OFFSHORE DRILLING
Hastings plans one-two punch on offshore drilling
"He said his first bill will be aimed at speeding up development in Gulf of Mexico regions where leasing and drilling is already allowed. Hastings said a second bill would address offshore oil-and-gas drilling outside the Gulf of Mexico."
Salazar: Drilling permit requests to jump in 2011
Menendez touts "use it or lose" bill to curb expansion of oil drilling leases
"The high cost of oil is not caused by limits on drilling on federal land and offshore waters, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and two Democratic colleagues said Wednesday as Republicans and the industry pressed the issue.
Menendez, D-N.J., said at a news conference on Capitol Hill that 60 million of the 78 million acres of lands and waters already leased to oil and gas companies are not in production."
