Monday, April 25, 2011

Oil Drilling News


Catching up after a week surfing in mainland Mexico...................

GULF OIL DISASTER


BP / Deepwater Horizon Oil & Gas Disaster - What's Changed? (Skytruth)

"Meanwhile BP itself is once again booking strong profits, moving forward with ambitious new drilling plans, and appears to be thriving. Polls show the public strongly favors more offshore drilling. The federal government is issuing new permits to drill in deep water, based largely on their faith in two new well-containment devices that would take weeks to assemble and deploy in the next emergency, allowing tens of millions of gallons to hit the water before these untested devices even arrive on the scene. I'd like to say we've got totally retooled oil spill cleanup plans and capabilities to deal with the inevitable next spill, but sadly that is not the case. As time goes by it's looking less likely that the well-researched recommendations of the National Oil Spill Commission are going to be implemented, meaning offshore drilling will continue to be a high-risk activity."


The Spill Washington Forgot


One Year Later: Assessing the 

Lasting Impact of the Gulf Spill


In the end, did huge Gulf oil spill underwhelm oil-hungry Americans?


More Questions Than Answers on Dispersants a Year After Gulf Spill

"After the spill, in November, the federal government's Oil Budget Calculator report said of dispersant use: "... were it a spill by itself, it would be one of the larger spills in U.S. waters.""
        

Quick Help for the Gulf

"The agreement announced Thursday under which BP will make a $1 billion down payment on its obligation to restore the Gulf of Mexico to good health is such welcome news that it seems almost churlish to offer caveats. But caveats there are. [...] But it does not relieve Congress of its responsibility to find other money to help the gulf. And it will not come close to achieving its promise unless the money is used well — which means using it to reflect science, not politics."
         
ENERGY FACTS AND POLICY


Fact-checking the Washington rhetoric on oil, drilling and energy

"In 2010, U.S. oil production reached its highest level since 2003. The United States produced about 5.5 million barrels of oil a day in 2010, according to EIA data. 

U.S. oil production peaked in 1970 when the country produced 9.6 million barrels a day.

The EIA says the United States has 20.7 billion barrels of proven oil reserves as of 2009, the year with the most up-to-date data available.

U.S. proven reserves are significantly smaller than countries like Canada (178.1 billion barrels), Venezuela (99.4 billion barrels), Saudi Arabia (266.7 billion barrels), United Arab Emirates (97.8 billion barrels) and Libya (43.7 billion barrels). 

Overall, based on those numbers, the United States has about 2 percent of the world's proven oil reserves.

The United States consumes massive amounts of oil. The EIA says the United States consumed 18,771,400 barrels of oil per day in 2009. That's higher than any other country in the world. 

To put that number in perspective, the United State consumes more oil than Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America combined. 

In total, the United States consumed 6.85 billion barrels of oil in 2009 and 6.99 billion barrels of oil in 2010. That's about one-fourth of the world's oil."


Drill baby drill won't lower gas prices

"The problem is this: While increased oil and gas drilling in the United States may create good-paying jobs, reduce reliance on foreign oil and lower the trade deficit, it will have hardly any impact on gas and oil prices. 

That's because the amount of extra oil that could be produced from more drilling in this country is tiny compared to what the world consumes. 

Plus, any extra oil the country did produce would likely be quickly offset by a cut in OPEC production."


SOUTHEAST


3-state compact for offshore energy in NC bill


Poor timing may doom offshore drilling plan in Southeast

"North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina may have something to gain when it comes to offshore drilling, but the events of 2010 remind us that they also have plenty to lose."


ALTERNATIVES TO OIL


Solid-State Batteries - 

High-energy cells for cheaper electric cars


Transparent Photovoltaic Cells Turn Windows Into Solar Panels


U.S. marks first for hydropower

"The startup of the first U.S. hydropower project in New Mexico completed with federal stimulus money is a milestone for a clean energy future, an official said."

NEW "NOT THE ANSWER" WEBSITE




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