Webb, Warner critical of administration on offshore-drilling plan

A five-year oil and gas leasing plan announced today by the Obama administration omits Virginia from the plan. Virginia Sens. Jim Webb and Mark Warner responded by urging the administration to reconsider.

“Oil and gas exploration within the Virginia Outer Continental Shelf – if coupled with an equitable formula for sharing revenues between the state and federal governments – would boost domestic energy production, while benefiting the Commonwealth’s economy,” Webb said.

“I will be strongly urging the administration to take another look at including Virginia in its five-year plan. Sen. Webb and I will continue to pursue our legislation that updates the current map of the Outer Continental Shelf to better reflect Virginia’s share of offshore energy resources. Importantly, our legislation also would allow for revenue sharing between the state and federal governments,” Warner said.

In July, Webb and Warner introduced the Virginia Outer Continental Shelf Energy Production Act of 2011, which included revenue-sharing provisions and would expand the federal government’s map of the mid-Atlantic exploration area to more accurately reflect the extent of Virginia’s coastal resources.  In 2008, Webb cosponsored similar legislation with Republican Sen. John Warner.