Aircraft to start hunt for Atlantic oil off Carolinas, East Coast
An aerial hunt for oil and natural gas reserves in the Atlantic Ocean is poised to launch, a first step in the plan to lease waters off Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia for drilling.
But controversial seismic cannons, considered the best method to find where the oil and gas is, won’t be unleashed off the coast until at least next year.
Jim White, president of the geophysical company ARKeX, said Tuesday he’s received his permit to start the aerial search. The development will represent the first oil and gas survey in decades for the Atlantic Ocean off the East Coast, which has been kept off limits to drilling since the 1980s.
White’s company uses aircraft to measure variations in the Earth’s gravitational field to evaluate density of the subsurface and identify areas that could hold oil and natural gas reserves. Little is known about how much oil and gas is off the East Coast.
White told the House energy subcommittee that his findings can help companies decide where to target seismic exploration for oil and gas in the Atlantic. Those seismic surveys are on hold while the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service weighs the risks to endangered whales and other marine life.
“We continue to spend time and money on this process and may never get the permits,” said Richie Miller, president of Spectrum Geo Inc., a company that does seismic surveys and sells the data to energy companies.
Mixed bag in S.C.
▪ Most city councils in coastal South Carolina, as well as the Columbia City Council, are opposed to offshore energy exploration and drilling.
They argue that the risk of drilling for oil and gas isn’t worth the impact that a spill could have on South Carolina’s tourism economy, which is anchored by nearly 200 miles of beaches.
▪ Gov. Nikki Haley and many members of the state’s congressional delegation – except former governor and now Congressman Mark Sanford – favor offshore drilling. They say it’s a way to help the nation gain energy independence and create jobs.