“Virginia is well positioned to be a national leader in offshore energy exploration,” noted Virginia Senator Tim Kaine in a press statement yesterday.
Well no kidding.
It seems completely ridiculous that U.S. regulators would even consider allowing energy companies drill in the Arctic Ocean when relatively easy-to-reach hydrocarbon resources exist right off the shore of Virginia and California. More importantly however, is the fact that the critical infrastructure to support such an industry already exists, or can be easily and quickly established in these areas.
Senator Kaine and his colleague Senator Mark Warner announced yesterday their reintroduction of “The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2013. ”
In a press statement, Senator Warner notes, “I have long advocated for additional exploration and the responsible production of domestic energy resources off of Virginia’s coast. Our legislation includes appropriate environmental protections and an equitable formula for sharing revenues between the state and federal governments. I believe that changes in the membership of the Senate after the 2012 elections have helped to produce a potentially more supportive atmosphere for our legislation.”
I truly believe Senator Warner and Kaine’s support for the “The Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2013” is very good news for anyone living in Virginia, and for the United States. In the interest of full disclosure I must admit however, that I have worked in the offshore drilling industry, pre-Deepwater Horizon and have gained a significant amount of perspective from the operational side of things.
I’m not discounting the fact that the potential exists for another catastrophic blowout, but it also exists in the arctic, on land, and anywhere else in the world drilling is occurring. The production of oil and gas has, and always will involve a certain level of risk, however should disaster strike, Virginia has the resources and manpower to deal with such an issue quickly.
Listen to Senator Mark Warner and Senator Tim Kaine’s remarks:
Congress has shown support as well…
On April 26, 2013, Virginia Congressman Scott Rigell sponsored the Virginia Jobs and Energy Act (H.R. 1782) to open the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off the coast of Virginia for energy development.
Original co-sponsors of the bill include Virginia Representatives Rob Wittman (VA-1), Robert Hurt (VA-5), and Morgan Griffith (VA-9). Governor Bob McDonnell and Virginia’s U.S. Senators, both Democrats, have signaled their support for similar legislation.
On the 7th of May, this bill was referred to House subcommittee and it has subsequently been referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources chaired by Colorado Congressman Doug Lamborn.
The Governors of North and South Carolina have joined forces to advocate for maintaining the moratorium on offshore drilling along their states’ coastlines. North Carolina Governor Josh Stein and South...
Equinor ASA expects its $5 billion wind project off New York — blocked then unblocked by the Trump administration — to proceed as planned, but said further investments in US offshore wind are likely off the table.
The Department of the Interior has initiated its first offshore mineral lease evaluation in over 30 years, focusing on waters near American Samoa with the the publication of a Request...
June 12, 2025
Total Views: 912
Get The Industry’s Go-To News
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
— just like 109,321 professionals
Secure Your Spot
on the gCaptain Crew
Stay informed with the latest maritime and offshore news, delivered daily straight to your inbox
— trusted by our 109,321 members
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.