Oil watchdog agency corrupt from bottom to top

[JimH52]

Whistleblower: Oil watchdog agency 'cult of corruption' - CNN.com

Maxwell, a registered independent, said the shift in attitude at the agency began about seven or eight years ago, about the time the Bush administration came into power. He said he was discouraged from aggressively auditing oil companies.

"Laws and regulations were not applied, also not enforced," he said.

 

[editec]

Maxwell was in charge of keeping track of the millions in royalty payments owed taxpayers by oil and gas companies who explored and found oil on U.S. government lands.
He estimates he and his team were responsible for saving the government close to $500 million in royalties, either underpaid or somehow skipped by oil and gas companies, over the years.

I have suspected for years that the American people are being ripped off on royalties for the oil taken from OUR reserves.

This doesn't surprise me one bit.

 

[JimH52]

I have a feeling this is just the tip of the Iceberg. bush and his boys have been ripping the American taxpayers a big one for years and the GOP sheep compliantly tag along for the slaughter.

When McCain and the GOP lose big next month, they can blame the abuse this administration has inflicted on our Constitution for the last 8 years. Besides McCain's sudden rush to be a bush lapdog, that will be one of the big reasons that he loses.

 

[editec]

Yeah...why else would these companies CARE about drilling in America so much?

After all, if they're not getting oil at bargain prices from America owned land, there is absolutely no difference to THEM, where the oil comes from, is there?

Do me a favor somebody...try to find our how much money the American taxpayers get from all this oil that is being drilled from American owned lands.

Try to find that information. I dare you.

I've tried a lot and oddly (VERY ODDLY) that information seems to exist nowhere on line.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

Yeah...why else would these companies CARE about drilling in America so much?

After all, if they're not getting oil at bargain prices from America owned land, there is absolutely no difference to THEM, where the oil comes from, is there?

Do me a favor somebody...try to find our how much money the American taxpayers get from all this oil that is being drilled from American owned lands.

Try to find that information. I dare you.

I've tried a lot and oddly (VERY ODDLY) that information seems to exist nowhere on line.

Don't recall the agencies name but it was LINKED to right here on this very board and stated that on the last year they had figures for 8 BILLION dollars was collected in the Gulf and Atlantic from drilling rights.

Process being a simple one, the oil company PAYS a pitance to lease the land and then IF they drill and make money they have to pay royalties on the oil they pump from any rig that shows a profit.

 

[sealybobo]

Whistleblower: Oil watchdog agency 'cult of corruption' - CNN.com

We've been screaming this ever since we realized what was going on. Probably some time in 2004. Bush had us all eating out of the palm of his hand after 9-11 and we let him get away with anything he wanted. Then we started getting wise to what he was doing.

How about the Coal Miners in PA? The GOP allowed the mine owners to regulate themselves. Remember all the mine collapses? Yea, those owners didn't punish themselves too hard, nor did they ever fine themselves for not making the mines safe.

And PA might actually vote for McCain? Then they get what they deserve. Idiots.

And if you buy gas and vote GOP, you deserve $5 a gallon gas.

 

[JimH52]

PA won't go McCain...it won't happen.

 

[Truthmatters]

Whistleblower: Oil watchdog agency 'cult of corruption' - CNN.com

soft deregulation?


This was the case at the SEC also, they even admitt it helped cause the economic mess.

 

[sealybobo]

soft deregulation?


This was the case at the SEC also, they even admitt it helped cause the economic mess.

I've been telling people that the GOP passed laws that were pro oil company and anti consumer. And any laws that might stop excessive speculation were not being enforced because Bush appointees were turning a blind eye.

So all the Republican bobble heads that we argue with on these boards make me sick because they are clearly wrong about EVERYTHING, but you have to tackle each issue one by one to debunk their lies. It takes a long time. It's frustrating. And you forget all the shit they did 2 weeks or 2 years ago because it is too much to retain.

Bottom line, this Bush presidency is the worse in US History. Maybe tied with Hoover. And to think the bar was set at Jimmy Carter before Bush totally lowered the bar.

And don't for a second forget the Tom Delay Congress. They are just as much at fault as Bush. And McCain was a part of that.

And we know that McCain ONLY voted against Bush when he knew the bills would pass without him. When Bush/Delay needed McCain, he toed the line every time. He's a scumbag just like Delay & Bush.

 

[sealybobo]

soft deregulation?


This was the case at the SEC also, they even admitt it helped cause the economic mess.

Check this site out. http://www.netrootsmass.net/hughs-bush-scandals-list/

I said it is hard to keep track of all the bullshit the GOP did between 2000-2006 but apparently someone kept track because here is a list. 385 Bush Scandals

WOW.

 

[JimH52]

Check this site out. http://www.netrootsmass.net/hughs-bush-scandals-list/

I said it is hard to keep track of all the bullshit the GOP did between 2000-2006 but apparently someone kept track because here is a list. 385 Bush Scandals

WOW.

WOW! Good stuff. The crooks will soon be out of office.

 

[Zoomie1980]

WOW! Good stuff. The crooks will soon be out of office.

Replaced by new ones.....

 

[JimH52]

Replaced by new ones.....

We have put up with bush for 8 years, six of which he ruled like a King with his rubber stamp congress. Either Obama or McCain will be a breath of fresh air.

 

[RetiredGySgt]

We have put up with bush for 8 years, six of which he ruled like a King with his rubber stamp congress. Either Obama or McCain will be a breath of fresh air.

Actually using the logic of the left he never had a rubber stamp and it was only 4 years he had a republican majority in both houses.

In the senate the Republicans NEVER had a 60 seat majority not even close. And remind us again how for the last 2 years the reason the dems couldn't accomplish anything was because they did not have a 60 seat majority in the Senate.

Can not be true now if it were not true then. Now can it?

 

[editec]

Don't recall the agencies name but it was LINKED to right here on this very board and stated that on the last year they had figures for 8 BILLION dollars was collected in the Gulf and Atlantic from drilling rights.

Process being a simple one, the oil company PAYS a pitance to lease the land and then IF they drill and make money they have to pay royalties on the oil they pump from any rig that shows a profit.

$8 Billion eh? Well that's a start.

Any idea how much oil we sold for that amount of money?

What I am seeking is real data on how much oil we sold, how much per barrel we made on it and who bought it, what fields it came from and so forth.

Personally I suspect that we're giving away sweetheart contracts, but without real numbers it's impossible to actually know.

I keep finding the amount corporations pay for the right to lease and drill, but no numbers about the royalties paid.

One also, for what its worth, had difficulty finding data about mining leases, forestry leases and so foth.

I would think those numbers would be simple to find, but they're not.

Wonder why?

Surely Americans must be interested in those contracts and payments.

I found this, for example, but this is pretty thin gruel, datawise

In a given year, how much does the Minerals Management Service collect in federal royalties?
According to the MMS, annual revenues from federal onshore and offshore (OCS) mineral leases are one of the federal government’s largest sources of non-tax income. In 2000, the MMS collected $5 billion in oil and gas royalties. The bulk of this ($4 billion) came from offshore production, with natural gas production generating 60 percent of the royalty revenue. For federal onshore lands, gas production generated over 70 percent of the almost $1 billion in royalties. The MMS also collected over $1 billion in bonus bids and rental payments to bring the total federal revenue collected by MMS from oil and gas leasing to approximately $6.3 billion. In addition, Indian lands, separate from federal onshore lands, generated about $200 million in revenues for Indian tribes. Please see the MMS website for more information on royalties paid for oil and gas produced from federal or Indian lands.

source

Wait....I think I found it here

Okay...I'll stop bitching now.

Looks like the combine revenues for all mineral leases and royalties totaled 11 Billion dollars.

Still no indication of how much oil that amounted to, of couse.

Is it just me or does that sound like not a whole lot of money given how much oil and natural gas we can intuit is being pumped out of our reserves?

Thoughts?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

$8 Billion eh? Well that's a start.

Any idea how much oil we sold for that amount of money?

What I am seeking is real data on how much oil we sold, how much per barrel we made on it and who bought it, what fields it came from and so forth.

Personally I suspect that we're giving away sweetheart contracts, but without real numbers it's impossible to actually know.

I keep finding the amount corporations pay for the right to lease and drill, but no numbers about the royalties paid.

One also, for what its worth, had difficulty finding data about mining leases, forestry leases and so foth.

I would think those numbers would be simple to find, but they're not.

Wonder why?

Surely Americans must be interested in those contracts and payments.

As I understand it the States actually run those leases though through the Power of the Federal Government. So I suspect you have to do a State by State check.

And the problem , which has exiisted since the beginning, is that the Government does not follow up on the leases and ensure that profitable wells are not being under reported, it did not start and will not end with Bush.

 

[JimH52]

Maxwell, a registered independent, said the shift in attitude at the agency began about seven or eight years ago, about the time the Bush administration came into power. He said he was discouraged from aggressively auditing oil companies.

"Laws and regulations were not applied, also not enforced," he said.

So is this guy lying also?