HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

American Energy Tour, Day Three: Building a Bridge to America’s Energy Future

The House GOP’s American Energy Tour brought Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) and nine of his Republican colleagues to Alaska’s remote North Slope today.  The delegation spent the day learning firsthand about both current and emerging oil and gas production technologies which hold tremendous promise not only for consumers but for American workers as well.  Increasing production of American energy is expected to spur substantial job creation, particularly in places like the North Slope, the Mountain West, and far off our shores on the Outer Continental Shelf.

Boehner and his colleagues’ day began north of the Arctic Circle at Prudhoe Bay, where they got a firsthand look at previous generation oil production equipment and processes at the Endicott Production Facility, located in the Arctic Ocean.  The delegation also toured Mile Marker Zero at Pump Station #1, the starting point of the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline, which carries petroleum from the oil-rich North Slope south through Alaska to Valdez, where tankers carry it off to refineries in the lower 48.  Following their visit to Prudhoe Bay, Members participated in:

•    An aerial tour of Alpine Field, where oil and gas production is underway, and the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), which is currently being explored for potential oil production;

•    A flyover of offshore oil production facilities safely operating in the Arctic Ocean; and

•    An overview of the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve’s (ANWR) “10-02 Area,” which was designated by President Carter and Congress nearly 30 years ago for energy exploration and production.  The 10-02 Area contains some 10 billion barrels of oil, which is currently locked away by the Democrats in charge of Congress – even as gas prices surge.
The delegation learned today that energy exploration and production in the oil- and gas-rich North Slope is at a crossroads.  Yesterday’s technology has laid the groundwork for substantial production of American energy at Prudhoe Bay, Alpine Field, and in offshore locations in the Arctic Ocean.  Exploration is actively underway in the NPR-A as well, with a major lease sale upcoming this fall.

The 10-02 Area, however, could produce incredible supplies of petroleum with a much smaller environmental “footprint.”  ANWR, in total, consists of some 19 million acres.  The 10-02 Area consists of only slightly more than one million acres – but the actual “footprint” where production would occur is just 2,000 acres.  For some perspective, that is the size of a postage stamp compared to a football field.Moreover, the 10-02 Area’s proximity to the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline means supplies can reach the continental U.S. with greater speed and ease once production is underway.  Federal officials warned Members that in 10 years, at its current rate of decline in transporting oil supplies, the pipeline will be processing less than 300,000 barrels of oil per day, compared to nearly 720,000 today.  Experts agree that at that level – without adding new supplies of oil – the pipeline could not continue to operate, shutting down all production in the North Slope and turning a multi-billion dollar asset into scrap metal.

Officials in the North Slope underscored for the GOP delegation that it is possible for energy production and wildlife protection to co-exist in the region – in large part because it already is occurring.  Native caribou, polar bears, and other animals are living in or near the North Slope’s production facilities with no disturbance to either their activities or energy production.  In fact, Members learned today that a herd of caribou native to the area has increased in size, from 5,000 to 30,000, since the Prudhoe Bay facilities began operations in the 1970s.  This sort of co-existence between wildlife and energy production is particularly important for Alaskan natives of the North Slope, who rely on hunting and fishing as a way of life.

Increased American energy production throughout all of the North Slope – including Prudhoe Bay, Alpine Field, the NPR-A, and Area 10-02 – is a bridge to America’s energy future.  While scientists and engineers perfect emerging technologies such as those the delegation saw Friday at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), more of our nation’s vast energy reserves must be explored in an environmentally-sensitive way to help reduce America’s costly and increasingly dangerous dependence on foreign sources of energy.

Less than two weeks separates Congress from a lengthy August recess – and fuel costs show no signs of easing.  With a congressional delegation now seeing and hearing firsthand that it is possible for critical energy exploration to successfully co-exist with life in the North Slope, will House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her colleagues in the Democratic leadership finally allow a vote on the House GOP’s “all of the above” plan to lower gas prices?  The American people, who overwhelmingly favor more American-made energy as part of a comprehensive strategy to bring down prices at the pump, are waiting for an answer.

READ MORE

• American Energy Tour, Day Two: A Roadmap to Energy Independence (7/19/08)
• American Energy Tour, Day One: The Next Generation (7/18/08)
• Boehner, House Republicans Depart on American Energy Tour (7/18/08)

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This entry was posted on Monday, July 21st, 2008 at 6:02 am and is filed under Energy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “American Energy Tour, Day Three: Building a Bridge to America’s Energy Future”

1. Linda D in Nevada Says:
   July 21st, 2008 at 7:51 am

   Without a bunch of Democrats finding the courage to stand up to the Speaker, I fear she will continue to enjoy her “power trip.” Regardless of Party preference, voters across the country MUST keep the pressure on their Representatives. The question remains, “Will they?” In addition to contacting Congress, the people need to draw the media’s attention to the stubborn arrogance and “do nothing” attitude of Speaker Pelosi. Write to your newspapers, news stations, call in to talk radio hosts. We need to create a massive uproar. Drill here and drill now!

2. shelbysbest Says:
   July 22nd, 2008 at 6:55 am

   Thank you for visiting ANWR and for giving us your assessment of potential oil production of this area. It’s imperative that we be able to take care of our own energy needs and rely less on foreign countries. Your efforts to get a vote in House to have the ban lifted on offshore drilling are much appreciated.

   I’ve read that Speaker Pelosi has said that “the power rests in the speaker”, and that she will not allow a vote for lifting the ban on offshore drilling.

   http://www.mcclatchydc.com/staff/rob_hotakainen/story/44731.html )

   How much longer can she ignore our pleas and the wishes of the people? The real power belongs to us. It’s not about a poltical agenda, it’s about helping us to be energy independent going forward.

   The average citizen is having to cut back in every area to afford the rising costs of gasoline, utility bills, groceries, etc. How much more can we take? We should not have to suffer because the Democratic leadership chooses to block the vote. We support your efforts, so let’s get the vote to the floor. What can we do to help?

3. Flopping Aces » Blog Archive » Congressional Dems Refuse to Debate or Vote on New Energy for America Says:
   July 25th, 2008 at 10:25 am

   […] Colorado they ventured north to Alasaka where they toured the Prudhoe Bay oil production facilities and the area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge […]

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