Drill Here, Drill Now

I found this graph today on Treehugger, and felt it was telling enough to post it again here. You can also find the original graph on the Architecture 2030 website. Why is offshore drilling a scam? How long would it take before we would be drilling offshore? What would the effect be? Check it out.



According to the US Energy Information Administration, oil production from drilling offshore in the outer continental shelf wouldn't begin until around the year 2017. Once begun, it wouldn't reach peak production until about 2030 when it would produce only 200,000 barrels of oil per day (in yellow above). This would supply a meager 1.2% of total US annual oil consumption (just 0.6% of total US energy consumption). And, the offshore oil would be sold back to the US at the international rate, which today is $106 a barrel. So, the oil produced by offshore drilling would not only be a "drop in the bucket", it would be expensive, which translates to "no relief at the pump".