Oil and gas industry leaders lobbed criticism at the Obama administration Wednesday, using the stage of an annual industry conference in Houston to assert that the domestic energy boom has occurred in spite of what they call a corrosive energy strategy out of the White House.
Energy executives and other industry players took President Barack Obama to task during the Winter NAPE Conference, an annual expo of oil and gas prospects, technology exhibits and industry networking.
They said the White House has limited the availability of federal land for drilling and created an atmosphere of uncertainty over future regulations and taxes, reinforcing the nation's tether to oil imports and keeping gasoline prices high.
"These have been the most difficult three years from a policy standpoint that I've ever seen in my career," said Bruce Vincent, president of Houston-based oil and natural gas producer Swift Energy. "They've done nothing but restrict access and delay permitting."
"The Obama administration, unfortunately, has threatened this industry at every turn."
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More than 14,500 people pre-registered to attend, organizers said Wednesday, and an additional 2,000 were expected to sign up on-site. The conference, formerly called the North American Prospect Expo, also attracted about 1,000 exhibitors.
The convention's theme for the day was "The Oil and Gas Supply Renaissance: Delivering on the Promise." The U.S. has seen a surge in fossil fuel production in recent years, so intense that the nation is considering exporting its natural gas surplus. But some at the conference said the industry reached those milestones in spite of an oppressive energy policy.
Former Shell executive John Hofmeister said the nation has to adopt a more aggressive domestic drilling policy as developing countries like China demand more oil.
"The administration has done everything but support drilling," he said. "We are on the verge of slipping into an energy abyss."
Others criticized the Environmental Protection Agency's studies of hydraulic fracturing and voiced suspicions that the studies could lead to heavy federal regulations on the technique that has been central to the production boom.
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The administration appears to have awakened to the fact that its energy policies are not working and it is going to have to pay a price for the resulting high price of gasoline. It has been trying to manufacture statistics to support claims of increased production, but it is clear that any increases have been in spite of their efforts.
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