Oil Industry Poll Sees Little Help – No Faith in Washington

U.S. oil and gas industry leaders aren’t hopeful that Washington lawmakers will make their lives any easier in coming years, according to a survey released Tuesday.

The survey, by consulting firm Deloitte & Touche, showed that almost 80 percent of the respondents believe U.S. energy policy is not heading in the right direction,

In addition, 70 percent cited government policy concerns, particularly those that restrict drilling on resource-rich federal lands, as “the biggest obstacle that is blocking energy progress in America.”

Regulatory obstacles to boosting exploration, along with rising energy demands, will continue to put pressure on oil and natural gas prices through at least 2007, the survey said.

Deloitte, which collected responses in November from 140 executives and managers in the U.S. oil and gas industry, released the results at its annual industry conference Tuesday in Houston. The gathering drew a wide swath of industry executives to discuss how energy companies will meet the world’s growing energy needs.

Houston Chronicle