US To Open Gulf Of Mexico, Alaska For Oil, Gas Drilling

The United States on Tuesday said it will cautiously open more areas in the Gulf of Mexico and along Alaska’s coastline for oil and gas drilling.

The drilling plans are more narrow in scope that what the Obama administration had earlier said it would consider before the catastrophic Deep Horizon oil platform disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and from what the Republican opposition has said is needed to boost the nation’s employment rate.

Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar said the government will hold 15 lease sales for areas in the Gulf of Mexico, including two in the Eastern Gulf, and off Alaska’z coast in 2012-17.