Here's a useful reference. The acronym OCS, used below, stands for "Outer Continental Shelf." Here is the essential paragraph in the government's Department of Energy 2007 report: "The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. Total domestic production of crude oil from 2012 through 2030 in the OCS access case is projected to be 1.6 percent higher than in the reference case, and 3 percent higher in 2030 alone, at 5.6 million barrels per day. For the lower 48 OCS, annual crude oil production in 2030 is projected to be 7 percent higher—2.4 million barrels per day in the OCS access case compared with 2.2 million barrels per day in the reference case (Figure 20). Because oil prices are determined on the international market, however, any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant." In other words, in 2030, the polar ice has melted, the Arctic shipping lane is wide open, the polar bears are nearly extinct, the oceans have risen some number of feet and millions of people have been forced to relocate away from the oceans. Only the oil companies will be able to say: " We are better off today (in 2030)."