Bush's oil drilling project in Arctic refuge clears political hurdle

The start of exploration is still uncertain in view of opposition from ecologists

More than two decades of lobbying by the oil industry in the United States has finally taken hold with political approval for oil drilling in one of the most environmentally sensitive areas on the North American continent.

When the US senate voted 51-49 to approve oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, it was a sweet victory for President George W. Bush, who has led the campaign for the past four years.

Mr Bush, an oilman from Texas, has boasted the Arctic project would 'keep our economy growing by creating jobs and ensuring that businesses can expand'. His support for Arctic oil drilling became particularly strong after the September 2001 terrorist attacks because of what he saw as the American vulnerability to energy supply disruptions.

After the senate vote, Mr Bush reiterated that 'it will make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, eventually by up to a million barrels of oil a day'.

Although the question of oil development in the refuge has cleared the senate hurdle, no one knows when drilling might actually happen, as many more obstacles lie ahead. The first is the House of Representatives, which did not include an Arctic refuge provision in its budget.