Congress is full of it.

The latest excuse for not allowing more drilling by many Democrats is that the oil companies are not using the leases they already have. Here are leases that were bought(not given as Harry Reid suggested today) and were found to have a lot of natural gas that was recoverable (A flow rate of 41 million standard cubic feet per day with no liquid hydrocarbons was achieved from the Norphlet Formation below 6,600 meters (22,000 feet).) and they were continually blocked by they government from recovering that gas. Chevron, Murphy and Conoco relinquished all but two of their leases in a lawsuit settlement, and those currently can't be touched till after 2012. So here we have leases that were purchased from the government and were drilled and found to contain recoverable energy sources and that same government blocked production of those sites. So are these part of the millions of acres that aren't being used according to Pelosi, Reid and other people. So who's to blame for this fiasco? The oil companies for not using the leases that they already had or the government? Makes me curious as to how many other of these leases that the oil companies have that are being blocked by the government.

 Previously, Chevron had drilled three exploration wells (in 1987, 1989, and 1995) in this area, each of which resulted in significant natural gas discoveries 

http://www.gomr.mms.gov/homepg/offshore/egom/activity.html#egom%20drilling%20activities 

Discoveries

To date, 20 of 64 wells drilled in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico have had commercially producible hydrocarbon (natural gas, condensate, and oil) discoveries.

Interestingly there have been 64 holes drilled and only 20 produced commercially viable amounts. So that seems to show that just because they have leases that there doesn't mean that there is recoverable oil and gas. So I guess that means that all 64 million acres that the oil companies leased isn't going to have oil or gas under them. Hmmmmm? 

On May 29, 2002, Secretary Gale Norton announced that the Department has agreed in principle to settle litigation with oil companies that own interests in the Destin Dome Unit.  The companies--Chevron, Conoco and Murphy Oil--will relinquish seven of nine leases in the unit that were the subject of the litigation, in exchange for $115 million.  The remaining two leases, Destin Dome Blocks 56 and 57, are to be held by Murphy and will be suspended until at least 2012, under the terms of the agreement.  Murphy has agreed not to submit a development plan on the two remaining leases before 2012, the year when the current moratoria will expire.  Under the terms of the agreement, the leases can not be developed unless approved by both the Federal Government and State of Florida.

Previously, on August 15, 1997, MMS had begun its formal review process for Chevron U.S.A. Inc.'s plan to develop natural gas resources located 40 kilometers (25 miles) offshore Florida's northwest coast (see Map). Previously, Chevron had drilled three exploration wells (in 1987, 1989, and 1995) in this area, each of which resulted in significant natural gas discoveries (see Table). Chevron submitted its development plan in November 1996 on behalf of itself and its two partners--Murphy Exploration & Producing Company and Conoco, Inc. The development plan covered 11 contiguous lease blocks in the Destin Dome 56 Unit and called for an estimated natural gas production ranging from 300 to 450 million cubic feet per day.  A draft EIS was made available to the public on August 19, 1999. 

The State of Florida objected to Chevron's coastal zone consistency findings in February 1998.   Chevron appealed the State's objection to the U.S. Department of Commerce in April 1998.  On July 24, 2000, Chevron U.S.A., Conoco Inc., and Murphy Exploration & Production Company filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Government for denying the companies "timely and fair review" of plans, permits, and an appeal concerned with the Destin Dome 56 Unit Development Plan.  They alleged this action constituted a "taking" and that the Government delayed and ultimately blocked the partners from developing the field.  The lawsuit sought compensation for lease bonuses and rentals paid, exploration costs, expenses incurred on environmental studies, and opportunity costs associated with the project.  The agreement that was announced mooted this litigation.

• On May 29, 2002, Secretary Gale Norton announced that the Department had agreed in principle to settle litigation with oil companies that own interests in the Destin Dome Unit.  The companies--Chevron, Conoco and Murphy Oil--relinquished seven of nine leases in the unit that were the subject of the litigation in exchange for $115 million.  The remaining two leases, Destin Dome Blocks 56 and 57, are to be held by Murphy and will be suspended until at least 2012, under the terms of the agreement.  Murphy has agreed not to submit a development plan on the two remaining leases before 2012, the year when the current moratoria will expire.  Under the terms of the agreement, the leases can not be developed unless approved by the Federal Government and State of Florida.