Energy chief : We'll drill before we beg

Compiled from wire services

Washington _ The Bush administration will not go "begging the OPEC countries or anybody else" to increase oil production as long as the United States has untapped reserves that could ease an energy pinch, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said Sunday.

Making the case for oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Abraham said no one should be surprised that the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries recently chose to cut output to keep prices high.

Abraham's comments come amid concern about power shortages and blackouts in California, as well as the possibility of soaring electricity and gasoline prices across the country this summer.

Democrats argue that there are other ways to improve the country's energy efficiency than drilling in the Arctic refuge and that fuel should not come at the expense of the environment

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Answers

If we drill, the oil goes out of the country and OPEC readjusts their production downward anyway. How about saving it until we know we'll be the ones to use it??

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001

Brooks, that has been done. When gas prices were not high enough on the west coast they shipped alaska's oil to asia even though they could have got more for it here. Blessings, David

-- Anonymous, March 26, 2001