Fact Checking the Presidential Debate

ROMNEY: In the last four years, you cut permits and licenses on federal lands and federal waters in half. OBAMA: Not true Gov. Romney

ABC's Jonathan Karl has the facts:

Romney is right that oil and natural gases drilling permits and licenses (leases) are down, but they are not down as much as Romney says. Here are the actual numbers, Bureau of Land Management:

Permits in the FY2009-2011 dropped by 37 percent compared to FY2006-2008 Leases in FY2009-2011 dropped by 42 percent compared to FY2006-2008

Romney is basing his claim on the total number of acres leased - and there are 56 percent fewer acres leased

RULING: Not Quite Factual -----

ROMNEY: And production on government land is down by 14 percent and production on gas is down 9 percent.

Oil production on public lands did drop by 14 percent in 2011 and natural gas production did drop by 9 percent (according to the US Energy Information Agency). BUT - overall, oil production is actually up slightly from 2009 to 2011.

RULING: Not Quite Factual

ABC's Matt Larotonda and Zunaira Zaki have more:

Here's the numbers, courtesy of the Department of Energy. In a nutshell: The trends are correct, but can Obama claim credit?

OIL PRODUCTION HIGHEST IN 16 YEARS?

Oil production is at its highest level in 16 years according to the Energy Information Administration. In 1996 the US produced 2.3 billion barrels of crude oil, a number that steadily decreased until reaching a bottom in 2008 at 1.8 billion barrels. Production has been steadily increasing year over year since 2009 and at current trends will eclipse 1996 by year's end.

NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION HIGHEST IN DECADES?

There is no wiggle room here. The sheer volume of natural gas produced in the US is actually the highest it's ever been. The last downward trend from the industry occurred between 2001 and 2006, when volume decreased from 24.5 million cubic feet to 23.5 million. In 2011 the country produced 28.5 million cubic feet.

COAL PRODUCTION HIGHEST IN DECADES?

Numbers have been on a steady increase, yes. In 2011, the U.S. produced 1.09 billion tons, compared to 1.07 billion 3.6 in 2000 and 1.02 billion 1990 and 800 million in 1980.

But, coal production in the U.S. took a dive between 2008 and 2009, when it fell from 1.17 billion short tons to 1.07 billion and 2011 hadn't reached those 2008 levels.

WHAT ABOUT THOSE INCREASES IN COAL EMPLOYMENT?

A very small chunk of the population is employed by the coal industry, an average of 84,000 so far this year, down from 86,000 last year. President Obama is referring to last year's average, which was the highest yearly average since 1997, also according to BLS.

However, Obama cannot take all the credit for the increase oil and natural gas production -- he did not invent fracking. Similarly he cannot be blamed for all the problems the coal industry is having. In addition to fracking's rise, natural gas is so cheap that it has become the energy source of choice rather than coal in many instances.