Offshore drilling not the answer

Recent letters and right-wing columnists have suggested that opposition to offshore oil drilling hurts the American economy and keeps gas prices high.

It doesn't take much digging to discover that this is a phony issue that will only serve the oil companies, their officers and stockholders, and the politicians supported by Big Oil.

The EIA, a government agency, says: "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."

More leases? Current oil and natural gas leases are held on at least 42 million acres of federal land (some sources say higher) and only 12 million of those acres have been worked.

Analysts at Oxford Analytica say the shortage of deepwater drilling rigs has already delayed Gulf Coast exploration and that the units in production for the next five years are already promised to other drill sites.

If we leased additional offshore sites, there are no drilling rigs to work them.

Would the oil from these offshore leases add to the U.S. supply?

Even though we recognize the threat of dependency on foreign oil sources, there is no such thing as American oil. The oil companies sell all the oil they get, including American oil, around the world.

For the first four months of 2008, 1.6 million barrels of U.S. oil were exported each day. Experts predict the oil from ANWR is more likely to go to Asia than to you and me.

Oil companies must feel that they are in a uniquely favorable position to obtain leases at cut-rate or even subsidized prices.

Let's be smart enough to say no to that giveaway. Instead, let's uncover and resolve the real causes for the gasoline price spike and focus efforts on finding ways to reduce demand.

Dave Troland

Arlington Heights