"Trump Officials Cite ESA Threats To Gulf Oil, But Production Is Soaring" [1]
"The administration moved to block endangered species protections in the Gulf of Mexico, but few see a real threat to oil production."
"Trump officials have exempted oil and gas activities across the entire Gulf of Mexico from endangered species considerations, asserting that production in the region is under threat.
But no court has so far turned off the oil spigot in the Gulf, and offshore oil production on federal waters is at near-records highs. Some analysts say that weakens the administration’s argument.
Crude oil production from the Gulf, which President Donald Trump renamed the Gulf of America, rose to nearly 1.9 million barrels per day in 2025, the highest production since at least 1998 and 111,000 more barrels per day than in 2024, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Production from the Gulf could crest 2 million barrels per day this year, which would be a record, the EIA said in January. That amount could “decline slightly” next year “because of natural field declines.”"