A judge has barred offshore drilling for 80 million acres that was being leased by the U.S. Department of Interior in the Gulf of Mexico. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
A judge has barred offshore drilling for 80 million acres that was being leased by the U.S. Department of Interior in the Gulf of Mexico. | Courtesy of Shutterstock
A federal judge recently prohibited offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, which could continue to impact gas prices.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Judge Rudolph Contreras, an Obama-appointed federal judge, barred offshore drilling for 80 million acres that were being leased by the U.S. Department of Interior in the Gulf of Mexico because federal revenue related to drilling were surpassed by climate alarm.
"At a time of geopolitical uncertainty and rapidly rising energy prices, U.S. oil and gas production is more important than ever to curb inflation and to fortify our national security,” Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA), told the Journal.
Managers of the U.S. Department of Interior “used flawed environmental analysis” in their federal oil-and-gas leasing program plans during Trump’s administration, according to Judge Contreras.
CNN reported that President Joe Biden reopened oil and gas leasing in November of last year after banning it in January.
The price of oil and gas continues to be impacted by inflation, with AAA stating that gas prices are rising with no end in sight.
The AAA Gas Price report states that the West Coast of the country is currently seeing the highest gas prices in the nation, with Arizona ranking in the top seven for highest prices.
The mean sum for regular gas is $3.64 per gallon; the average for mid-grade is $3.93 per gallon; the mean sum for premium is $4.19 per gallon and the average for diesel is $3.91 per gallon, according to the AAA Gas Price report.
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