While we pay the price at the pump, Big Oil makes big profits

For the first quarter of 2022, ConocoPhillips made $5.8 billion, Chevron $6 billion, Shell $7 billion and Exxon Mobil brought in $5.5 billion despite canceling more than $3 billion losses because they withdrew from Russia. Oil and gas producers are expected to make a projected combined profit for all of 2022 of $834 billion. You should also know that these same companies continue to receive government subsidies, a kind of double dip in your wallet: pay at the pump and with taxpayers’ money.

Private companies have the right to make profits and shareholders deserve a fair return on their investments – this is America. But we should remember them the next time the crude oil market crashes and they go to Congress asking to be bailed out with your money.

These government subsidies should be removed; give it to the farmers and ranchers who produce our food, because it seems the oil and gas companies are doing pretty well on their own. Wouldn’t it be nice if they put “America first”.

Lester Tyra, Magnolia

Regarding “oil and gas are Texas’ weapons against tyranny. But Big Oil focused on profit, not drilling. (May 6): I’ve been a loyal daily reader of the Houston Chronicle for 46 years. But the paper’s leftward drift in the news, commentary and editorial sections of the paper is getting harder to bear every day. The business section often features the “commentary” of Chris Tomlinson, who is relentlessly and shamelessly anti-oil and gas industry, Houston’s leading business man. This article by Mr Tomlinson is exaggerated, accusing the oil industry of ‘profiting’ due to high market prices and an alleged failure to increase production. But as noted on the same page (B4 in print), production and drilling are increasing in the US, with active rigs currently at 705, up from last year. Mr Tomlinson regularly attacks the oil and gas industry for overdrilling and not switching to alternative energy to combat global warming and he appears to support all sorts of regulation and divestment in oil and gas. Now he is attacking industry for not producing enough oil and gas. Whatever the industry does, Mr. Tomlinson is on a mission to attack and undermine it. I doubt he’ll ever change his mind.

Dan McClureHouston

Zoning

Regarding “Essay: As Ashby Rises From The Ashes, Houston Still Skirts The Z-Word” (May 7): In Mike Snyder’s article, he points out that the three-time rejection by Houston voters since World War II world validates the current zoning situation. . I believe that the absence of zoning is the desire of the political and development powers in place. It should be noted that Harris County voters four times in the 1960s rejected a Harris County hospital district project, but it didn’t stop county to revive the problem until This happenedbarely, in 1965. Politicians seem to get their way if they want to, despite voter results.

A. Hugh Stephens, Houston