US oil firms seek drilling access, but EXPORTS SOAR

Does this surprise anyone? Not me.

The oil companies are in the business to make money. They can make it here, or there. I look at oil as a national resource. If we get it here, keep it here. If we need more and someone is willing to sell it to us, then good.

What would be wrong with an export tax? Nothing, but the oil lobbyist would not allow such a thing to happen.

What do the American people have to say about this? Only 25% even vote, the rest just @!$%#. The minority is running this country.

And they are doing a poor job of it.

It's the same thing with food, we import and export much of the same goods. We are exporting commodities and importing them at the same time, making it seem as if the shipping has no effect on the economy. When you look at the big picture you see how distorted the costs are by the subsidies and tax breaks. In a rational system dog food would not be imported from China while oil is exported.

This should surprise no one. We're talking about gasoline. It is crude oil that has been refined. Isn't most gasoline refined in the U.S.? Therein lies a weapon for us. A huge export tax on the finished product that is shipped to nations which don't support us. Plus a total embargo for France and Iran. And food is another excellent example of our national stupidity. I haven't read any scientific publication on the matter, but I don't believe anybody's diet even includes crude oil. We, on the other hand, have plenty to share. This open borders and free trade is a disaster for Americans. If we just concerned ourselves with taking care of our own, poverty would exist only in American history. For too long we have accepted a pile of horse hockey about loving everybody. That just does not work. Even GOD does not love everybody. It is time to produce our own crude and use it all ourselves while we quickly develop alternate sources of energy. At the same time stop massive shipments of food to unfriendly countries. That includes almost everyone except Great Britain, Israel and Australia, and store excess production for future need. Bring our troops home and actually seal our borders. Revoke all free trade agreements and seize the assets of companies and business owners who ever left the United States and relocated to another country. "Made in USA" should be on everything we purchase. Finally and most importantly, we should turn back to the god of our forefathers, Jehovah. This country came from foreign domination and became the mightiest in the history of mankind when we accepted Him.

This is extremely odd, since refining capacity is supposed to be the great bottle-neck. Then it would have made more sense exporting crude and getting refined products in return - though I doubt anyone has much spare capacity either.

Nor does seem to have anything to do with getting the right mix, as one does by juggling slight sweet and heavy sour. Market needs vary from summer driving to winter heating. But in this case it's a matter unrefined products.

The stats we are given are usually just about crude oil, no one is thinking to ask, "Yeah, and how much in refined products?" Honest figures can still be marvelously deceptive.

Who ever really thought its about oil .
It was and always will be about Money.
Fat cats just getting fatter.

So why have the American people been paying huge subsidies to oil companies? Why are we supporting them making billiions and they have not supported us in any way. Because for the last eight years we have had the most corrupt government this nation has ever seen. They have changed many of the "how you do" business rules. They have changed most of the rules (the SEC) that would keep us from a depression. They have demeaned not only the American citizen; but our dollar too. Looks almost like a bloodless coup. American citizens need to speak up LOUD. Our representatives will either help us here - or they can be sure of being out of a job on the next election. Yes, I am talking to you CONGRESS. It certainly seems that most of Congress is in it to make personal deals and pass bills that will help them do that. I think we need to suspend Senators and Congressmen from being able to do anything financially as long as they serve. The President is not allowed to make any business deals during his tenure(yeah, I'm not stupid enough to believe that one this time). Why not extend a rule in Congress that they must put their finances in trust and, maybe, fewer bills will be passed that helps one of them make money on their land, famiily business, etc. Maybe oil would cost less if some of these people were not making big profits off of it.

Did you notice that our government gave $250 million to the Nature Conservacy to buy land in Norh Dakota. Do you know where that land is exactly? It sits on top of the larges oil find in recent history in the continental United States. `100 million years ago between what is now Kansas and Colorado there was an inland shallow sea. This sea extended from the Gulph of Mexico up through Alaska/Canada. The formation is called the Brakken Shale. USGS put out this survey a couple years ago and testified about it in front of Congress. There are billions of barrels under the ground there. Two of the larger oil companies drilled - but failed to attain oil. They went straight down and actually passed the oil pools. One lone engineer figured out how to drill down and then sideways. He got backing from Goldman Sachs(not good for us little Americans). There are numerous small oil companies drilling in Montana and South Dakota right now. The Canadians are also drilling in their company. One little well registered 1,000 barrels a day. Lots of millionaires being made in the west right now. Check it out. The point is - we have oil - we need to keep the oil for ourselves. It makes better sense than allowing the global market to make the basic American citizen become a pauper. If you check out what this administration has done at the SEC in the way of changing how we do business; you would realize that they have completely sacrificed any American security in favor of helping BIG BUSINESS make more, and more money. No rules - more money for the superrich. The hedge and mutual funds that are using OUR PENSION dollars to buy oil contracts on ICE CLEAR EUROPE should not be allowed to take that money out of the country. If you think the CFTC is actually doing anything to plug the flow of American Dollars out of the country - think again. The Financial experts from this administration have done everything they can to destroy our econoomy. Ask yourself Why?

What mary k. is proposing is making the US into a capitalist version of North Korea - totally isolated. Looking at this from the outside, I am fascinated. You wouldn't have been able to export your no. 1 product this year: the Credit crunch. No more dollars at all. No more American arms, no more Boeing or Apple Macintosh, no more John Wayne and Mickey Mouse. Coca cola? Gone forever. Selling off American companies in Europe would be no problem at all. The Internet would have to be re-routed, African students would have to go elsewhere for their diplomas and green cards. American embassies and bases around the world would just be so much empty space. Arab Emirs would have to go back to riding camels, no more Cadillacs for them. On the other hand American would have to do without coffee, rubber and chocolate. Dictators around the world would have to look for other friends.

This plan is feasible. As soon as you pay back those nine trillion dollars you owe us. I must admit I'm sorry you feel this way mary k. I guess the other 96% of the world's population will just have to learn how to get along without you. too bad with no postal service or phones, we won't even know how you are doing, you might have wonders to tell, MIRACLES to share.

Here's an important story to show that the country is currently moving in the wrong direction over the current energy crisis.

Rather than looking for an energy crisis scapegoat, or backing into our own personal response, its urgent that we start looking at the big picture:

From the supply side problems like refinery capacity, fuel changes, the Iraq war, Katrina Fallout, Asian competitive pressures, nationalization policies, or environmental concerns, to demand side issues like the dollar's fall, speculation, hoarding, poor gas mileage, complex tax structures, politics, or the media's poor coverage of the issue, the public more than ever needs to understand the growing oil and energy issues that we all face.

Looking at more of the details of the crisis is a good first step, but don't forget, we need to start building a big picture and how to stop people from freaking out in the wrong direction!

I'm posting this around..

The biggest share of U.S. oil products exported went to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Singapore and Brazil.

Would this be the same Mexico that Californians, New Mexicans, Texans and Arizonians were driving to for gas bargains of $2.??/gal according to news reports last month? I'm not sure what burns my a$$ more - that they're liars or that they are insulting our intelligence with the stupidity of the lies they tell. If they can export it and sell it in Mexico for $2.??/gal, they can do a d@mn site better than selling it to their own countrymen for over $4.00/gal.

re: mexico's gas is hugely subsidized by their federal gov't costing their economy billions of dollars
annually. It's 2$ a gallon because the federal gov't knocks off 2$ for every gallon out of the taxpayers pockets.

Thank you nearing, though I am sure my Rep. is aware I will send this to him anyway. Two Republican Senators would just file it in circular file.

We all seem fairly aware that we are being screwed by the oil companies or somebody. There are a lot of good ideas in this string along with the ranting and raving. So the question would be, how do we do anything besides talk and complain, I like the idea of a hefty export tax, also diverting the war on drugs money to subsidising the cost of fuel might help a little, it isn't doing much as far as the drugs go. The question is still, how do we actually do anything other than talk about the problem?

Thanks for posting this--I'm glad to see it. Ironically, the driver I hired (you really don't want to drive an 18ft loaded truck with car in tow alone--brings new meaning to long hard drive) to help me get back to Houston from DC was explaining this very thing to me last week. Seems his dad retired from oil and gas and this has been going on for a long time. Simply put--they just make more money exporting than selling it to us.

He also mentioned his Dad always told him that the whole oil shortage was bull. They know where the oil is in the states--and there is plenty. It is just cheaper to get it from the mid east.

Does this really surprise anyone?

The exports were also equal to half the 3.2 million barrels of gasoline, diesel fuel and other petroleum products the United States imported each day over the 4-month period.

The 1.6 million barrels mentioned is only half of the refined amounts imported. To dismiss drilling because refined exports increased during a brief period by 400,000 barrels a day is an obvious mistake.

What is wrong with a few million additional barrels of raw crude? Daily each million barrels of crude oil would reduce the trade deficit by $150 million dollars. This is a good way to reduce the trade deficit!
Importing oil and exporting it as refined products adds to US productivity which can do with a bit of an increase.

The whole oil industry and it's government subsidies really makes me sick! We HAVE to move past this oil economy; but how do you do it when your own government is behind it and the industry has more money than anyone else?! Having it shoved down our throats is sickening, perpetuating stories of oil shortage while reports of exports being at record highs; reports of record profits by the oil industry while the public pays through the nose! The cost of living rising exponentially as the cost of transporting goods goes through the roof!

When W got into office gasoline was at $1.48 per gallon; in less than 2 terms it is now over $4.00! Our country is going into the crapper quickly. We need to throw some of the billions of "exploration funds" at the guys in the garages who are fevorishly trying to develop alternative sources of energy on a shoestring budget; imagine the guy who is slowly making advances in his spare time on a couple hundred dollars here and there... What could that guy do if he had plenty of time and resources to carry on his inventing!

We are so caught up in this oil trap and it is taking our nation down faster than anything else in history. Fossil fuels were a necessary fueling of our nation... a hundred years ago! Every other advancement throughout history has been replaced by newer, more efficient technologies. They are available for energy production but you have the "powers that be" pumping billions into supressing new technologies and keeping the wool over the eyes of the public!!!

Anyone heard of the Boston Tea Party? Anyone know why it happened? What would our forefathers do?

I'll join the SOON thing if it gets started somewhere. In the meantime is there anyone out there that can convince me that in the early 21st. century that we don't know enough about chemistry to make oil? it is supposed to be a hydrocarbon, I think that means hydrogen and carbon, I am not a chemist and don't really know where to take the thought from here, it just seems to me that there should be a way.

Hi, Nearing: oil baron T. Boone Pickens says we need to invest in wind power!

"Build it and they will come."---- How about using wind power to generate electricity to break water into hydrogen and oxygen, bottle the hydrogen and release the oxygen into the air? Have read that Kudzu vine will make more ethanol than corn will, not many people eat or grow Kudzu on purpose.

Seem to have drifted a bit off of the original issue here. The oil companies will continue to do what they are doing and couldn't care less how many people go under so long as there are enough people still buying their products at whatever the cost for them to make a profit. The only way out of the mess is for the people to do it on their own. If we depend on giant corporations and the government to get things straightened out it will never happen. Easily said--- In doing anything, the government and large corporations will have to be dealt with and they are not disposed to give up power and profit easily. Perhaps a 21st century version of the Boston tea party would grab somebodies attention. What would happen if everybody involved in these little discussions on the net and all their links to all the other people in their contact lists were to agree that on a certain day to just slow down and stay slowed down until the powers that be take notice and do something. No boycotts or overt protesting. Everybody just start driving about 35 or 40 mph. If your late for work, it was because everybody in front was only going 35 mph. Chances are your boss will be late too. Think about it. Why are we all in such a hurry anyway? A week or so of a national slowdown should cause enough of an oil glut to bring the prices down a little and who knows, maybe we will all find out that we really like things at a slower pace. Not as stressful, your car lasts longer, you will spend less on gas, and if you are in a wreck, how bad can it be at 35. Best of all you can drive down the road knowing that you are fighting back against the oil companies. I would propose that Labor day week end would be a good time to start.

So the basis of this article is that we import and export in the oil market. And from this quote in the article:

The surge in exports appears to contradict the pleas from the U.S. oil industry and the Bush administration for Congress to open more offshore waters and Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

it would seem that many believe we should divert those exports to our own market, which would eliminate the need to expand our own drilling.

Great. That works out on paper to alleviate the national problem. More oil, or byproducts here, our prices go down, birds are singing, cats and dogs love each other, and the deer and the antelope in ANWR are happy all day. Give everybody a cookie. Don't eat it yet.

Now, with my weapon that the Supreme Court has ruled I have a right to, let me shoot some holes in your plan.

You have now ceased sending exports of oil and oil byproducts. What do you think those countries are going to do now that they can't buy from us? They are going to buy from someone else. And that is going to affect the GLOBAL market. Oil exports are just going to shift from one nation to another. That means that the imports we were buying at X dollars, is now going to cost Y dollars. (Y being > than X).

When a commodity is an import and export, it is considered a global commodity. And any change to that commodity, has a global affect. If you just shift the commodity around, the pricing structure will not change. There is a law about this. It's not a federal law, it's a global law. It is called.....wait for it....the Law of Supply and Demand. You have not changed the Supply side, and the change in the Demand side has only shifted. Thus, by law, the price is still the same. And that trickles all the way down to the pumps.

There are only two ways to reduce prices according to the law. One, increase supply by drilling more, refining more, etc. Increasing supply produces a surplus, and prices fall. Two, reduce demand. Shifting to alternative energy, reducing the demand at the pumps, etc. has the same effect as number one. It results in a surplus, and prices will fall.

Now. Everyone who thought the original idea was a good idea, turn in your cookie. By the way. There are no deer or antelope in ANWR. There all here in Montana. I hit four of them last year.