Distilling oil myths

As oil talk increases, so does the spread of misinformation
 
Charlotte Sun
July 27, 2008
 
By NEIL HUGHES
Staff Writer

Maybe you’ve heard the one about the Chinese government drilling for oil off the coast of Florida.

Supposedly, they’re in the Florida Straits already, taking oil 60 miles from the U.S. coast.

The myth, popularized by an incorrect newspaper column and repeated by Vice President Dick Cheney, has legs.

But that doesn’t make it true. In reality, the Chinese government — along with a number of other countries — has a contract with Cuba to explore for oil off the island coast.

“The truth is they do have contracts for exploration,” Fla. Rep. Paige Kreegel said. “It’s not just for exploration — everybody knows that. They’re looking to develop energy reserves out there. How successful they are, it’s just going to be a matter of what they find.”

But exploration is a lengthy process done before an offshore rig is even built. In reality, it could be more than a decade before any drilling — if it ever happens — becomes a reality.

With that in mind, let’s dissect some other oilrelated rumors that have been bandied about since discussion of offshore drilling in Florida began to pick up:

• Myths: Drilling off of Florida’s coast, if approved by the government, could begin in the next year. Or, conversely, it would take more than 15 years for extraction.

The truth: Take the middle ground on this one. Around five to seven years is a “reasonable time frame,” said Libby Cheney, vice president, region support directorate for Shell exploration and production.

After that, the oil would need to be transported and refined.

• Myth: Huge amounts of untapped oil exist right off the coast of Florida.

The truth: Maybe, or maybe not. There’s no way of knowing with 100 percent certainty how much oil lies under the Gulf of Mexico, or even where it all is. And officials will not speculate.

“I don’t know what the viability of leases is in this area,” Cheney said.

And some, such as Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney, think oil companies already have enough oil under currently leased, yetuntapped space in the lower 48 states, including the Gulf of Mexico.

“We need to drill on the lands that are already under lease that these oil companies are already paying leases for,” Mahoney said.

• Myth: Giant oil rigs will sully the view from Florida’s beaches.

The truth: Not likely. Current regulations place drilling rigs miles out, far beyond what the human eye can see.

“We can put them out far enough that you’re never going to see them from the beach,” Florida Sen. Mike Bennett said.

• Myth: Most oil the U.S. imports comes from the Middle East.

The truth: According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 18 percent of our imported crude oil in 2007 came from our neighbor to the north, Canada. Saudi Arabia ranked, for the year, number two.

In all, nearly threefourths of the petroleum consumed in the U.S. was from foreign countries. Canada and Mexico are among the top three sources — supplying more than one-quarter of our supply.