Houston, TX, Aug. 16, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dustin Van Liew, IAGC’s VP of Regulatory & Governmental Affairs today issued the following statement regarding energy industry trade groups filing a lawsuit against DOI’s indefinite federal oil and gas leasing pause:
“The law clearly states that the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) must hold lease sales on federal lands (including offshore) and provide a justification for significant policy changes impacting those sales. In the eight months since instituting the leasing ‘pause’, this administration has failed to provide any rationale for this de facto ban or any hint of a path forward. It is important that the industry take action to not only preserve our legal rights, but also to ensure that citizens have access to the affordable, reliable energy the U.S. economy needs.
“In a time where the administration is calling upon foreign sources of energy, such as OPEC to meet the domestic energy demand, an indefinite pause is egregious. The U.S. energy renaissance has put millions of Americans to work, generated billions of dollars in revenue for federal and state governments, and put downward pressure on prices for consumers – notably, allowing citizens with the least means to access the benefits of low energy costs. Growing U.S. production has also dramatically increased the nation’s resistance to energy market shocks, but the U.S.’ long-term energy security can only be strengthened with a lasting commitment to continuing onshore and offshore oil and natural gas exploration, leasing and development.
“As the Biden Administration’s calls to OPEC demonstrates, the U.S. still demands oil and natural gas, and the way it is produced matters. The Geophysical & Exploration (G&E) industry plays a critical role in enabling a lower carbon footprint of oil and gas exploration and production, with less fuel usage and less emissions. Additionally, the G&E industry has a long history of safely and successfully coexisting with other commercial, environmental, and recreational interests on U.S. federal lands. We are committed to continuing to work with the Biden administration on policies that support traditional and alternative energies while providing the resources the U.S. needs.
“The G&E industry (and other businesses) rely on consistent and transparent policy decisions by governments. An arbitrary suspension to leasing disrupts business certainty: major investments in the U.S. have already been made by companies with a reasonable expectation of future activities and returns.”
Trade organizations joining along with the IAGC and American Petroleum Institute as co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit are:
- American Exploration & Production Council
- Independent Petroleum Association of America
- National Ocean Industries Association
- Montana Petroleum Association
- North Dakota Petroleum Council
- Petroleum Alliance of Oklahoma
- Southeast Oil and Gas Association
- Utah Petroleum Association
- Western States Petroleum Association
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About the IAGC
Founded in 1971, the IAGC is the global trade association for the geophysical and exploration industry, the cornerstone of the energy industry. With member companies in 50 countries, our membership includes onshore and offshore survey operators and acquisition companies, data and processing providers, exploration and production companies, equipment and software manufacturers, industry suppliers, and service providers.
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