How Important is Gulf of Mexico Oil?

On June 24, 2010, by Cutler Cleveland

In an earlier post I talked about the possible impact of an offshore drilling moratorium on oil production and prices. The drilling moratorium continues to be a hot issue, with a federal judge issuing a temporary injunction against it, and Secretary Salazar vowing to to issue a more explicit justification for the ban.
A number of (…)

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The Myth of Energy Independence

On June 17, 2010, by Cutler Cleveland

Following every president since Richard Nixon, Barack Obama argues that energy independence should be at the core of national energy policy.  Energy independence typically is defined as zero reliance on energy imports. The assumption seems to be that relying on “unfriendly” Middle East nations for energy is bad for our economic and national security. The (…)

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Will the Drilling Moratorium Raise Gasoline Prices?

On June 14, 2010, by Cutler Cleveland

On May 27, the Obama administration issued a six-month moratorium on drilling in water depths greater than 500 feet in response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster.  Oil industry officials decried the move, claiming that an extended moratorium would reduce U.S. oil production, make the nation more dependent on imported oil, and cause gasoline prices to (…)

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