In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration yesterday announced that it would not include potentially energy-rich areas of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic, and the Pacific in the government's next five-year offshore leasing plan. Further, the administration also officially delayed the next two lease sales for the central and western Gulf.

In March, President Obama said the administration would examine and consider leasing offshore areas along the Atlantic coast from Delaware to Florida, as well as areas in the eastern Gulf and in Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi seas.

API's President and CEO Jack Gerard said the policy shift "shuts the door on new development off our nation's coasts and effectively ensures that new American jobs will not be realized."

Had the lease sales gon... more »

Yesterday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced that government scientists have until Oct. 1 to gather environmental, ecological and technical data to inform decisions on oil and natural gas development in the Alaskan Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.

This news comes after the administration announced that many Alaska Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease sales under the current (2007-2012) five-year plan will be canceled and no additional leases will be offered until additional scientific data is collected.

This summer, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists will complete a review of Beaufort and Chukchi Sea information and look for knowledge gaps. Three exploratory wells expected to be drilled by Shell on existing Chukchi Sea leases will provide additional data.

Meanwhile, the Minerals Mana... more »

UPDATE (5/28/10): Read a more recent statement from API President and CEO Jack Gerard regarding President Obama's May 27 announcement delaying and cancelling some offshore development projects.

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President Obama announced an energy strategy today that includes expanding offshore drilling in certain areas along the Atlantic coast, in a portion of the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and off the coast of Alaska.

API President and CEO Jack Gerard responded by saying:

"The announcement by President Obama and Secretary Salazar is a positive development. We look forward to reviewing the details of the proposal, and we stand ready to work with them to make this a reality. We appreciate the administration's recognition of the importance of developing ou... more »

Repeat after me: We don't have to settle for just one or the other. We can have a healthy environment and energy development.

Yet, some conservation groups have expressed dismay over last Thursday's decision by the federal government to create critical habitat for polar bears in Alaska. The proposed habitat area covers 200,541 sq. miles including portions of the northern and northwestern coasts, coastal barrier islands as well as coastal spits, sea ice in waters less than about 1,000 feet deep, and denning areas as far as 20 miles inland. Apparently that wasn't enough for some groups who immediately warned that planned oil and natural gas development in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas could be harmful to bears.

It's believed that about 3,500 polar bears inhabit the Beaufort and Chukchi sea a... more »