The New Jersey Petroleum Council is calling on its friends to let the federal Minerals Management Service (MMS) know that America should be drilling for oil and gas off the nation’s coast in the 1.76 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf.

Some 43 million currently leased OCS acres account for about 15 percent of America’s domestic natural gas production and about 27 percent of America’s domestic oil production, according to the MMS. That drilling is taking place primarily off California and Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico.

In light of the nation’s energy crisis, the Bush Administration is calling on Congress to lift its moratoria on drilling in other OCS areas, including waters off New Jersey. The MMS estimates there may be 18 billion barrels of oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of gas in areas of the OCS currently off limits to drilling.

In a recent email to industry members, business organizations and lobbyists, NJPC Associate Director John Maxwell writes:

“Clearly, additional supplies of energy in these forms are part of a comprehensive solution to our addiction to foreign oil from unsettled areas of the world. ”

Maxwell urges supporters of expanded drilling to make their views known and directs them to Partnership for America’s Energy Security, a website which automatically generates letters to the MMS urging an expansion of OCS drilling.

Those who oppose the lifting of the ban can also register their comments with the MMS by clicking Here. Fill in the form and then click on “Submit Comment” button at the bottom of the form.