We have all heard the phrase “out of sight, out of mind.” Well just because the employees and production assets of the Gulf of Mexico oil and natural gas industry are out of view, miles away from the Louisiana coast, they should very much be top of mind to Americans.

Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise recently invited members of Congress and Fox News to see firsthand what many Louisianans already know. Gulf of Mexico oil and natural gas production is safe, is one of the lowest carbon-intensive producing basins in the world, and creates tens of thousands of Louisiana jobs, all while being vitally important to American energy security. 

Louisiana plays a crucial role in America’s energy distribution. In 2020, Louisiana oil and natural gas accounted for 9% of U.S. gas production and has 8% of the nation’s gas reserves along with 17 oil refineries that process about 3.4 million barrels of crude oil a day. Without a five-year leasing program in place, U.S. energy endeavors such as American energy security, economic growth and environmental progress are at stake.

Unfortunately, the Administration's current leasing ban on federal land and waters creates great uncertainty for the future of our critical industry, and it’s important policymakers in Washington take immediate steps towards the development of a 5-year offshore leasing plan.

• If the current ban continues, U.S. and Gulf of Mexico offshore oil and natural gas production could decrease by 68% and 44%. More than 70% of federal oil production comes from offshore.
• 106,000 Louisiana jobs  are supported by Gulf of Mexico offshore production. Nearly 14,000 of those could be lost without a 5-year offshore leasing program. A delayed 5-year offshore leasing program could result in  a loss of around $1.3 billion in contributions to Louisiana’s economy.
• With a 5-year offshore leasing program, the Gulf of Mexico is projected to produce an average of 2.6 million barrels per day of oil and natural gas from 2022 – 2040.  A delay in the program could mean nearly 500,000 barrels per day less, about a 20% reduction, over that time period.

Louisiana and the oil and natural gas industry have been working towards conserving the environment and investing billions in new technologies to reduce our environmental impact. Our state remains uniquely positioned to help meet global energy demands, and with the correct policies in place, our industry stands ready to support America with access to a stable supply of reliable and affordable energy while reducing emissions.

If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to watch this news clip from Congressman Scalise’s recent visit to the Shell Appomattox platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Afterward, I hope you can agree that this industry cannot be ignored, and America very much needs it to be “top of mind.”