Most American voters support increasing access to domestic offshore oil and natural gas resources and would oppose any new laws or regulations that blocked development of those national resources, according to a poll conducted earlier this year.

The poll, conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute, found that 61 percent of Americans who voted in the 2008 presidential election support access to offshore oil and natural gas resources. Only 26 percent of those polled opposed exploration and development of those resources.

The results provided fresh evidence of continuing and strong support for developing America’s vast energy resources that was voiced in polls before and after last November’s elections.

Other results included:

• Fifty-seven percent would oppose regulations or laws that either delay or block domestic oil and natural gas production. Only 28 percent would support such actions.
• And 50 percent said they would “oppose delaying the offshore oil and gas drilling plan,” referring to a recent decision by the Obama administration to delay by six months the regulatory process leading to offshore leasing.

  “Americans continue to tell us that they want access to the oil and natural gas that lie offshore in the Outer Continental Shelf and the Gulf of Mexico,” said API President Jack Gerard. “They understand these resources can be safely developed and will fuel economic growth, create jobs, generate plentiful tax revenues and reduce our nation’s dependence on foreign oil.”

  “We should not delay the development of these vital national resources,” Gerard added. “Americans need this energy now and will need it to power an economic recovery in the future.”