Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

New device tames wild wells

http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=181152

"A group of oil companies led by Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil Corp. unveiled a capping system earlier this month that can quickly stop undersea oil spills within weeks."

Better than "within months", but still.....

Latecomer to Gulf oil spill cleanup says it now has the answer in any future disasters

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/02/latecomer_to_gulf_oil_spill_cl.html

"...although the company was late to the game last summer, Helix says it now has an improved system that will be able to do the whole job in a couple of weeks if another major blowout happens."

 

Toxic Tide: Discovering the Health Effects of the Deepwater Disaster

http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=11-P13-00006&segmentID=3

"Months after BP's well was capped, the health effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill may just be starting to surface. Residents across the Gulf Coast report mysterious ailments, and some blood samples show traces of chemicals related to the oil. But as Living on Earth's Jeff Young reports, firm answers are hard to come by and frustration is growing in coastal communities."

Panel says spill investigation may not be done until July 27

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7446895.html

"A federal panel investigating the Deepwater Horizon disaster said Friday that its probe might not be complete until July 27 - 15 months after the well blowout that killed 11 workers and triggered the nation's worst oil spill. 

The joint inquiry by the Coast Guard and the Interior Department had already received one extension and had planned to wrap up work by the end of March. 

But delays in testing the blowout preventer that failed to stop gushing oil at BP's doomed Macondo well prompted the government to ask for more time."

OTHER

ENERGY POLICY: Soaring oil prices become popular argument for just about anything

http://www.eenews.net/gw/2011/02/28/

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER/DEEPWATER DRILLING

Pressures Mount to Resume Drilling

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703905404576164792761814146.html

"Clearing the way for more offshore drilling would do little in the near term to increase domestic oil supplies. But it could insulate the Obama administration from Republican charges that the White House is denying access to domestic supplies at a time when markets are increasingly jittery about the security of Middle Eastern oil supplies amid the unrest across the region." 

Marriage of oil and fisheries in Louisiana is not so happy

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2011/02/marriage_of_oil_and_fisheries.html

Dolphin Death Toll Spikes To Nearly 60 On Gulf Coast

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/25/dead-dolphins-death-gulf_n_828153.html

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK

Big Oil Lobby Announces It Will Start Donating Directly To Candidates

http://www.readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/72-72/5067-big-oil-lobby-will-donate-directly-to-candidates

"The American Petroleum Institute, the Big Oil industry's chief lobbying organization, will start directly backing political candidates in the second quarter of this year. API, whose membership includes oil giants like Exxon-Mobil and Chevron, already spends tens of millions of dollars every year on lobbying, advertisements and Astroturf campaigns to support the the oil industry agenda. As CAP's Dan Weiss wrote, API "wants to drill in fragile, sensitive places, keep government tax breaks, expand offshore drilling without reforms, and block global warming pollution reduction requirements.""

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

The Shift From Oil to Natural Gas Seems to Be Gaining Momentum

http://seekingalpha.com/article/254388-the-shift-from-oil-to-natural-gas-seems-to-be-gaining-momentum

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER/DEEPWATER DRILLING

Experts say management failed in BP spill

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-experts-bp.html

Chevron Sees US Deepwater Drilling Resuming By Midyear

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20110223-716948.html

'Fog Of Research' Clouds Study Of Oil's Effects In Gulf (NPR)

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/24/133873861/fog-of-research-clouds-study-of-oils-effects-in-gulf

Onshore Oil Infrastructure Could Change our Coasts Forever (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)

http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/02/24/onshore_oil_infrastructure_coasts/

"The large amount of onshore and near shore infrastructure required for offshore oil and natural gas drilling and refining has proven unsafe and hazardous for both the environment and human health. Opening up the Atlantic coast and the eastern Gulf of Mexico to offshore drilling could literally change the face of our coastal communities forever."

GETTING OFF OIL

If Not Now, When?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/23/opinion/23friedman.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

"The smart thing for us to do right now is to impose a $1-a-gallon gasoline tax, to be phased in at 5 cents a month beginning in 2012, with all the money going to pay down the deficit. Legislating a higher energy price today that takes effect in the future, notes the Princeton economist Alan Blinder, would trigger a shift in buying and investment well before the tax kicks in. With one little gasoline tax, we can make ourselves more economically and strategically secure, help sell more Chevy Volts and free ourselves to openly push for democratic values in the Middle East without worrying anymore that it will harm our oil interests. Yes, it will mean higher gas prices, but prices are going up anyway, folks. Let's capture some it for ourselves."        

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

At least two male baby dolphins among four found on Horn Island

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/02/22/109208/scientist-concerned-by-high-number.html#ixzz1Eo5OLD2S

"That brings the total to 18 the number of infant or stillborn deaths with the birthing season still weeks away."

Also see: 

Biologists report dead dolphin young washing up on Alabama, Mississippi coasts

Gulf floor fouled by bacterial oil feast

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/70043/title/Gulf_floor_fouled_by_bacterial_oil_feast

Engineering to Navigate Next Disaster

http://tulane.edu/news/newwave/022311_disaster.cfm

"One major research concern is the huge clouds and plumes of hydrocarbons that formed in the Gulf waters up to 2,500 feet below the surface after the April 3, 2010, Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion.

The authors say the plumes appear to have been caused by the use of dispersants applied directly at the wellhead, some 5,000 feet below the surface. The application of dispersants at those depths is unique to this spill and something that needs to be understood, the researchers say. Previously dispersants were sprayed only on surface slicks."

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

Scientist finds Gulf bottom still oily, dead

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/02/19/ap/politics/main20034012.shtml

Also see: Scientist finds Gulf bottom still oily, dead months after BP spill (longer article)

Gulf research cash still in limbo

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110215/full/470317a.html

BP reneges on deal to rebuild oyster beds, repair wetlands, Louisiana officials say

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/02/bp_reneges_on_deal_to_rebuild.html

Study to Track Gulf Cleanup Workers' Health

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703610604576158231937676742.html

Skytruth Comments on Deepwater Drilling Plan

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/02/skytruth-comments-on-deepwater-drilling.html

"In the comments submitted by SkyTruth, we argue that BOEMRE shouldn't allow drilling without first implementing routine satellite monitoring for pollution. We also point out what we think are critical weaknesses in Shell's plan to respond to, contain, and clean up a worst-case scenario oil spill, one of the major new requirements that BOEMRE has put in place. Shell contends that using essentially the same techniques (and much of the same equipment) that failed during the BP / Deepwater Horizon spill - skimmer vessels, controlled burns, chemical dispersants and absorbent booms - they will be able to handle almost ten times the amount of oil that BP and the Coast Guard, in an all-out effort, were able to capture or destroy on a daily basis."

Texas to host oil spill assessment meetings

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2011/02/21/texas-to-host-oil-spill-assessment.html

"Texas and four other states will host public meetings to solicit comments on the scope of the damage to the Gulf Coast in the wake of the oil spill resulting from the Deepwater Horizon rig disaster. Galveston and Port Arthur will host the two Texas forums, sponsored by several federal and state government departments and agencies, at dates to be determined. Similar meetings will be held in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. [...] 

 

Comments can be submitted online at a designated website set up by NOAA." 

From the website: The meetings will be in

• Pensacola, FL, on March 16;
• Panama City, FL, on March 17;
• Biloxi, MS, on March 21;
• Belle Chasse, LA, on March 22;
• Spanish Fort, AL, on March 23;
• Houma, LA, on March 24;
• Grand Isle, LA, on March 28;
• Morgan City, LA, on March 29;
• Port Arthur, TX, on March 30;
• Galveston, TX, on March 31; and
• Washington, DC, on April 6.

Stock inquiry targets BP over estimates of spill

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/02/19/stock-inquiry-targets-bp-over-estimates-of-spill/

BP Misled Investors Before Gulf Spill, Lawyers Say

http://www.gulfspilloil.com/bp-misled-investors-before-gulf-spill-lawyers-say

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Electric Car Conversions Envisioned for Pittsburgh

http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-pittsburgh/electric-car-conversions-envisioned-for-pittsburgh

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER/DEEPWATER DRILLING

Hastings Urges Restarting Oil Drilling in Gulf to Stem Rising Fuel Prices

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-17/hastings-urges-restarting-gulf-drilling-to-stem-rising-prices.html

Reality: The U.S. Energy Information Administration (part of the Department of Energy) has stated: "…[drilling in] the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on oil prices before 2030". The report continues to say: "Because oil prices are determined on the international market … any impact on average wellhead prices is expected to be insignificant." The estimated maximum reduction in gas prices from increased offshore drilling is three to four cents a gallon. 

"Drilling in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, stalled after BP Plc's April spill, should resume without waiting for regulators to approve oil and gas company containment systems to respond to a similar disaster in the future, Hastings said."

Yeah, let's not worry about another spill.  That couldn't happen again, could it?

Court Orders U.S. to Decide on Drilling

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704657704576150422736017058.html

"Thursday's developments illustrate the clashing demands being made on the administration in the aftermath of the spill. As gasoline prices have risen, oil industry executives and their allies in Congress have called for speedier consideration of new offshore drilling. Environmentalists and their Capitol Hill allies say the spill commission's findings show the need to move cautiously until the industry and federal regulators demonstrate they have addressed the root causes of the BP disaster."

Also see: Judge Feldman is still mad

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

California Can Become Leading 'Patriot' State by Kicking Oil Addiction, Report Shows (EDF)

http://blogs.edf.org/californiadream/2011/02/16/california-can-become-leading-%E2%80%98patriot%E2%80%99-state-by-kicking-oil-addiction-report-shows/

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER/DEEPWATER DRILLING

Senator Feinstein Introduces Measure to End Federal Incentives for Deepwater Drilling

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=840bc831-5056-8059-7664-b0e3393268a4&Region_id=&Issue_id=7ab95600-d8b6-774a-8611-a11ffd8d67ae

US Senator Will Halt Obama Nominee Over Deep-Water Drilling Permits

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201102151458dowjonesdjonline000384&title=us-senator-will-halt-obama-nominee-over-deep-water-drilling-permits

No word on whether Vitter will also stamp his feet or hold his breath until drilling permits are granted.

Oil Companies Unveil Spill Containment System

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=133835597

"A group of oil companies led by Exxon said Thursday it has built a system that can stop an undersea oil spill within weeks, a critical step towards resuming drilling in the deepest parts of the Gulf of Mexico."

Within weeks??????  Oh. that makes me feel a lot better.

NOAA's Deepwater Horizon Archive

http://www.noaa.gov/deepwaterhorizon/

"The Deepwater Horizon Archive is designed for many users, from scientists and researchers seeking data to citizens wanting to learn more about the spill's impact on the Gulf."

National Commission on the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling

Chief Counsel's Report (Released 02/17/2011)

http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/chief-counsels-report

"Today, the Commission is releasing the full report on the Chief Counsel's investigation, which provides details of the series of engineering and management mistakes by those responsible for the drilling operations, including BP, Halliburton, and Transocean.  The Chief Counsel is issuing this additional report to provide the American public, policymakers, and industry with the fullest possible account of the investigation into the causes of the well blowout which was summarized in the Commission's report. The Chief Counsel's investigative team unearthed and analyzed far more information than could have been included in the Commission's report."  (from press release)

Gulf research cash still in limbo

http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110215/full/470317a.html

"A fund of half a billion dollars for research into the effects of last year's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has spent months mired in bureaucracy and political manoeuvring, leaving scientists uncertain about how or when the money will be awarded. Organizers, however, promise that relief is on the way."

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

Study finds massive flux of gas, in addition to liquid oil, at BP well blowout in Gulf

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-massive-flux-gas-addition-liquid.html

"A new University of Georgia study that is the first to examine comprehensively the magnitude of hydrocarbon gases released during the Deepwater Horizon Gulf of Mexico oil discharge has found that up to 500,000 tons of gaseous hydrocarbons were emitted into the deep ocean. The authors conclude that such a large gas discharge—which generated concentrations 75,000 times the norm—could result in small-scale zones of "extensive and persistent depletion of oxygen" as microbial processes degrade the gaseous hydrocarbons."

Paying to fix Louisiana's coast: An editorial

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2011/02/paying_to_fix_louisianas_coast.html

"The authors of "Beyond Recovery: Moving the Gulf Coast Toward a Sustainable Future" -- which was done by Oxfam and the Center for American Progress -- urge Congress to direct 80 percent of fines under the Clean Water Act to coastal recovery."

Deep drills set for Gulf - Regulator says the first permits since BP oil spill about to be issued ENERGY: Blowout systems tested

http://www.pennenergy.com/index/articles/newsdisplay/1359443504.html

"Five permits for new wells are pending, he said, but they are held up primarily by requirements that the industry finish building systems capable of responding to a subsea blowout like last year's. 

An industry consortium, formed by oil majors including Exxon Mobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips and Chevron, is expected to conduct testing this month on a capping stack that could handle a blowout like the one at BP's Macondo well that triggered last year's disaster, Bromwich said."

Hearing focuses on environmental aspects of drilling

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7429227.html

This is from one of a series of hearings along the Gulf Coast, in Alaska, and in Virginia.  See the complete list of hearings here, as well as background information and some talking points.

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

Coast Guard plan to scale back cleanup angers some

http://www.wwl.com/Coast-Guard-plan-to-scale-back-cleanup-angers-some/9197608

OFFSHORE DRILLING REGULATION

Obama budget calls for new spending and industry fees for offshore regulation

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/02/obama_budget_calls_for_new_spe.html

Offshore Oil-Production Royalties Projected to Rise 68% Under Obama Budget

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-14/offshore-oil-royalties-projected-to-rise-68-under-obama-budget.html

"Receipts will reach $5.97 billion in the year that starts Oct. 1, from $3.56 billion in 2010, according to the budget for the Interior Department released today. Obama also is proposing $25 million in fees from energy companies that hold nonproducing oil and gas leases, part of the administration's effort to provide taxpayers with higher revenue from minerals development."

WEST COAST

Representative Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 612) to amend the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently prohibit the conduct of offshore drilling on the outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington. (2/10/11).

GAZING INTO THE ENERGY FUTURE

The coming misery that Big Oil discusses behind closed doors

http://oilandglory.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2011/02/14/the_coming_misery_that_big_oil_discusses_behind_closed_doors

"The new report suggests that all is not lost -- there are signs, if slow ones, of attention to climate change. Whatever the case, Shell sticks with its prediction that eventually -- after about a decade of misery -- people come around and decide to act:

"High domestic prices and exceptionally demanding standards imposed by governments provoke significant advances in energy efficiency. Eventually, locally developed alternative supplies -- biofuels, wind, and thermal solar -- also contribute on a much greater scale than before. By 2030, healthy economic growth is restored, with particular vibrancy in the new energy sector that has received a massive stimulus to innovation through this difficult period. "" 

Oil Drilling News

GULF OIL DISASTER

Gulf oil wells 10 miles from Deepwater Horizon site leaking since 2004

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/wells_still_leaking_in_gulf.html

"A Taylor Energy production platform near the mouth of the Mississippi River was toppled by a mudslide during Hurricane Ivan, according to federal reports. The platform was tied to 26 wells, though it is unclear how many are leaking. The company is reportedly in the process of drilling relief wells to staunch the flow. 

The ongoing leaks gained national attention during the BP spill after the government released highly detailed satellite images of the Gulf's surface. Skytruth, a watchdog group that uses satellite images to monitor environmental problems, first called attention to the ongoing spill. "

OIL DRILLING POLICIES

Former Big Oil President Gives New Life To Oil Subsidy Debate

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/11/former-big-oil-president-oil-subsidy-debate_n_822235.html

"A former top oil executive said on Thursday that big oil companies don't need government help, inserting a new dynamic into the debate over oil subsidies in the context of the deficit."

Oil industry girds for tax-break clash

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/7424222.html

For the third year in a row, President Barack Obama on Monday will implore Congress to repeal an array of tax incentives the oil and gas industry has enjoyed for decades.

Get ready to drill: Deepwater permits likely in "next several weeks" says Bromwich

http://www.benzinga.com/11/02/856033/get-ready-to-drill-deepwater-permits-likely-in-next-several-weeks-says-bromwich#ixzz1DxANN4l9

ALABAMA

Are Alabama beaches clean? 2 Auburn professors seek funding for post-oil spill study

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/02/are_alabama_beaches_clean.html

FLORIDA

Bipartisan appeal against oil drilling

http://www.keysnet.com/2011/02/12/308250/bipartisan-appeal-against-oil.html

"Florida Keys marine conservationists joined a Wednesday event in Tallahassee to launch a campaign for an offshore no-drilling ban in state waters. [...] Joining the push are former Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, and former state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, a Democrat."

Editorial: Ban offshore drilling

http://www.pnj.com/article/20110214/OPINION/102140301/1006/NEWS01/Editorial--Ban-offshore-drilling