To Drill or Not to Drill -- Part One

August 11, 2008

U.S. offshore drilling is a hot topic these days.

To assess current sentiment on the issue, in July we posed the following question to consumers in a ChangeWave survey:

Do you agree with the idea of allowing offshore drilling on the east and west U.S. coasts and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico (off southwest Florida), or do you disagree?

Seventy-seven percent of respondents feel offshore drilling in the United States should be allowed and 53% said they "strongly agree." In comparison, only 20% thought that it should not be allowed.

We also asked respondents what they think the U.S. government should do to combat rising energy prices. Forty-one percent said "increase on- and off-shore drilling programs."

Here's a look at a handful of responses:

•BNE97662 wrote: "Approve drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), and approve additional refineries/energy plants using traditional energy sources as a transition until alternative energy sources can be developed."

•GHM8270 wrote: "Allow drilling but with safeguards so the oil remains stateside. Have requirements in the mineral leases benefiting the U.S. citizen. Go so far as to set up a National Development Company for Energy and fund it federally if that is required because of an inability to negotiate favorable leases."

•RB494834 wrote: "The government should allow increased drilling on federal land and sell the crude oil to the oil companies at market price. Instead, oil companies are purchasing the crude from the Middle East -- sucking billions of dollars out of the U.S. economy. Keep the revenue from oil sales in our domestic economy and use it on our domestic needs."

•DEM03504 wrote: "Hold a comprehensive review of banned drilling areas in the United States and open ones that make sense to open. If individual states won't participate, apply a penalty for lost production."

•RUN01282 wrote: "It is not the government's job to interfere in a free market society. That being said, regulations need to be eased to allow Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) drilling and offshore drilling for oil and gas."

Review additional comments from members on this issue.

Next week we'll take a closer look at responses from members who oppose drilling.

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