International Association of Drilling Contractors requests expanded access to Outer Continental Shelf
The International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) recently submitted comments in response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s (BOEM) request for information and comments on the 2019-2024 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
The IADC noted that the U.S. oil and natural gas industry supported more than 10.3 million U.S. jobs and accounted for over 7.5 percent
of gross domestic product in 2015.
“It is with these numbers in mind that IADC, along with our industry association counterparts, supports the expansion of available drilling areas in the 5-year leasing plan,” IADC President Jason McFarland said. “We urge Interior Secretary [Ryan] Zinke to expand access to available resources of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in order to further solidify energy security for the U.S. and future job creation
and revenue generation.”
More than 120 Congressional House Members also submitted comments asked Zinke to consider all OCS lands, IADC said.
“IADC stands with our elected officials in supporting a robust offshore leasing program that fully considers all areas of the OCS for oil and gas development,” McFarland said.
The governors of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina have expressed opposition to expanded drilling in the OCS. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe recently requested that BOEM exempt the state from the any planned expansions.
