North Carolina favours oil and gas development

75% of North Carolina voters favour more development of US oil and natural gas resources, and more than 90% believe more oil and natural gas development would provide major benefits to the nation, including more US jobs, according to a new poll released today by Public Opinion Strategies and Frederick Polls.

Oil and gas development: the public's opinion

"Voters in North Carolina know developing more of America's domestic energy would lead to more jobs, increased government revenues, and help put downward pressure on fuel prices," said North Carolina Petroleum Council Executive Director Bill Weatherspoon. "North Carolina has the chance to get it right and use the most advanced hydraulic fracturing technologies to safely and responsibly develop energy from shale."

The telephone poll of 600 likely North Carolina voters found that large majorities agree that more US oil and natural gas development could lead to more American jobs (92%), help reduce consumer energy costs (82%), deliver more revenue to the government (73%), and increase the nation's energy security (86%). 52% support hydraulic fracturing to access domestic resources and believe the process is safe, creates jobs and helps America meet its energy needs by keeping energy costs low. 72% also support exploration and drilling off the coast of North Carolina to access oil and natural gas.

Ending reliance on the US Strategic Reserve

The United States has one of the largest reserves of oil and natural gas in the world largely due to technological advances in offshore development and in the development of shale through hydraulic fracturing.

"We can’t keep tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve or ask Saudi Arabia to bail us out when prices rise," said Weatherspoon. "North Carolina is uniquely positioned to add jobs and gain revenues from both onshore and offshore production and this poll demonstrates that voters in this state favor the development to the benefit of our nation."

The North Carolina Petroleum Council is a division of API, which represents more than 500 oil and natural gas companies, leaders of a technology-driven industry that supplies most of America's energy, supports 9.2 million U.S. jobs and 7.7% of the U.S. economy, delivers more than US$ 86 million a day in revenue to our government, and, since 2000, has invested more than US$ 2 trillion in U.S. capital projects to advance all forms of energy, including alternatives.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/20032012/oil_and_gas_development_favoured_by-north-carolina/