Capitol Hill continues to prove itself complicit in an energy crisis that has saddled American families and small businesses with gas prices that have reached $4.05 per gallon today. Do congressional Democrats actually believe China has more ingenuity and more concern for the environment than the United States?

So are we concerned about the price of gas or not? FDrom what I have read on the board, I guess we are not. Americans of the liberal.Democratic persuasion are more than willing to pay far more for oil in order to feel better about themselves. Still, i would think I would feel a lot better about myself if I knew that I was helping to others in their poverty by making their fuel expenses less. I would hate to think that I was the cause for someone being cold this winter because I thought high oil prices (something which we have some control over if we choose to) might force someone to buy a Prius.

Meanwhile, oil shale production is locked up tighter than (insert obnoxious metaphor here) because of liberal policies. Did you know we have more energy locked up in shale oil than the Saudis have under their sand?

[Lesley]

The dems maybe supporting McCain?
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics....20080611d.html


This from the same web site you noted and on the same date.

Americans 'Have To' Move Away From Oil, McCain Says
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
June 11, 2008

(CNSNews.com) - At a time when congressional Republicans are pressing for expanded domestic oil drilling to boost supply, Republican Sen. John McCain says the goal of his energy policy is to move Americans away from oil. He also said oil companies "absolutely" should be giving something back to the consumer.

Americans "have to" move away from oil, McCain said Wednesday, not only because of soaring gasoline prices, "but also because of greenhouse gas emissions."

[kgwife]

I am certainly for increased oil exploration, in part because it is our livelihood. There are some defnite policies in place right now that perhaps cause more trouble than they're worth.

On the oil shale issue. The majority of the oil shale reserves we have in the United States are in the Utah/Wyoming/Colorado field (which happens to be my oil field). Most of these reserves are on federal land. This knowledge is concerning to folks because when they picture land, they picture state parks. They picture beautiful land. While I believe there is beauty to be found in these states, you would have to tour the field yourself to see where the drilling is actually occuring. Another commonly unknown fact about oil shale is that it is not usually cost effect to produce. Right now it probably would be. However, very little if any of it would translate into gasoline. It works for diesel which would go a long ways in lowering food costs, but not so much our gas costs.

Here's some information on all of that.

www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33359.pdf

[Lesley]

McCain's View on Expanded Oil Drilling Uncertain
By Kaitlynn Riely
CNSNews.com Correspondent
June 10, 2008

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewPolitics....20080610b.html
(CNSNews.com) - Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain is "open to the possibility" of tapping America's domestic oil and gas reserves, but it is not clear from his voting record whether he would actively push to expand offshore oil recovery efforts.

I guess maybe not a partisan thing (regarding off shore drilling) after all?

oops sorry, got carried away with the content of the post and ignored the title. Hmmm why is China drilling? Could be that Cuba sold them a bill of goods? Could be they needed proximity to the US for nefarious reasons? Could be there's actual oil to be found.....we won't know until thier exploration is complete....BTW this is just exploration.

Oh and curious, how is it OUR oil?

[Lesley]

well...we can gnash our teeth and holler 'unfair' till the cows come home.
But since:
(1) the off shore drilling in done in Cuban waters, and
(2) since the lease is with Cuba, and
(3) I'm so absolutely positive neither Cuba not China has the best US interests in mind, and
(4) with little to no oversight regarding China's ability to be 'responsible drillers',
there isn't a whole lot anyone can do.

As for Obama's comment regarding fuel increases......you didn't imagine that sometime in the US's future gas wouldn't eventually reach $4+/gal? None of us would have imagined it would increase like that in a few 3 years. We all hoped it would take a decade or two...in line with other cost of living increases.

[intheknow]

Originally Posted by Lesley

well...we can gnash our teeth and holler 'unfair' till the cows come home.
But since:
(1) the off shore drilling in done in Cuban waters, and
(2) since the lease is with Cuba, and
(3) I'm so absolutely positive neither Cuba not China has the best US interests in mind, and
(4) with little to no oversight regarding China's ability to be 'responsible drillers',
there isn't a whole lot anyone can do.

As for Obama's comment regarding fuel increases......you didn't imagine that sometime in the US's future gas wouldn't eventually reach $4+/gal? None of us would have imagined it would increase like that in a few 3 years. We all hoped it would take a decade or two...in line with other cost of living increases.

1) No, it is in international waters.
3) Obviously they have Cuba's and China's best interest in mind, but I was talking about environmental responsibility, which you glossed over.

If the US drilled more of our own oil, instead of buying it from irresponsible drillers, then wouldn't that be more environmentally responsible?

Obama merely leaked out the Gore plan for increased oil and gas costs. He was irresponsible to his liberal cronies, but the media helped him out by not commenting on it.

The plan has been to increase gas costs as a way to force people to drive less. Read "Earth in the Balance".

[Natalie Rose]

Cheney was wrong:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080613/...y_oil_drilling


AP
Cheney's false comment on oil drilling attacked

WASHINGTON - Vice President **** Cheney's office acknowledged on Thursday that he was mistaken when he asserted that China, at Cuba's behest, is drilling for oil in waters 60 miles from the Florida coast.

Cheney's office said in a statement to The Associated Press that the vice president had erred.

______________________

And the whole oil shale thing is a bit preposterous. I looked it up a few years ago and it seems that the cost of getting to the sub-par grade oil would outpace the benefit. The oil would require too much refining as well in order to make it usable.

[Lesley]

well..there ya go then.

[intheknow]

One last comment for this thread: So it appears that it is possible that Cuba and China could explore and drill for oil in those waters, but American companies have been banned from doing that for 25 years. Funny how we restrict our own energy independence and prosperity.

[carold]

Because we all them to do it.