$100 A Barrel Oil is on the Way

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#1,201
Velo Vol said:
It's just a reminder that accidents happen, regardless of what the paid mouthpieces say on the campaign trail.
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So let me get this straight, you are cheering an oil spill because it serves your purpose? I couldn't imagine a more shallow and juvenile outlook.
 
#1,202
#1,202
I would like to point out that while this spill is fairly significant, about 50,000 barrels a day by some accounts, it would have to continue for about 7 months at that rate to rival the Exxon Valdez spill; however, that was a *very significant* spill. They don't know how long it will take to stop the leak, but 7 months would surely be on the high side.
 
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#1,203
#1,203
It's supposed to reach Alabama beaches tomorrow or the next day. When the general public sees it, the anti-drill rhetoric will ramp up.
 
#1,204
#1,204
volinbham said:
It's supposed to reach Alabama beaches tomorrow or the next day. When the general public sees it, the anti-drill rhetoric will ramp up.
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Definitely. These spills can be big deals, so it's nothing to scoff at. The problem is that a thousand or more rigs can operate completely safely for a bunch of years. But, one accident can be a lasting scar. A lot of that is just politics, but it also has a lot to do with the problems that are caused by the spills. It's not as bad, but it's like the nuclear industry having to work with a zero-accident mentality.
 
#1,206
#1,206
TennTradition said:
Definitely. These spills can be big deals, so it's nothing to scoff at. The problem is that a thousand or more rigs can operate completely safely for a bunch of years. But, one accident can be a lasting scar. A lot of that is just politics, but it also has a lot to do with the problems that are caused by the spills. It's not as bad, but it's like the nuclear industry having to work with a zero-accident mentality.
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Well said.


I don't think we can realistically not eventually expand our off-shore drilling, but we are fooling ourselves if we pretend there will never be any negative consequences. We're humans. There is negative consequences in everything we do. All we can do is be aware of it and try to mitigate them.
 
#1,207
#1,207
IPorange said:
Well said.


I don't think we can realistically not eventually expand our off-shore drilling, but we are fooling ourselves if we pretend there will never be any negative consequences. We're humans. There is negative consequences in everything we do. All we can do is be aware of it and try to mitigate them.
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That honesty needs to be a two-way street. The anti-drill crowd (active and passive) have green-tinted glasses that distort the true impact as well.
 
#1,208
#1,208
IPorange said:
Well said.


I don't think we can realistically not eventually expand our off-shore drilling, but we are fooling ourselves if we pretend there will never be any negative consequences. We're humans. There is negative consequences in everything we do. All we can do is be aware of it and try to mitigate them.
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in our long history of offshore drilling in the US the human effect has been extremely minimal.
 
#1,209
#1,209
This couldn't come at a worst time. Hopefully they can get it cleaned up before the beach season really ramps up. Summer vacations in S. Alabama and Florida could take a hit this year.
 
#1,210
#1,210
rjd970 said:
This couldn't come at a worst time. Hopefully they can get it cleaned up before the beach season really ramps up. Summer vacations in S. Alabama and Florida could take a hit this year.
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I'll be heading that way Memorial Day - if the beach is oily that's more reason to hang at the Flor-a-bama all day.
 
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#1,212
I wonder if anyone on Fox News is going to ask Sarah Palin how to fix the leaking oil well, given that she is such an expert on energy production and all.
 
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droski said:
in our long history of offshore drilling in the US the human effect has been extremely minimal.
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...ok. How much does that matter to a oysterman or shrimpman in the gulf right now?

I'm just saying, these things WILL happen every once in a while. Last year and two years ago, there were many who acted like it was nearly impossible.

That doesn't mean we can't drill, it just means we do have to be careful and vigilant.
 
#1,217
#1,217
IPorange said:
...ok. How much does that matter to a oysterman or shrimpman in the gulf right now?

I'm just saying, these things WILL happen every once in a while. Last year and two years ago, there were many who acted like it was nearly impossible.

That doesn't mean we can't drill, it just means we do have to be careful and vigilant.
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we have been careful and vigilant
 
#1,218
#1,218
A massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is even worse than believed and as the government grows concerned that the rig’s operator is ill-equipped to contain it, officials are offering a military response to try to avert a massive environmental disaster along the ecologically fragile U.S. coastline.
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No one could have imagined this might ever happen. But I'm sure it's going to be cheap to clean up.
 
#1,220
#1,220
IPorange said:
No need to be defensive. I just thought the "drill baby, drill" chants were juvenile and simplistic. This incident highlights that.
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it's far safer to "drill baby, drill" than it is to drill in the middle east and send it over here by tanker. of the major oil spills worldwide the overwelming majority came from the transportation of oil, not from the drilling of oil. reducing the distance needed to get from A to B surely will result in safer oceans.
 
#1,221
#1,221
some interesting info in this article:

Leaking Oil Well Lacked Safeguard Device - WSJ.com

.S. regulators don't mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon didn't have one. With a remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated.

The efficacy of the devices is unclear. Major offshore oil-well blowouts are rare, and it remained unclear Wednesday evening whether acoustic switches have ever been put to the test in a real-world accident. When wells do surge out of control, the primary shut-off systems almost always work. Remote control systems such as the acoustic switch, which have been tested in simulations, are intended as a last resort.Nevertheless, regulators in two major oil-producing countries, Norway and Brazil, in effect require them. Norway has had acoustic triggers on almost every offshore rig since 1993.

The U.S. considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn't needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well.

The U.K., where BP is headquartered, doesn't require the use of acoustic triggers.

On all offshore oil rigs, there is one main switch for cutting off the flow of oil by closing a valve located on the ocean floor. Many rigs also have automatic systems, such as a "dead man" switch as a backup that is supposed to close the valve if it senses a catastrophic failure aboard the rig.

As a third line of defense, some rigs have the acoustic trigger: It's a football-sized remote control that uses sound waves to communicate with the valve on the seabed floor and close it.
 
#1,222
#1,222
Who is paying for the damage control?

Undoubtedly this will provide lawyers ten years of work, so we've at least got that out of this.
 
#1,223
#1,223
droski said:
it's far safer to "drill baby, drill" than it is to drill in the middle east and send it over here by tanker. of the major oil spills worldwide the overwelming majority came from the transportation of oil, not from the drilling of oil. reducing the distance needed to get from A to B surely will result in safer oceans.
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Perhaps, but there isn't nearly enough oil offshore to eliminate middle eastern imports. Or even cut them half (yes, I am speculating on that last part).
 
#1,224
#1,224
IPorange said:
Perhaps, but there isn't nearly enough oil offshore to eliminate middle eastern imports. Or even cut them half (yes, I am speculating on that last part).
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if it just reduces the amount isn't that what matters? one less oil rig comming here every week is one less chance of a spill.
 
#1,225
#1,225
IPorange said:
...ok. How much does that matter to a oysterman or shrimpman in the gulf right now?

I'm just saying, these things WILL happen every once in a while. Last year and two years ago, there were many who acted like it was nearly impossible.

That doesn't mean we can't drill, it just means we do have to be careful and vigilant.
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Back in the 80's I remember my company paying $ 1,000,000 for the rights to shoot a seismic survey over someone's oyster lease. These folks have benefited greatly from the oil industry in their state.
 
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