Will Anybody Drill for Oil in the Pacific Northwest, Now That They Can?

Cassandra Profita and Tony Schick follow up with the controversial decision by the Trump Administration to reopen offshore oil and gas drilling earlier in January, examining the policy for questions about when and if coastal residents should expect to see drilling operations go to work.

According to Profita and Schick, "with strong opposition and unproven oil and gas reserves, it’s unclear whether anyone will take that chance." The article focuses mostly on Oregon and Washington, where the Bureau of Ocean Energy management estimates that there is some 810 million barrels of "undiscovered technically recoverable" oil and gas. There's far more gas in the Gulf Of Mexico, according to the article. In effect, "drilling for oil and gas off the Pacific Northwest coast would be a much bigger gamble than drilling somewhere else…"

The article continues into more details about the leasing program the Trump Administration has offered to oil and gas companies, as well as the prospect of whether Oregon and Washington will have any ability to stop offshore drilling if a lease sale suddenly does materialize.

There's also still time to comment on the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Public comments are open for 60 days, the public hearings around the country are gathering feedback.