US President Joe Biden issued two memoranda on Jan. 6 to prohibit new offshore drilling within three ocean and coastal regions, compromising over 625 million acres. One of the memoranda withdraws the entire eastern US Atlantic coast and the eastern Gulf of Mexico as well as the Pacific Coast along California, Oregon and Washington. The other orders the withdrawal of certain portions of the Northern Bering Sea in Alaska. According to the White House press release, the withdrawals in these regions are aimed at protecting "coastal communities, marine ecosystems, and local economies—including fishing, recreation, and tourism—from oil spills and other impacts of offshore drilling."

Section 12(a) of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) enables the president to "withdraw from disposition any of the unleased lands of the outer Continental Shelf." Using this statute, Biden has withdrawn these regions from "disposition by oil or natural gas leasing" for an undetermined period. In 2015, former president Barack Obama similarly used the authority under section 12(a) of the OCSLA to withdraw sections of the Chukchi Sea Planning Area and Beaufort Sea Planning Area from offshore drilling leases. Former president and now president-elect Donald Trump extended an offshore drilling moratorium in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in 2020.

Biden explained his action in a statement:

My decision reflects what coastal communities, businesses, and beachgoers have known for a long time: that drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.

Following issuance of the memoranda, Trump commented in a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt that Biden's action is "ridiculous" and promised to "unban it immediately." Trump's selected White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, characterized the memoranda on X (formerly Twitter) as "disgraceful" and "political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices." Trump is to be inaugurated on Jan. 20.

From JURIST, Jan. 6. Used with permission.

Note: The world oil price has seen fluctuations since the start of the Ukraine war nearly three years ago, but currently stands at approximately $75 per barrel. (OilPrice) This represents a decrease over the past several months. The price now actually stands just below pre-war levels. This is largely due to a boost in US production under Biden, with the United States becoming the top global producer.