I've got an important question for anyone in the administration who's willing to comment on this blog: Can you explain why the U.S. government is loaning money to Mexico to drill in the Gulf while imposing a drilling moratorium here?

According to information first reported by CNSNews, the Export-Import Bank loaned the Mexican national oil company PEMEX $1 billion last fiscal year and plans to provide another $1 billion this fiscal year, unless Congress objects. About $600 million in 2009 was for drilling 18 wells in the Bay of Campeche in the southern Gulf of Mexico.

Apparently bank officials are presuming that the United States will benefit by importing a portion of PEMEX's new energy resources. This nation imports about 1.2 million barrels of oil per day from Mexico. Also, PEMEX reported... more »

Thousands of people from all walks of life are expected to participate in rallies for jobs and the economy tomorrow, Sept. 1. They will gather at three venues in Houston, Port Arthur and Corpus Christi, Texas, where they will make their voices heard.

Some of the attendees are likely to be energy workers whose jobs are on the line due to the offshore drilling moratorium and the threat of higher energy taxes. But they won't be the only people who attend.

It's expected that Wednesday's rallies will be similar to the series of rallies held last fall, in which the participants included union members, teachers, homemakers, farmers, small business owners and operators, and veterans--all of whom were citizens and voters who recognized the importance of energy to their lives, economic welfare of t... more »

API President and CEO Jack Gerard announced this week that the oil and natural gas industry will sponsor a series of rallies in September, giving interested citizens forums where they can voice their concerns about the economy and jobs.

American citizens have plenty to worry about. With 15 million workers in unemployment lines, family budgets under pressure, and higher taxes looming on the horizon, Americans from all walks of life are feeling insecure and wondering about their children's futures.

Critics, however, are questioning the legitimacy of the rallies. They have renewed their accusations of "Astroturfing," implying that the rallies are artificial events, not true grassroots, and the voices of energy workers should be ignored. That's nonsense.

What's wrong with U.S. energy workers a... more »

Nearly 70 U.S. oil and natural gas workers are on Capitol Hill this week to talk with policymakers about energy.

They include geologists, petroleum engineers, landmen, rig workers and others from 15 states, who are meeting with their elected representatives to explain how a strong oil and natural gas industry can contribute to the U.S. economy and create jobs.

Carlos Dengo of ExxonMobil says the trip to the nation's capital is an "opportunity to bring our story to Washington. It's about who we are in the oil and natural gas industry, what we do and how we do it."

Dengo, who serves as vice president of geosciences for ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company, explains that the industry uses advanced technology to provide energy to all Americans. As one example, he points to the impact of techn... more »