Special Reports

The Atlantic is considered a “frontier” for offshore energy exploration as it hasn’t been a target of oil companies since the early 1980s.

With the shift of power in Raleigh came a dramatic increase in campaign donations from the oil and gas industry.

Timeline of N.C. Energy Bills

An 18-month investigation by Facing South finds that the Outer Continental Shelf Governors Coalition, chaired by Gov. Pat McCrory, is largely run by two groups tied to the oil and gas industry.

The move to drill for oil or natural gas off the N.C. coast has begun but a number of environmental studies and opportunities for public involvement remain.

In general, it can can take anywhere from seven to 10 years from purchase of the lease to the first production for an offshore well in areas that have existing infrastructure.

Seismic surveys are considered the most accurate way to find petroleum reserves, but they’s also very controversial.

Numerous federal and state laws govern the development of oil and natural gas off the N.C. coast. These are the major ones.

A proposal by Mobil Oil in the mid-1980s to drill off the Outer Banks set off a fight that pitted the oil company against residents and the state’s governor.

The history of oil drilling off the East Coast and in North Carolina has been one of dashed hopes and dry holes.