Robert Palacios, a lobbyist for the Texas-based energy consultant company ConocoPhillips Inc., said in an April 11 press conference announcing the deal a little over a year ago the company’s interest in the oil field had “determined [it] needed to expand a bit.”
In January, after much lobbying by ConocoPhillips, former president, Michael Pena, visited the oil field, his first time being there for any business. While visiting the area, he met with Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who had urged Pena to expand the pipeline. Pena said the trip was intended to build the pipeline’s “mood” and help show the public that it was worth investing in.
At the event, Perry, who is now the governor of Texas, said, “I don’t just want you to build us a pipeline; I want you to build an energy resource that’s going to drive our economy to new heights.” In February 2012, Perry announced the State would be funding $80 million in private investment toward the project and the development of the area around Halliburton’s ConocoPhillips refinery in Houston, with a goal of a 3.4 million barrel per day oil export capacity. Meanwhile, the Federal government awarded the project a contract to “develop and manage a pipeline to transport oil products from Halliburton’s refinery in Houston, Texas.” ConocoPhillips and Halliburton were given the right to “select any oil product produced on the proposed route to be used in the refining process.”
After hearing from Perry and others, a federal court ordered the State of Texas to delay the project from July 2012 to December 2013.
“I’m sorry I’m not a great fan,” Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., told the Guardian’s Jeff D and John Vause in his February 25, 2013 column. The Democratic congressman from Broward County, Florida said the pipeline was built in “an arrogant and stupid attempt to make good on the dreams of the companies that own and operate the Exxon Valdez oil spill, which they promised would be cleaned up.”
As an alternative to the pipeline, Grayson said “there are better ways to go,” but the State had “stolen” the oil spill for its own purposes.
In addition to Halliburton, other oil companies invested in the project.
When ConocoPhillips made its first investment, it was through a company called