FACT SHEET: EXPANDING SAFE AND RESPONSIBLE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION

The Obama Administration is working to increase the responsible and safe production of oil and gas in the
United States, as part of a comprehensive energy plan for the country.
BY THE NUMBERS
Since 2008, U.S. oil and natural gas production has increased, while imports of foreign oil have decreased
 The United States’ dependence on foreign oil has declined over the last two years, with net imports falling from
approximately 60 percent over 2004-2008 to approximately 50 percent in 2010.
o In the last two years, oil production from the federal U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has increased by
more than a third, from 446 million barrels in 2008 to an estimated more than 600 million barrels in 2010.
o Oil production from onshore public lands increased 5 percent over the last year, from 109 million barrels in
2009 to 114 million barrels in 2010.
o Total U.S. natural gas production in 2010 was 26.9 trillion cubic feet, a 5% increase from 2008 and the
highest level in more than 30 years.
 Oil production from federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico was steady at around 50 million barrels per month from
October 2009 to October 2010, even as the nation battled the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Gulf of Mexico offshore
oil production accounts for 29 percent of U.S. crude oil production.
The Obama Administration has offered, and continues to offer, millions of acres of public land and federal waters for
oil and gas exploration and production
 Onshore: In 2010, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) held 29 oil and gas lease sales for public lands in the
West, offering 1,643 parcels covering 3.2 million acres. In 2011, BLM is scheduled to hold 33 lease sales.
41 million acres of public lands are under lease for oil and gas development, of which 12 million acres are
producing.
In 2010, the BLM processed more than 5,000 applications for permits to drill (APD) on Federal and Indian
lands. In 2011, BLM expects to process more than 7,200 APDs.
 Offshore: In 2010, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation (BOEMRE) offered 37 million offshore
acres in the Gulf of Mexico for oil and gas exploration and production.
A total of 38 million acres of the OCS are under active lease, of which 6.5 million acres are producing.
Since the Deepwater Horizon spill and the implementation of stronger safety standards, BOEMRE has
approved 37 shallow water permits in the Gulf of Mexico. BOEMRE also recently issued its first deepwater
permit since the new standards, including the new requirement that operators demonstrate the ability to
contain a deepwater blowout. BOEMRE has also issued 22 permits for deepwater wells that were allowed
under the temporary moratorium.
The Obama Administration has undertaken needed reforms to make oil and gas development safer and to ensure
American taxpayers receive a fair return from the development of their resources
Oil, gas and coal production from public lands and waters generated approximately $9 billion in revenue for
American taxpayers in 2010, which is consistent with median annual revenues from 2000-2010.
o Twenty major U.S. energy producers reported a 32 percent increase in income in the third quarter of
2010, compared to the third quarter of 2009.
o Oil and gas production from offshore areas contributes more than $49 billion in sales, more than $115
billion in economic benefits, and supports more than 642,000 American jobs. Oil, gas and coal
production from onshore public lands contributed nearly $32 billion in sales, more than $99 billion in
economic impacts and supports more than 420,000 American jobs.
The Administration is working to increase certainty and reduce costly delays and litigation in the onshore oil
and gas leasing process; in 2009 – before the implementation of needed reforms – 49% of the parcels sold
were protested, up from just over 1% protested in 1998.