Jim Inhofe: “I consider this to be significant. I think it is very important for us. We hear all the stuff about the environment and…”

“I consider this to be significant. I think it is very important for us. We hear all the stuff about the environment and we hear some extremist groups who are saying they don't want this to take place. There are some out there, maybe even some Senators, who might believe this somehow is going to authorize exploration or authorize drilling. Section 105 of the bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an inventory and analysis of oil and natural gas resources in the Outer Continental Shelf. It does not in any way authorize any type of exploration; it doesn't authorize any kind of drilling. It will provide the American people, for the first time, using new technology-- and we have new technology--a comprehensive overview of the country's offshore oil and natural gas resources. This 3-D seismic technology--I have heard the chairman of the Energy Committee talk about this modern technology. It was developed in the 1990s and has allowed us to identify 100 trillion cubic feet more natural gas in the Gulf of Mexico than was previously found. Why is there so much resistance to knowing how many oil and gas resources or reserves are out there?”