Talking Points on skyrocketing oil and gasoline prices
Skyrocketing oil and gasoline prices are a failure of anti-oil politicians, who artificially restricted the supply of oil
Skyrocketing oil and gasoline policies are not a failure of the oil industry. They are the total failure of *anti-oil politicians*, who have artificially restricted the *supply* of oil with massive restrictions and threats to oil production and transport. [Tweet this] [Email this]
Elizabeth Warren says gasoline prices are rising "because giant oil companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil enjoy doubling their profits." Joe Biden says "companies have not ramped up the supply of oil quickly enough."
These anti-oil politicians should blame themselves instead.1
[Tweet this] [Email this]
Contrary to rhetoric by Elizabeth Warren and others, oil and gasoline prices are not rising "because giant oil companies like Chevron and ExxonMobil enjoy doubling their profits." If oil companies could control prices they would have done so during often-unprofitable 2015-2020.2 [Tweet this] [Email this]
The most direct cause of rising prices is supply and demand. As our Energy Secretary says, "As we come out of an unprecedented global economic shutdown, oil supply has not kept up with demand." But why not? Because anti-oil policies have prevented supply from meeting demand.3 [Tweet this] [Email this]
There is no physical reason the oil industry can't meet rising demand. The world has hundreds of years' worth of oil deposits. There is no technical reason the oil industry can't meet rising demand. It is more capable than ever thanks to amazing technologies like fracking. [Tweet this] [Email this]
If there is no physical or technical reason the oil industry can't meet rising demand, what is inhibiting it?
Decades of rising restrictions on oil production and transport from anti-oil politicians--including Biden's massive threats to punish oil production going forward.4 [Tweet this] [Email this]Perhaps the greatest limiter of the supply of oil has been anti-oil politicians' constant threats to severely restrict or even ban oil production going forward. E.g., when Joe Biden promises "I will end fossil fuel" and then becomes President, oil investors run for the hills.5 [Tweet this] [Email this]
Is it any wonder that, threatened with punishment, investment in oil and gas has declined dramatically? Between 2011 and 2021, oil and gas exploration investments declined by 50%. Less investment = less supply = higher prices.6 [Tweet this] [Email this]
Anti-oil politicians' restrictions on infrastructure, especially pipelines, have reduced the supply of oil by making it difficult or impossible to transport US oil to international markets. If not for these restrictions we'd be producing more oil, with lower prices for everyone. [Tweet this] [Email this]
The dynamic US oil industry could be rapidly increasing production to take advantage of higher prices. But thanks to anti-oil politicians' threats to oil investors and infrastructure opposition, the US is ramping up production more slowly than OPEC!7 [Tweet this] [Email this]
If not for Joe Biden and other anti-oil politicians around the world radically restricting the production/transport of oil, as well as threatening oil companies and investors, the global oil industry would have rapidly adjusted to rising demand—and prices would be far lower. [Tweet this] [Email this]
The cause-and-effect of unnecessarily high oil prices is simple:
1. Anti-oil politicians around the world artificially restricted the *supply* of oil with massive restrictions/threats.
2. These restrictions prevented supply from keeping up with demand, and prices went way up. [Tweet this] [Email this]“Build Back Better,” aka "Make Everything Worse," promises to further restrict US oil production and increase prices via:
1. new bans on offshore drilling,
2. a costly methane tax that only applies to US production, and
3. many other oil taxes and penalties.It must be stopped. [Tweet this] [Email this]
Imagine if-
-The Titanic hit an iceberg today
-Sacramento was buried by unprecedented flooding (as it was in 1862)
The Biden administration would declare these events the result of climate change-and claim the costs were due to “fossil fuel” companies “externalizing” the cost of CO2 emissions- and claim these costs were “subsidy” to the oil companies.
Senator Elizabeth Warren wants to place “excess profit” taxes on Exxon Mobil and oil companies. She conveniently omits that XOM was once a Dow stock- but was removed because of lack of profitability. Exxon Mobil’s profit margin is 4.9% of sales today. Microsoft, Apple,Facebook and Google all make gross profit margins in the 25%-30% range. Either Exxon has somehow changed in the face of A Democrat House, Senate, and President, or else Sen. Warren is trying to deflect attention from the politicians willful strangulation of American supply. (No comment on whether she has yet demanded abortion clinics on Indian reservations)