Biden admin to resume drilling auctions in setback to climate agenda – Six States Provide 55% of US Primary Energy

AUGUST 31, 2021
Six U.S. states accounted for over half of the primary energy produced in 2019

In 2019, the top six primary energy-producing states—Texas, Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Oklahoma, West Virginia, and North Dakota—accounted for 55 quadrillion British thermal units (quads), or 55% of all of the primary energy produced in the United States. In 2000, these six states had accounted for 39% of the nation’s primary energy production, indicating that primary energy production has become more concentrated to the top producing states.

Primary energy production in the United States grew 40% from 2009 to 2019, driven largely by increased crude oil and natural gas production in Texas, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and North Dakota. During that period, advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling made drilling for previously inaccessible crude oil and natural gas more economical in the United States. Between 2009 and 2019, production of primary energy more than doubled in Texas and Oklahoma, more than tripled in Pennsylvania, and more than quadrupled in North Dakota.

[…]

EIA

A fairly significant portion of the oil production from “rest of United States” comes from the Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, produced by companies mostly in Texas and, to a much lesser extent, in Louisiana.

So, Texas is a significantly bigger energy producer than portrayed in the EIA graphs.

Speaking of the Gulf of Mexico…

News Flash!

Biden administration takes step to resume drilling auctions in setback to climate agenda
By Nichola Groom 08/31/21

Aug 31 (Reuters) – The Biden administration on Tuesday unveiled more than 700,000 acres it plans to auction to oil and gas drillers as it seeks to comply with a U.S. federal court order directing the government to resume its leasing program.

The move represents a setback for Democratic President Joe Biden’s plans to fight climate change, which included a campaign vow to end new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters.

Biden had paused drilling auctions after taking office in January pending an analysis of their impacts on the environment and value to taxpayers.

In June, however, a federal judge in Louisiana ordered a resumption of auctions, saying the government was required by law to offer acreage to the oil and gas industry.

[…]

The Interior Department was expected to unveil details for an offshore auction in the Gulf of Mexico later on Tuesday.

Reuters

“Later on Tuesday”…

BOEM Updates Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 257 Record of Decision

Release Date 08/31/2021

As follow up to the Department of the Interior’s announcement on August 24, BOEM has posted an updated Record of Decision (ROD) for Lease Sale 257 (LS 257) to its website.

The Department has determined to move forward with the process for Gulf of Mexico (GOM) Lease Sale 257, consistent with the Secretary’s authorities and discretion under applicable law.

This ROD identifies BOEM’s selected alternative (i.e., Alternative A) for proposed LS 257, which is analyzed in the Gulf of Mexico OCS Lease Sale:  Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 2018 (2018 GOM Supplemental EIS).  Alternative A allows for a proposed GOM regionwide lease sale encompassing all three planning areas:  Western Planning Area (WPA); Central Planning Area (CPA); and a small portion of the Eastern Planning Area (EPA) not under congressional moratorium.

As stated in the Department of the Interior’s announcement, BOEM expects a Final Notice of Sale for LS 257 to publish in September, with a lease sale to follow in the fall of this year.

For more information, including a copy of the ROD, please go to https://www.boem.gov/environment/environmental-assessment/nepa-activities-gulf-mexico.

— BOEM —

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is responsible for America’s offshore energy and mineral resources. The bureau promotes energy independence, environmental protection and economic development through responsible, science-based management of energy and mineral resources on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.

BOEM

As nearly as I can tell, the regular March Gulf of Mexico lease sale will be back on in 2022.

Returning to the actual topic of this post…

Fun With Statistics!

Energy/Population

States with 15% of the population, produce 55% of the primary energy with 7 times the productivity of the 44 other states…

Energy/Politics

Unsurprisingly, the energy producing states are overwhelmingly Republican…