The oil companies are pressing Congress to open up previously off-limit areas to drilling. And the public is starting to back the oil companies. But why?

The Department of Energy projected that lifting the moratoria would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030.

The DOE also projects that opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration would only result in the decrease of the price to oil by $1.44 a barrel or about 1 percent. That would save you about 4 cents per gallon on your gas.

The number of drilling permits issued to the oil companies increased 361 percent- about the same increase in the price of gasoline during that time.
Nearly 80 percent of available oil on the outer continental shelf is already open to drilling. There are 64 million acres of land leased to the oil and natural gas companies that are not being used to increase to domestic production of oil and natural gas. Now, tell me who is getting taken for a ride?

John Friedman
Yuba City