Imagine a Working Oil Field in ANWR

Wouldn't it have been nice if drilling in ANWR would have been approved when first proposed during the Clinton administration? Although it wouldn't begin to meet all of our needs, it sure would be nice to have now that major Alaskan pipelines have been shut down.

BP PLC said Monday it will replace 73 percent of the pipelines from the nation's largest oil field and that production could be closed for weeks or months, crimping the nation's oil supplies at a time of peak demand.

BP, the world's second-largest oil company, began shutting down the pipelines on Monday and said it would replace 16 miles of the 22 miles of transit pipeline it operates in the Prudhoe Bay field following a leak discovered Sunday.

You have to wonder about the timing of all this. Just as soon as they start getting people used to paying $3 a gallon, the price can now rise to $4 without too much complaint. I'm not one for conspiracy theories, but why has this important pipeline been allowed to deteriorate so badly it's now useless...in the middle of the heavy summer driving season?