Pro-Drilling Lobby: More Falsehoods

To: Florida editorial writers and columnists
From: Mark Ferrulo, Executive Director Progress Florida

Sunday's Sarasota Herald-Tribune article by Jeremy Wallace drives a dagger into the heart of one of the main arguments put forth by pro-drilling forces - that drilling would have a minimal visual footprint and would not be visible from shore. Consider the claims made by the drillers:

"...oil and gas exploration would be virtually invisible from the shore. New subsea-extraction technology allows for underwater production without the need for unsightly permanent oil rigs visible from our shores."
- EnergyFLA.com FAQ

However, the American Petroleum Institute concedes in the Herald-Tribune article that so-called "subsea" platforms are intended for water depths over 5,000 feet. Florida's state-owned waters are no more than 100 feet deep:

"The only way subsea systems would be viable off Florida's coast is if large traditional drilling platforms were built nearby or the state allowed refineries and miles of pipelines to shore. History shows that is not likely to happen. A new oil refinery has not been built in the United States since the 1970s."
- Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Nov. 29, 2009

Even the spokesmen for Florida Energy Associates quoted in this article admit that the subsea drilling technology, that they are so quick to laud in their massive PR and lobbying campaign, is not viable in Florida waters.

State Rep. Doug Holder, R-Sarasota, is quoted as saying the use of subsea platforms was "all we heard about" before he voted in favor of a bill to lift the drilling ban last session.

With such an important and divisive debate underway, it is critical that the public - and our public officials - consider the pro-drillers' latest exposed falsehoods regarding the use of subsea drilling technology. Moreover, on the heels of reports debunking their outrageous economic claims, it is time to question why we should believe anything this anonymous group of Texas oilmen has to say.

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