Corpus Christi Archives

America First? Don’t forget our seas

June 29, 2017 by Justin Williams

Corpus Christi Caller Times | Ret. Vice Admiral Paul Gaffney II | June 27, 2017

In building a policy agenda for our nation’s future, the Trump Administration has made “America First” its guiding principle. With that in mind, our federal government must continue to invest in U.S. scientists to explore a resource critical to American strength and prosperity – our oceans.

Why invest in undersea research? That’s easy. We are the greatest maritime nation in history and our national security and economic health are inextricably linked to our unique position in the middle of the world’s ocean system.

In addition, half of U.S. territory is underwater. Put another way, when one counts the U.S. exclusive economic zone — that area seaward from our coastline to about 200 miles — America’s property holding doubles.

But even that resource-rich American property is hardly explored or routinely observed. To understand the dynamics of our submerged world, oceanographic institutions — American institutions — need to explore and observe both close to shore and far out at sea. Close to shore because it holds American resources. Far out at sea because our Navy must dominate there.

Consider the importance of ocean research to the military ships, submarines and Sailors voyaging far and wide in the global ocean on behalf of our national defense. The Navy’s operational superiority relies on our ability to maximize performance in all ocean environments. To achieve that, we must continually advance our knowledge of how the ocean works, and how to take advantage of it. Our adversaries certainly understand this and continue to make significant investments in ocean research and infrastructure.

Mapping the seafloor, for instance, is crucial to ensure safe navigation for submarines in remote or unfriendly parts of the world. Daily temperature variations affect marine life but also bend sound in the sea — and understanding these acoustics is vital to submarine stealth. Predicting internal (underwater) waves and deep ocean currents is critical to protect both submarines and commercial offshore oil operations. This is an investment in American security.

Mapping the bottom and characterizing varying ocean waters in our own exclusive economic zone leads to better fishing decisions, discovery of non-living resources and safer commercial navigation. This is an investment in understanding and the pursuit of America’s assets.

Read the full op-ed here.

Paul G. Gaffney II is a retired Navy vice admiral and former president of the National Defense University and Monmouth University.

We’ve come a long way since Deepwater Horizon

May 31, 2017 by Justin Williams

Corpus Christi Caller Times | May 31, 2017 | David de Roode

President Trump’s executive order aimed at rolling back efforts to ban oil and natural gas drilling in huge swaths of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans came as welcome relief to our industry. Last month marked the seventh anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon accident and gulf oil spill. This tragedy continues to provide a powerful reminder that the number one priority of the oil and gas industry is and must always be safety: the safety of our workers, our communities and our shared environment.

The payoffs could be enormous. Several years ago, an independent study by Quest Offshore Resources found that oil and natural gas exploration and development off our Atlantic coast alone, would create nearly 300,000 new jobs, add $24 billion annually to the overall U.S. economy, and contribute more than $50 billion in cumulative government revenue by 2035. Add in reserves located in the Arctic and Pacific oceans and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and those numbers climb even higher.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration made two politically charged decisions that block access to these resources. The first was the “permanent” withdrawal of huge swaths of the Atlantic and Arctic oceans. The second was a blanket denial of permits to conduct seismic surveys in the Atlantic, claiming environmental concerns which are contradicted by the top scientist at the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) who has cited zero evidence of seismic surveys harming marine life.

Whatever the motivation for these decisions, they were based largely on a faulty premise that the offshore industry can’t explore for and produce oil and natural gas safely. The truth is we’ve learned a lot during the years since the Deepwater Horizon incident both in terms of how to prevent future spills and how to respond more quickly and effectively should one occur. Industry established the Center for Offshore Safety that coordinates and assists the energy industry in seeing that all operations are conducted safely and efficiently. New technologies for prevention and containment have been developed, and new procedures and equipment for a coordinated industry-government response are in place.

The world is going to need a lot more oil and natural gas over the next 25 years. The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects a 48 percent increase in global energy demand by 2040, and that fossil fuels will meet at least 80 percent of that demand. Think of what that could mean for the U.S. in terms of economic growth and our role in the developing world.

Read the full op-ed here.

David de Roode is a partner and senior vice president at Lockton Global Energy & Marine, a risk management consulting and insurance brokerage firm based in Houston servicing the global energy and marine industries, and a NOIA Board Member.

Drill more, not less, offshore

January 17, 2017 by Justin Williams

Caller Times Corpus Christi | January 14, 2017 | Rob Saltiel

President Obama’s recent decisions to withdraw huge areas of the Arctic and Atlantic oceans from future oil and gas leasing opportunities and to deny seismic survey permits in the Atlantic are not in keeping with his administration’s professed “all-of-the-above” approach to energy policy. That’s too bad, because we need policies that protect our energy security, grow our economy and provide well-paying jobs for our people.

Increasing access to our country’s offshore areas accomplishes all three of these objectives. Looking at the Atlantic seaboard alone, a 2013 study by Quest Offshore Resources found that oil and natural gas production there would create nearly 300,000 new jobs, add $24 billion to the overall U.S. economy, and contribute more than $50 billion in cumulative government revenue. Adding areas in the Arctic and Pacific oceans – as well as the Eastern Gulf of Mexico – would make these numbers even bigger.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, worldwide energy demand is expected to increase by as much as 48 percent by 2040, with fossil fuels supplying a full 80 percent of that demand. Opening our oceans to oil and gas exploration and production isn’t just good for the United States. It helps developing nations around the world as well. We know that other countries are ramping up their own offshore energy exploration activities in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans in order to meet this future demand. The longer we wait, the harder it will be for us to catch up.

We can be encouraged by the fact that President-elect Trump has chosen former Texas Governor Rick Perry to be his Secretary of Energy. Here in the Lone Star State, we enjoy the benefits of offshore energy development and understand why it’s wrong to deny other states access to these same benefits.

Read the full op-ed here.

Rob Saltiel is President & CEO of Atwood Oceanics, Inc., an offshore drilling company headquartered in Houston.