Plan Would Allow Oil Exploration in the Arctic

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) U.S. Senator Jim Talent (R-Mo.) today urged the Senate to pass the Defense Appropriations bill which includes a measure to allow oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The ANWR proposal also includes a bipartisan provision added by Sen. Talent and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) to prevent oil companies from exporting this oil to foreign countries. Talent and Wyden added the export ban as an amendment to the ANWR plan last month. The Senate approved the amendment 83-16.

"Exploring for oil in the Arctic is a pro-jobs, pro-growth plan that will reduce America's dependence on unreliable foreign sources of oil and help protect the nation's security," Sen. Talent, a member of the Senate Energy Committee. "We shouldn't cut ourselves off from our own domestic resources when the alternative is greater dependence on other countries. Our plan also ensures that the oil we get from the Arctic is only sold in the United States. This is a very important hedge against foreign boycotts or threats or oil blackmail that somebody may want to use against the United States."

The Senate is expected to vote this week on the ANWR proposal which is attached to the defense spending bill. The plan, which is strongly supported by business groups and labor unions, has the potential to create more than 14,000 Missouri jobs.

Sen. Talent said there are a number of powerful reasons for exploring for oil in the ANWR. The ANWR is the single greatest prospect for onshore oil and gas development in the United States. The U.S. Department of Interior estimates that between 9 to 16 billion barrels of recoverable oil is available in a tiny portion of the ANWR. At peak production, ANWR could produce more oil than any state in the nation, including Texas and Louisiana.

Due to enhancements in technology, we can explore for oil with minimal impact on the environment. The ANWR covers 19.6 million acres. Of this area, 17 million acres are completely off-limits to any kind of development, and only 2,000 acres – roughly the size of a large airport – are needed to explore for oil.

Sen. Talent stressed that exploring for oil in the Arctic isn't the only solution to greater energy independence. He said the new Energy law, supporting renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel and accessing natural gas in the Gulf Coast are necessary for energy security over the long term.

The House approved the defense spending bill with the ANWR proposal 308-106. The Senate must now approve the plan before it can become law.