How anti-drilling environmentalists are aiding and abetting Russia

Environmentally minded South Carolinians who oppose offshore drilling and shale production may be unwittingly lending support to an effort by Saudi Arabia and Russia to throttle back U.S. oil production, and thereby push world oil prices to $100 a barrel or more.

If the political threat from Saudi Arabia and Russia seems remote, keep in mind that the oil market is global and what we pay for gasoline at the pump is affected by the amount of oil being produced worldwide.

Saudi Arabia and Russia forged a deal about 18 months ago to reduce oil production so as to push up oil prices in order to sustain their economies and strengthen geopolitical power in the Middle East. Russia’s role in that effort is cause for continuing concern.

The U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology recently released a report that described Russian efforts to influence U.S. energy policy through sophisticated attacks on offshore drilling and shale production of oil and natural gas. The motivation for such efforts appeared to be to disrupt U.S. oil and gas production.

Those who think that South Carolina is somehow immune to such meddling ought to think again.

By using social media and the Internet, Russian operatives have attempted to spread propaganda against offshore drilling. And, according to the committee report, they provided covert support to groups who were unaware of where the money was coming from to campaign against not only offshore drilling but also fracking and pipeline construction.

The best defense against these actions is to bolster U.S. oil and gas production. Offshore access to energy resources in the Atlantic can lay the foundation for increased U.S. oil and gas production in the years ahead. Offshore drilling is safer than ever before. Rapid advances in drilling technology and commensurate growth in production efficiency can help oil and gas producers provide much of the fuel that’s critical to our energy security.

We must realize that our economic and political well-being still rests on our ability to influence energy prices by producing an abundant supply of oil and natural gas. And the best way to achieve it would be to summon America’s technological know-how on behalf of full production.

The State publishes a cross section of the letters we receive from South Carolinians in order to provide a forum for our community and also to allow our community to get a good look at itself, for good or bad. The letters represent the views of the letter writers, not necessarily of The State.

This story was originally published May 11, 2018 at 4:52 PM with the headline "How anti-drilling environmentalists are aiding and abetting Russia."