Oil and natural gas drilling in U.S. waters

[James48843]

New invention-

Shrimp on the BBQ- that you don't even need charcoal. Just toss a few in the bottom of the grill, and set them on fire.

 

[James48843]

From http://www.NOAA.gov

Fishery closure update: (effective June 2)

• NOAA Fisheries Service revised the fishery closure effective 6:00 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 2. The closure now encompasses approximately 37 percent of the Gulf of Mexico exclusive economic zone. A 2,637 square mile area of the western-most boundary south of Louisiana was reopened today - oil was projected to be in this area, but was never actually observed there.

Marine mammals and turtles (effective June 1):
Sea Turtles

• The total number of sea turtles verified from April 30 to June 1 within the designated spill area is 277. The on-water surveys by NOAA, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and other partners working under the Unified Command captured 10 heavily oiled young turtles (8 Kemp's ridley, 1 loggerhead, 1 hawksbill) in areas 40 miles offshore on Tuesday, June 1. The turtles' behavior was abnormal, but they were responsive All the turtles were cleaned aboard the vessel, received initial veterinary care and were transported to Audubon Aquarium outside New Orleans where they are receiving further care. In addition, Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife captured 4 live and one dead Kemp's ridley turtle, all oiled, in waters off Grand Isle, La. A total of 24 live turtles and one dead turtle have been captured during on-water surveys. Surveys continue this week. Oil was found covering the 24 live sea turtles, the one dead sea turtle captured during a directed survey, two live stranded sea turtles caught in skimming operations and one dead stranded turtle. All others have not had visible evidence of external oil.
  Of the 277 turtles verified from April 30 to June 1, a total of 232 turtles stranded dead, 20 stranded alive. Three of those subsequently died and one of the live stranded turtles –caught in marine debris -- was disentangled and released. There are 40 turtles in rehabilitation. Turtle strandings during this time period have been higher in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama than in previous years for this same time period. This may be due in part to increased detection and reporting, but this does not fully account for the increase.

Dolphins

• From April 30 to June 1, there have been 29 dead dolphins verified within the designated spill area. So far, one of the 29 dolphins had evidence of external oil. Because it was found on an oiled beach, we are unable at this time to determine whether the animal was covered in oil prior to its death or after its death. The other 28 dolphins have had no visible evidence of external oil. Since April 30, the stranding rate for dolphins in Louisiana has been higher than the historic numbers for the same time period in previous years. This may be due to increased detection and reporting and the lingering effects of the earlier observed spike in strandings.

*Strandings are defined as dead or debilitated animals that wash ashore

 

[James48843]

Pensacola, Florida will be hit tomorrow- according to forecasts:

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/book_shelf/2112_TMF72-2010-06-01-2100.pdf


The "offshore forecast" shows the edge approaching Key West by Friday, and some in loop current now:

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/book_shelf/2109_SOFM72-2010-06-01-1900.pdf

 

[alevin]

My sister's been slowly working on prepping her home in Pensacola to sell so she can move closer to family this year. I tried to urge her to get the house sold before summer (before the $8K tax credit expired and foreclosures start dumping on the market)-but she just wasn't able to move that fast-many reasons. I fear it'll take years to get it sold now that the beaches and fishing and economy will be impacted longterm. who'd want to move there unless they have to now?

It is a small house tho-if people are looking to downsize into something more affordable (assuming they can get a mortgage) and willing to put sweat equity into it....hmmm-maybe it getting sold is not the impossible dream after all-if she gets it up for sale this year and no later.

 

[burrocrat]

You guys will have to make it Blackened Shrimp unless it comes from somewhere other than the Gulf or (soon) Atlantic.

never had blackened scrimps, but they got some good blackened alligator on a stick in Nagogdoches LA (pronounced nakka-tesh loo-zee-anna if i remember correctly).

after working 6-12's+ all week at a sawmill across the line, we would head there for sunday brunch, little place on the river ?canal? fancy white linen and everything, now i'm usually a biscuits and gravy type but they had the best eggs benedict in the lower 48, and i've never tried it in the other two.

then it was off to the drive-in margarita stand for a couple of adult slushies, no better way to start the day, surprising what you can run into down there.

 

[James48843]

​

 

[Steadygain]

A 2,637 square mile area of the western-most boundary south of Louisiana was reopened today - oil was projected to be in this area, but was never actually observed there.


Sea Turtles
277 turtles verified from April 30 to June 1

Dolphins
29 dead dolphins verified[/QUOTE

I think these are totally seperate issues. 'They' have no choice but to open as many areas as possible to shipping and do whatever they can to keep things flowing.

To even pretend -- or remotely believe the damage is limited to 29 dolphins and 277 sea turtles is absolutely ridiculous. The BEST thing they could do is more elaborate on the species that are most sensitive to even 'LOW oil contamination' - Humans, dophins, turtles and such....

Then they should stress all other species -- oysters for instance being able to deal with 1,000 times more oil than most species.

The most important and far reaching aspect is NOT how many have actually died. The most important aspect is knowing what is presently happening to every species that has faced exposure and continues to face it.

Anyway -- I guess it will all come out down the line.

 

[James48843]

They are working on adding a washer to a shaft-

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_int...local_assets/bp_homepage/html/rov_stream.html

 

[James48843]

Updated complex computer modeling released today:

Ocean currents likely to carry oil along Atlantic coast

June 03, 2010

News Release
Multimedia Gallery

BOULDER, Colorado—A detailed computer modeling study released today indicates that oil from the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico might soon extend along thousands of miles of the Atlantic coast and open ocean as early as this summer. The modeling results are captured in a series of dramatic animations produced by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and collaborators.


This animation shows one scenario of how oil released at the location of the Deepwater Horizon disaster on April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico may move in the upper 65 feet of the ocean. This is not a forecast, but rather, it illustrates a likely dispersal pathway of the oil for roughly four months following the spill. It assumes oil spilling continuously from April 20 to June 20.

The colors represent a dilution factor ranging from red (most concentrated) to beige (most diluted). The dilution factor does not attempt to estimate the actual barrels of oil at any spot; rather, it depicts how much of the total oil from the source that will be carried elsewhere by ocean currents. For example, areas showing a dilution factor of 0.01 would have one-hundredth the concentration of oil present at the spill site.

The animation is based on a computer model simulation, using a virtual dye, that assumes weather and current conditions similar to those that occur in a typical year. It is one of a set of six scenarios released today that simulate possible pathways the oil might take under a variety of oceanic conditions. Each of the six scenarios shows the same overall movement of oil through the Gulf to the Atlantic and up the East Coast. However, the timing and fine-scale details differ, depending on the details of the ocean currents in the Gulf. The full set of six simulations can be found here. (Visualization by Tim Scheitlin and Mary Haley, NCAR; based on model simulations.) [Download high resolution video]

​

The research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation, NCAR’s sponsor. The results were reviewed by scientists at NCAR and elsewhere, although not yet submitted for peer-review publication.

 

[alevin]

I find myself reacting like I did in my Watergate years-its all making me so sick I can't watch or read, except in tiny samples. I checked out the 6 different modeled routes at the link above, couldn't make myself read any of the text. Eeesh.

 

[burrocrat]

They are working on adding a washer to a shaft-

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_int...local_assets/bp_homepage/html/rov_stream.html

oh jeez, as long as they are spending billions, maybe they could work on adding a washer to my shaft too? they got lots of those in loosianna right? besides i could use a new one.

 

[Steadygain]

Ocean currents likely to carry oil along Atlantic coast


Whew !! :nuts:

On the bright side -- it looks like Mexico may largely be spared


After all -- it is their Gulf :toung:

 

[James48843]

Very good article in the New York Times- very comprehensive, on what happened.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/us/06rig.html?pagewanted=1

 

[James48843]

​

 

[Buster]

 

[Thunderhorse]

AMERICAN legislators are examining plans to “debar” BP from government contracts and oil exploration deals as punishment for the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

The proposal comes amid frantic attempts by the Obama administration to quell public anger over the British company’s role in the worst oil spill in the country’s history.

The administration is understood to be weighing the legality of a process called debarment. It would stop BP from being awarded new fuel supply contracts by government clients and ban it from being granted new oil drilling leases.

BP is the biggest provider of oil and gas to the US military, with contracts worth more than $2 billion (£1.4 billion)annually. “The question for the American government is whether they want to break this company. They could do, but at what cost to the economy?” one Washington source said yesterday.

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article7144839.ece

and who would fill the gap? Chavez, Saudis, crooked lawyers? hmm.

 

[James48843]

Oil spill cap catching about 10,000 barrels a day: BP


LONDON (AFP) – BP's oil spill cap, designed to stop a huge leak from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico, is currently catching around 10,000 barrels a day, its chief executive Tony Hayward told the BBC Sunday.

"As we speak, the containment cap is producing around 10,000 barrels of oil a day to the surface," Hayward said, adding that this was "probably the vast majority".

He added that another system to try and contain the oil would be put in place over the next week and should be in place by next weekend.

An estimated 20 million gallons of crude has poured into the Gulf since the Deepwater Horizon sank on April 22, 50 miles (80 kilometres) off the southern US state of Louisiana.

The spill is the worst environmental disaster in US history.

US authorities said Saturday that BP had captured 6,000 barrels in 24 hours. Estimates suggest up to 19,000 barrels a day could be spewing from the leaking well.
Hayward described what had happened as "perhaps a hundred thousand to one in a million occurrence" and gave an "absolute commitment" to return the Gulf coastline to how it was before the disaster.

On the controversial issue of whether the firm would pay a dividend to investors this year, he said BP was "going to take care of all of our stakeholders" but stressed the decision would be taken by the board next month.

"BP is a very strong company. Its operations today are running extremely well, it's generating a lot of cash flow, it has a very strong balance sheet," he said.

"We are doing everything we can to do the right thing. We are going to stop the leak, we're going to clean up the oil, we're going to remediate any environmental damage and we're going to return the Gulf coast to the position it was in prior to this event."

Hayward added that he himself had the "absolute intention of seeing this through to the end", despite criticisms of his handling of the affair.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100606/ts_afp/usoilpollutionenvironmentbritainhayward

 

[James48843]

The Governor says we have to do something about that oil spill!

​

 

[James48843]

Letter from Congressman Ed Markey (D-Mass.), to BP America CEO Lamar McKay:



Dear Mr. McKay:

BP has now completed severing the broken riser pipe from the Deepwater Horizon well and has placed a cap on the top of the blowout preventer. BP has now begun to collect oil through this cap. However, as is evident from the live video feeds being shot on the ocean floor, substantial quantities of oil continue to escape from around the sides of the cap and from vents on the cap. These video feeds have also shown BP applying subsea dispersant into the gushing oil plumes escaping from around the cap.​

The critical question at this time is: "how much oil is escaping into the environment?" BP CEO Tony Hayward has indicated that the cap is capturing 10,000 barrels per day. Mr. Hayward has also indicated that he expects soon to be able to capture "the vast majority" of the oil spewing from the well. However, conservative official estimates of the flow rate indicated that prior to the severing of the riser, somewhere between 12,000-19,000 barrels of oil were flowing from the well. In addition, government officials have suggested that by severing the kinked and broken riser pipe, flow rates could increase by up to 20 percent.​

At this time, BP appears to know how much oil is being captured, which is encouraging. Yet BP still does not appear to know precisely how much oil is actually escaping, which is discouraging. Estimating the size of the spill at the source, instead of when it approaches the shore, continues to be the best way to gauge the leak. We need to know the amount of total oil flowing from the well, taking into account both the amount of oil being collected, and the amount being released into the ocean environment. This is critical, not only in terms of the efficacy of the temporary cap solution, but also in terms of the size and extent of the needed spill response and the ultimate effects on the environment. Finally, accurate flow rate information will be required to determine BP's financial liability in terms of fines, which could be as high as $4,300 per barrel.​

Therefore please answer the following questions immediately:​

1) What is the total estimated volume of oil flowing from the well, taking into account both the amount of oil being captured and the amount of oil that is being released into the ocean? What is the basis for this estimate?​

2) Prior to placement of the cap, but after complete severing of the riser pipe, did BP estimate the volume of flow from the well? Did BP determine whether the severing of the riser pipe did, in fact, increase the overall amount of flow? If so, by what percentage did the flow increase? If not when will BP perform this calculation? Please take account of any such calculation in the answer to question 1.​

3) With regard to the estimate of 10,000 barrels of oil per day being recovered, is the material being recovered at the surface just oil or is it a mix of oil, seawater and other materials? How does the answer to this question affect your response to question 1? Is the 10,000 barrels per day estimate for just oil?​

4) What is BP going to do with the oil it is recovering?​

Sincerely,​

Edward J. Markey, Chairman​

Energy and Environment Subcommittee​

Energy and Commerce Committee

Source: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/06/bp_claims_its_capturing_about.html
​

 

[jimijr]

It has been six weeks and no oil here, yet. I continue to expect none at all.

But let's be open-minded: is it an environmental disaster? I say no. The environment is just the environment, whatever is out there. Nature could care less if the ocean is a cess pool or gin-clear. Putting our emotions aside, the use of the word disaster is misplaced with reference to the environment.

It is different if we talk about the human dimension. We like oil-free beaches and our economy in Florida depends on it. But that is our esthetic sense at work, our desires and wishes.

Damage to living systems is quickly repaired. For example, in 2004 and 2005 we had EIGHT hurricanes (several "major") blow through Florida and today you have to know where to look in order to find any evidence at all of their passage. Marshes and beaches and oyster banks and coral reefs will recover handily. You don't really believe this spill is unprecedented, does anyone?

Remember -- what we call "pollution" others call "food."

I recommend you take a look at the book, "The Culture of Calamity" by Kevin Rosario. If his thesis is accurate (which I believe it is) then we will see a power-grab by the federal gov't as a result of the spill. Already we are seeing lawmakers and executive branch administrators rubbing their hands together.