We Must Start Now

Offshore energy production is a long and arduous process, requiring years of government approvals, exploration, and development.  That’s why, to start reaping the economic and energy benefits of these natural resources, we need to start NOW.


The process to acquire oil and natural gas resources can take as long as 10 years.  This is due to the number of processes that must be followed by energy producers and government agencies to first lease, and then explore and develop land for oil and natural gas production, as depicted below.

Lease Process

 Source: America's Offshore Energy

 

Once a lease is acquired, additional environmental studies, exploration plans and permits are developed and reviewed; exploration and production facilities are installed; and the necessary infrastructure to acquire the resources is built. Energy producers can spend many years, and in excess of $100 million, to purchase a lease and explore it. 

There is, of course, always the added delay of potential litigation and additional federal regulatory hurdles.  These time-consuming steps often portray leases as sitting "idle", when in fact companies are just "going through the process".  Many times, this long and costly process ends up with a “dry well” and no oil. The risks are great and the timelines are long.  

Seventy-one percent of South Carolina voters favor offshore oil and natural gas development.  

It would take years for South Carolina to start realizing the economic and energy security benefits that lie within our vast natural resources.

For these reasons, we must start now if we want our children to benefit from the oil and natural gas resources we have off of our own shores of South Carolina.Read more: