The Times also discusses how the “drill, baby, drill” slogan from the 2008 presidential campaign continues to frame discussions about energy policy in this year's race.

Exporting natural gas is creating new economic and geopolitical realities for the United States and the rest of the historically fragmented global natural gas market, notes the Times.

Federal regulators have granted the most permits for new deepwater drilling wells in the Gulf of Mexico since 2007, according to The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.