Offshore Drilling Expert Available to Discuss Obama Proposal

President Obama announced March 31 a plan to open up the Atlantic coast, parts of the eastern Gulf of Mexico and areas in Alaska to oil and natural gas drilling. A Texas Tech University petroleum engineering expert says this is an important step to the United States becoming self-sufficient in energy production. Lloyd Heinze, chairman of the Bob. L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering, is a drilling and production engineer and an instructor of a graduate course on oil field and the environment and an upcoming course on energy, environment and society. “In order for the U.S. to have sustainable energy self-sufficiency, all avenues of increasing energy production need to be investigated,” Heinze said. “Offshore U.S. East Coast has not been as actively explored as, for example, the Gulf of Mexico. There should be a large potential for oil and natural gas resource development in this huge area.” Heinze added that the oil industry has dramatically improved its environmental efforts and now is able to explore and produce in safe and environmentally friendly methods. Heinze can be reached at (806) 742-1801 ext. 232 or at lloyd.heinze@ttu.edu. View his expert’s profile at http://experts.ttu.edu/browse/profile/559. Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at www.media.ttu.edu. CONTACT:  Leslie Cranford, senior writer, Office of Communications & Marketing, (806) 742-2136, or leslie.cranford@ttu.edu.