Oil Spill News

Oil Drilling News - Last Issue

2011-12-16T09:48:00.000-08:00

***SPECIAL NOTE: SURFRIDER FOUNDATION IS CEASING PUBLICATION OF OUR DAILY OIL DRILLING NEWS WITH THIS ISSUE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PERIODIC COMMENTARY ON OFFSHORE OIL DRILLING ISSUES IN OUR NOT THE ANSWER BLOG.***

THE GULF

Panel warns of ongoing hazards posed by offshore drilling

http://floridaindependent.com/61166/national-academy-of-engineering-offshore-drilling

"A new report issued by The National Academy of Engineering, a government-created nonprofit, concludes that the lack of regulation and ineffective safety management practices that led to BP's catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have not been fully remedied — leaving communities in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana potentially vulnerable to another oil spill."

Restoring the Gulf: difficult and expensive

http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/Restoring-the-Gulf-difficult-and-expensive-2400930.php

"We encourage Congress to support current efforts to legislate using fines for the plan, and urge all other avenues of funding from agencies and other sources: Foremost among these should be energy companies, currently reaping record profits, and other businesses that exploit the Gulf's resources."

Taylor / 23051 Chronic Leak Site in Gulf: Oil Analyzed (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/12/taylor-23051-chronic-leak-site-in-gulf.html

"We wanted to know if other samples of oil collected in this region of the Gulf, on beaches and barrier islands and from slicks observed offshore, could possibly be coming from the Taylor site since it's a well-documented source of oil pollution."

Oil Drilling News

2011-12-15T13:45:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Exxon Mobil spent $3.2 million on lobbying in 3Q for offshore oil drilling, other issues

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/industries/exxon-mobil-spent-32-million-on-lobbying-in-3q-for-offshore-oil-drilling-other-issues/2011/12/15/gIQALAKUvO_story.html

GOP seeks to strip EPA offshore drilling oversight

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/gop-seeks-to-strip-epa-offshore-drilling-oversight-2011-12-15

"In an important piece of spending legislation Thursday, Republicans included a measure that strips the EPA's authority to issue air-quality permits in the Arctic and shifts it to the Interior Department. The department already handles air-quality permits in many parts of the Gulf of Mexico, where much of the U.S. drilling takes place. The goal of the measure is to subvert an EPA appeals process that allows environmental groups and citizen activists to challenge the issuance of air-quality permits, said Robert Dillon, a spokesman for Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), a long-time champion of the measure."

THE GULF

Video: Is Gulf Seafood Unsafe to Eat?

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2011/11/21/video-is-gulf-seafood-unsafe-to-eat/?hpt=ac_t1

New report criticizes industry, regulators in Gulf oil spill

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/environment/la-me-gs-new-report-blasts-fed-regulators-on-gulf-oil-spill-20111214,0,3290326.story

"The report, conducted at the behest of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, echoed findings from previous investigations issued over the last year about the mishaps and chain of poor decisions that led to the blowout of the Macondo well. In particular, the report "Macondo Well -- Deepwater Horizon Blowout, Lessons for Improving Offshore Drilling Safety," said the "multiple flawed decisions that led to blowout" resulted from "a deficient overall systems approach to safety" among the corporations that led the drilling at the Macondo well, including BP, Transocean and Halliburton. The report went further in some key areas, calling into doubt the ability of blowout preventers to serve as the ultimate fail-safe device, given that "there were numerous warnings to both industry and regulators about potential failures of existing BOP systems" over the previous decade, according to the report. The report also said that the fragmented nature of offshore oil drilling, with different companies responsible for highly specialized tasks, means that few people on a rig may have a complete sense of the risks involved in the drilling operation."

BRAZIL

Brazil Sues Chevron for $11 Billion

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203893404577098780998054576.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

"A Brazilian federal prosecutor on Wednesday asked a judge to shut down all Chevron Corp. and Transocean Ltd. operations in Brazil in a lawsuit that seeks some 20 billion Brazilian reais ($11 billion) in damages from the companies, the latest legal broadside to the firms since oil leaked from a well they operate in early November."

OIl Drilling News

2011-12-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

THE GULF

U.S. Gulf Oil Lease Sale Attracts 241 Bids From 20 Companies

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-13/u-s-gulf-oil-lease-sale-attracts-241-bids-from-20-companies.html

"The first lease sale for oil production in the Gulf of Mexico since BP Plc's 2010 spill attracted 241 bids from 20 companies, the Interior Department said as an environmental group sought to block the auction."

Gulf Offshore Drilling Leases Auction Challenged By Environmentalists

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/gulf-offshore-drilling-leases-challenge_n_1146254.html

"The suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington claims that the federal government failed to take steps to avoid a repeat of BP's disastrous oil spill in 2010, which leaked more than 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The suit was filed by Oceana, Defenders of Wildlife, the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Center for Biological Diversity."

Deepwater Horizon Committee Issues Final Report

http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=12092011

BP Oil Spill Shows Blowout Systems Need Redesign, Panel Says

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-14/bp-oil-spill-shows-blowout-preventers-need-redesign-panel-says.html

"The U.S. government and the energy industry had "misplaced trust" in the ability of blowout preventers to act as fail-safe mechanisms, a committee of the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council said in a report today. The 57 foot (17 meter) valve systems, which stand atop deep-water wells, weren't designed or tested for the conditions that existed when the Macondo well exploded, the report found."

NAE: Flawed decisions, poor oversight led to 2010 oil spill

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/12/14/nae-flawed-decisions-shoddy-oversight-led-to-2010-oil-spill/

"A series of flawed decisions by companies working on BP's failed Macondo well, poor oversight by federal regulators and a "misplaced trust" in emergency equipment guarding the site led to the lethal Deepwater Horizon disaster, the National Academy of Engineering concluded today."

Oil Drilling News

2011-12-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

OIL SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Exxon expects that U.S. oil imports have peaked

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/exxon-expects-that-us-oil-imports-have-peaked-2011-12-08?reflink=MW_news_stmp

"...a significant factor will also be a rapid decline in the nation's oil demand driven by continued gains in energy efficiency and little population expansion in the next three decades."

Economy, gas prices make Americans drive less

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-07/americans-driving-less/51716466/1

"The autumn of 2011 saw the poorest gasoline demand since 2000, says Tom Kloza, chief analyst at the Oil Price Information Service."

FLORIDA

A Fifth-Grader Writes About Offshore Oil Drilling

http://www.theledger.com/article/20111207/COLUMNISTS0304/112075000

BRAZIL

Chevron May Need to Drill Relief Well at Brazil Spill Site

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-09/chevron-may-need-to-drill-relief-well-at-frade-chambriard-says.html

"The cementing at the Frade well that leaked last month currently "doesn't guarantee 100 percent efficiency," Magda Chambriard, a director at the regulator known as ANP, told reporters today in Rio de Janeiro. Drilling a relief well is "one possibility" if Chevron doesn't convince ANP that the cementing is solidly stuck to the ground, Chambriard said."

All Brazil's cars to use ethanol

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/all-brazils-cars-to-use-ethanol-6275216.html

"Two thirds of all cars in Brazil are fueled with ethanol, said the chief executive of Petrobras, José Sergio Gabrielli, speaking last week at the World's 20th Petroleum Conference, in Doha, Qatar. Gabrielli, head of the third-biggest Brazilian oil producer, said the company is increasing its ethanol production and predicts all cars in Brazil will soon be running on ethanol, while also exploring new oil fields."

Oil Drilling News

2011-12-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

THE GULF/BP

Feds charge BP with new oil spill violations

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/12/07/feds-charge-bp-with-new-oil-spill-violations/

"The federal government today issued a second set of citations to BP accusing the oil company of violating safety and environmental regulations while drilling the Macondo well that fatally blew out last year."

FLORIDA

Wisdom from an 8th Grader

http://www.theledger.com/article/20111208/COLUMNISTS0304/112085003?p=1&tc=pg

VIRGINIA

State, industry criticize Virginia's absence from 5-year OCS plan

http://www.ogj.com/articles/2011/12/state-industry-criticize-virginias-absence-from-5year-ocs-plan.html?cmpid=EnlEDDecember82011

Oil Drilling News

2011-12-06T11:16:00.001-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Task Force Says BP Oil Spill Fines Should Go to Gulf Restoration

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/06/science/earth/panel-says-bp-oil-spill-fines-should-go-to-gulf-restoration.html?_r=2

THE GULF

BP: Halliburton Destroyed Evidence in Spill Case

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-05/bp-says-halliburton-destroyed-test-results-lost-computer.html

"Halliburton Energy Services (HAL) Inc. destroyed test results that showed samples of the cement used to seal London-based BP's Macondo well, which exploded off the Louisiana coast last year, were unstable, BP said in a filing today in federal court in New Orleans. The oilfield services provider also suppressed computer models that might prove Halliburton was at fault "because it wanted to eliminate any risk that this evidence would be used against it at trial," BP said in the filing."

Bluefin Tuna Probably OK After BP Oil Spill

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=143108089

"Former NOAA chief scientist Sylvia Earle, a renowned ocean explorer who has campaigned against overfishing of tuna, isn't convinced that bluefin tuna weathered the oil slick. "I think it's too early to celebrate a possible greater survival than had been predicted. These are, after all, models," Earle said. "The truth is we don't have enough information to be able to clearly say one way or another what happened to the 2010 class of baby tuna.""

FLORIDA

Intensity of debate over offshore drilling hard to calculate in Fla. Senate race

http://www.eenews.net/public/EEDaily/2011/12/05/1

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Blistering Rate Of Growth For U.S. Solar Industry

http://seekingalpha.com/article/311886-blistering-rate-of-growth-for-u-s-solar-industry

Oil Drilling News

2011-12-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Bill holds foreign oil drillers accountable

http://keysnews.com/node/36412

"U.S. Senator Bill Nelson is sponsoring legislation that would hold foreign oil companies financially responsible for cleaning up a spill if oil makes it into United States waters. Nelson, D-Florida, spoke on the Senate floor on Wednesday to stump for support of the bill. Nelson's bill comes as several companies that have partnered with the Cuban government will begin exploratory drilling off Cuba by the end of the year. Nelson and others have raised concerns about oil from a spill making it to the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and other Florida waters."

ALASKA

Shell gambles billions in Arctic Alaska push

http://www.adn.com/2011/12/03/2201550/shell-gambles-billions-in-arctic.html

"Shell is at the center of a classic Alaska development battle, gearing up to explore for oil as it confronts ever-higher regulatory hurdles and court challenges by environmentalists who say a big Arctic oil spill would be a disaster."

FLORIDA

Bahamas oil wells may imperil Florida

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/bahamas-oil-wells-may-imperil-florida-2012216.html

"Just as South Florida braces for oil drilling set to begin next month off the shores of Cuba, a Bahamian company is pressing to dig exploratory wells as early as next year less than 200 miles from the state's delicate coastline. The Bahamian plans could eventually bring rigs as close as 40 miles from Port Everglades."

LOUISIANA

Oil-spill cleanup at Fourchon Beach draws fire

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20111204/articles/111209844

"Oil is everywhere. It sits beneath the sand in layers, left there when crude began washing up after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig in April 2010 and later covered by the wind and waves that constantly reshape the beach. Mats of oil snared in marsh lie just below the waterline a few feet from shore. And when the innocuous-looking balls of sand that constantly wash up are broken open, a smell akin to fresh asphalt wafts out."

BRAZIL

"Flying Blind" in Pre-Salt Oil Fields

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=106076

"Nearly a month after the start of the offshore oil spill, authorities in Brazil have not yet been able to determine the causes of the accident, how much oil was leaked at a Chevron platform, the size of the oil slick, or the extent of the environmental damage. In the midst of contradictory and scarce information, fears over the environmental risks posed by the technologically-challenging exploitation of the country's massive "pre-salt" oil reserves – buried under thick layers of sand, rock and salt – are growing."

Oil Drilling News

2011-12-01T13:25:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Bromwich concerned budget cuts may reverse hard-won reforms

http://www.ogj.com/articles/2011/11/bromwich-concerned-budget-cuts-may-reverse-hard-won-reforms.html?cmpid=EnlDailyDecember12011

THE GULF

U.S. to seek more fines in Gulf oil spill

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20111130/WIRE/111139996/-1/living?Title=U-S-to-seek-more-fines-in-Gulf-oil-spill&tc=ar

Oil spill claims expansion for shrimpers, crabbers is not retroactive

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/11/oil_spill_claims_expansion_for.html

Oil spill cleanup to enter 'patrol and maintenance," use smaller crews

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2011/11/gulf_oil_spill_cleanup_about_t.html

Stranded dolphin improving, fifth dead dolphin found in Mississippi

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2011/11/alabama_stranded_dolphin_survi.html

NOAA finds bacterial infection as cause of death for five northern Gulf dolphins; investigation continues

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/stories/2011/10/27_dolphin_bacterial_infection_cause_dolphin_death.html

"We believe these five dolphins died from brucellosis. Die-offs from bacterial infections could be occurring because the bacterium has become more lethal, but they could also be occurring, or be more severe, because the dolphins are more susceptible to infection. Severe environmental stress, including from exposure to oil, could have reduced the animals' ability to fight infection," said Teri Rowles, DVM, Ph.D., coordinator of NOAA's National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program.

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Renewable power trumps fossil fuels for first time

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-renewables-20111125,0,2421278.story

"Renewable energy is surpassing fossil fuels for the first time in new power-plant investments, shaking off setbacks from the financial crisis and an impasse at the United Nations global warming talks. Electricity from the wind, sun, waves and biomass drew $187 billion last year compared with $157 billion for natural gas, oil and coal, according to calculations by Bloomberg New Energy Finance using the latest data. Accelerating installations of solar- and wind-power plants led to lower equipment prices, making clean energy more competitive with coal."

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-30T15:17:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

U.S. Nears Milestone: Net Fuel Exporter

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203441704577068670488306242.html

Yes, you read that headline right.

"According to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Tuesday, the U.S. sent abroad 753.4 million barrels of everything from gasoline to jet fuel in the first nine months of this year, while it imported 689.4 million barrels. [...] So long as the U.S. remains the world's biggest net importer of crude oil, currently taking in nine million barrels per day, it isn't likely to become energy independent anytime soon. Yet its growing presence as an overall exporter of fuels made from crude gives it greater influence in the global energy market. [...] But U.S. drivers aren't seeing much benefit in the form of lower prices because refineries on the Gulf Coast are shipping much of their output to places where demand is strong, keeping prices high."

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-29T11:04:00.001-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Shocker! Newt Gingrich doesn't understand oil

http://www.energybulletin.net/stories/2011-11-28/shocker-newt-gingrich-doesnt-understand-oil

"Sadly, he's not alone, which is why this is worth debunking. Gingrich's sense that oil fields can be brought rapidly online, and his "we beat the Nazis and went to the moon so we can do this" statements reflect the general cultural misunderstandings about how oil is extracted that are endemic in our culture. While his claim that we could "open up enough oil fields in the next year that the price of oil worldwide would collapse. Now, that's what we would do if we were a serious country." is a bit of idiocy, it probably isn't atypical idiocy in a country that knows nothing about the basic geology that underlies just about everything."

THE GULF

Offshore safety chief: BP, 2 other companies face more safety citations in Gulf oil spill

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/offshore-safety-chief-bp-2-other-companies-face-more-safety-citations-in-gulf-oil-spill/2011/11/28/gIQAQyIW5N_story.html

Interior drilling regulators prepare new penalties over BP spill

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/195651-interior-drilling-regulators-prepare-new-penalties-over-bp-spill

WEST COAST

Thankfully, West Coast Escapes Department of Interior's New Drilling Plans

http://halfmoonbay.patch.com/articles/west-coast-escapes-department-of-interior-s-new-drilling-plans

"In the simplest of terms, if we can't clean it up, we better make sure it doesn't get spilled in the first place."

FLORIDA

BP set to keep cleaning beaches

http://www.pnj.com/article/20111127/NEWS01/111270324/BP-set-keep-cleaning-beaches?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

"As BP wraps up its oil spill cleanup phase and shifts into its restoration phase, one looming question remains: What about the tar mats still believed to be submerged along the shorelines of local beaches?"

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Renewables future of energy, IEA says

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/11/28/Renewables-future-of-energy-IEA-says/UPI-85871322487028/

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-18T13:31:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Republicans push drilling plan to pay for roads, bridges

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Republicans-push-drilling-plan-to-pay-for-roads-2275124.php

"The energy and infrastructure package also includes a proposal by Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, to lift a congressional ban on exploration in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and force the government to sell drilling leases in parts of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans."

BOEM Calls for Public Input on Proposed 2012-2017 Eastern GOM Lease Sales

http://www.marinelink.com/news/proposed-eastern-public341435.aspx

"The general area of this Call covers approximately 657,905 acres, including a triangular-shaped area south of this area bordered by the Central Planning Area boundary on the West and the Military Mission Line (86º 41'W) on the East. The area is south of eastern Alabama and western Florida; the nearest point of land is 125 miles northwest in Louisiana. For a map of the area, go to: http://www.boem.gov/uploadedFiles/OCS_Lower_48_Strategy_20111104_v1.pdf."

THE GULF

Transocean Can't Blame U.S. for Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill, Judge Rules

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-18/transocean-can-t-blame-u-s-for-gulf-oil-spill-judge-rules.html

"Transocean filed a claim against the U.S. in February, contending the incident may have been caused in part by the acts of federal agencies and government employees."

How lame is that? By the way, the rig operator in the recent oil spill off Brazil was - you guessed it - Transocean.

FLORIDA/CUBA

Legislation aimed at discouraging Cuban oil exploration

http://www.keysnet.com/2011/11/17/397400/legislation-aimed-at-discouraging.html

"Bill Nelson, Florida's senior senator, and a Senate colleague from New Jersey introduced a bill last week that would hold foreign oil companies directly accountable for oil spills that pollute U.S. territory.

The bill was written in anticipation of a massive foreign offshore drilling operation that could begin in Cuban waters - as close as 50 miles from Key West - by late next month."

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-17T13:22:00.001-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Latest proposed 5-year OCS plan falls short, API official says

http://www.ogj.com/articles/2011/11/latest-proposed-5-year-ocs-plan-falls-short-api-official-says.html?cmpid=EnlDailyNovember162011

"He urged the administration to reconsider and schedule lease sales in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, which is largely closed by congressional moratorium, and off Virginia's coast, where a lease sale was scheduled as part of the current 5-year program but canceled following the 2010 Macondo well accident and crude oil spill. Sales off Alaska which have been scheduled toward the end of the next 5-year period should be moved up, especially if Shell Exploration Co.'s Beaufort and Chukchi Sea tests produce positive results, he added."

Interior secretary urged to reconsider offshore drilling ban in Virginia

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/interior-secretary-urged-to-reconsider-offshore-drilling-ban-in-virginia/2011/11/16/gIQApP6JSN_blog.html

"All eight Republicans who represent Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives called on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Wednesday to reconsider a decision to ban offshore oil and gas drilling off the commonwealth's coast."

FLORIDA

BP finds oil on Perdido Key

http://www.pnj.com/article/20111116/NEWS01/111116031/Oil-spill-BP-finds-oil-Perdido-Key?odyssey=nav|head

"BP cleanup crews recovered 1,253 pounds of tar balls mixed with shells near the Eden Condominium on Tuesday."

BRAZIL

Brazilian police investigate offshore oil spill

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5icVi-bDzjMQSLzUvpTXnICUP3GUg?docId=1516419232a447bbb600f84721fa86e1

Chevron Says Brazil Offshore Well Sealed

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204190504577040883607807206.html

"Brazil's National Petroleum Agency said Monday that the well was leaking at a rate of between 200 and 330 barrels per day, and between 521 and 882 barrels had reached the surface so far. The leak, first discovered Nov. 8, has produced a stain on the water stretching across an area of 163 square kilometers, the agency said."

Oil leak prompts Chevron to halt well-drilling off Brazil's coast

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/oil-leak-prompts-chevron-to-halt-well-drilling-off-brazils-coast/2011/11/15/gIQAqVkcPN_story.html

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

US Navy tests biofuel to power ship in its largest alternative fuel demonstration to date

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/us-navy-tests-biofuel-to-power-ship-with-overnight-cruise-along-southern-california-coast/2011/11/16/gIQAtRJJSN_story.html

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Offshore industry hopes for grace period on new rules

http://www.chron.com/business/article/Offshore-industry-hopes-for-grace-period-on-new-2269335.php

"Industry leaders say they are hoping for a transition period, during which federal regulators notify companies of violations but delay possible fines or other penalties."

THE GULF

New Documentary Says Gulf Oil Spill Crisis Isn't Over

http://www.forbes.com/sites/eco-nomics/2011/11/10/new-documentary-says-gulf-oil-spill-crisis-isnt-over/

"I used to be a surfer but I won't go in the water anymore," he said. "The last time I did my eyes and lips were burning."

BRAZIL

Chevron suspects drilling caused Brazil oil spill

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/14/us-chevron-brazil-idUSTRE7AD1D420111114

Petrobras field the source of serious deep sea oil leak (Greenpeace New Zealand)

http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/press/Petrobras-field-the-source-of-serious-deep-sea-oil-leak-off/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gpnzpress+%28Greenpeace+NZ+Press+Releases%29

Chevron Oil Spill off Brazil - 10 Times Bigger Than Official Estimate? (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/11/chevron-oil-spill-off-brazil-10-times.html

Progress seen in fixing Brazil oil spill: Chevron

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/15/us-chevron-brazil-idUSTRE7AD1D420111115?type=GCA-GreenBusiness&feedType=RSS&feedName=GCA-GreenBusiness&rpc=43

"Cementing of the well, which is suspected to have been a cause for the oil leak, will be finished in coming days."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Navy's first hybrid-drive warship goes to sea

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/nov/14/navys-first-hybrid-drive-warship-goes-action/

""Everything that we see in the civilian world is going more electric. We've had hybrid-electric cars for awhile, now you are starting to see the all-electric cars come in. That's where the Navy is going," said Timothy McCoy, director of the Navy's electric ships office in Washington, D.C."

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Offshore lease sale set for December

http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9QUHI902.htm

"The Department of Interior says it has set a December date for the next Gulf offshore oil and natural gas lease sale -- the first such sale since the Deepwater Horizon explosion and BP oil spill."

Ready for another Gulf oil disaster?

http://summitcountyvoice.com/2011/11/12/environment-ready-for-another-gulf-oil-disaster/

Oil & gas industry spills happen "all the time"

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/04/12/eveningnews/main20053283.shtml

"Everyday there's numerous releases happening throughout just this country," said oil and gas safety expert Mike Sawyer. "Sometimes every couple of hours there's a new incident."

THE GULF

Skytruth Alert: Fire Reported in Gulf of Mexico Near BP and Shell's Na Kika Offshore Drilling Site 2011-11-10

http://alerts.skytruth.org/report/53edccf9-83bd-5b3f-abcd-ea162fed79ea#c=stae

Drowning in Oil: The BP Spill through a Sustainability Lens

http://www.sustainableplant.com/2011/11/drowning-in-oil-the-bp-spill-through-a-sustainability-lens/

"Following the disaster at the Deepwater Horizon oil platform, Steffy decided to chronicle what occurred with BP's facilities in his most recent book, Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit. The book is a chilling account of events and people's decisions leading up to the catastrophic events of April 20, 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico."

ALASKA

Oil companies need rules before drilling

http://www.adn.com/2011/11/12/2167977/oil-companies-need-rules-before.html

LOUISIANA

Oil-spill cleanup continues at beach

http://www.dailycomet.com/article/20111112/ARTICLES/111119846/1320?Title=Oil-spill-cleanup-continues-at-beach

"At Fourchon, tar balls continue to wash up on the beach every day from oil buried in the surf... [...] To be considered clean, Fourchon Beach must have less than 1 percent distribution of oil and oiled debris, Edwards said."

VIRGINIA

A good call: Blocking drilling off Virginia's coast (LTE)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-good-call-blocking-drilling-off-virginias-coast/2011/11/10/gIQAXR6ADN_story.html

BRAZIL

Oil Spill (Natural Seep??) off Brazil - 56 Miles Long Today [Friday]

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/11/oil-spill-natural-seep-off-brazil-56.html

Chevron halts drilling of Brazil well after spill

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/12/chevron-brazil-idUSN1E7AB07L20111112

Chevron drilling caused Brazil oil spill:official

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/14/chevron-brazil-idUSN1E7AD0VD20111114

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-10T11:59:00.001-08:00

THE GULF

Feds ignore Gulf of Mexico oil spill in study of risks associated with oil exploration

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/11/feds_ignore_bp_spill_in_impact.html

"The agency excluded the largest spill in U.S. history in its calculations "as a rough balance between the remote chance of another (Deepwater Horizon) event and the otherwise much safer performance" in the 46 years prior to the BP spill."

ALASKA

Bering Sea storm is as powerful as Category 3 hurricane

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/11/bering-sea-storm-surges-alaska.html

Sounds like a good place for oil drilling lease sales - NOT!

VIRGINIA

Leaders ask Obama to reconsider Va. waters

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57320899/leaders-ask-obama-to-reconsider-va-waters/

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-09T16:11:00.001-08:00

MORE ON 5-YEAR LEASING PLAN

Interior Department releases offshore drilling plan

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-offshore-drilling-20111109,0,3798847.story

U.S. to Open New Areas to Offshore Drilling

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/09/science/earth/us-to-open-new-areas-to-offshore-drilling.html

THE GULF

BP to end cleanup operations in Gulf oil spill

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/09/bp-gulf-oil-spill-end-cleanup?newsfeed=true

"BP will officially be off the hook for any deposits of oil that wash up on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico – unless they can be traced directly to the Macondo well, it has emerged."

Coast Guard OKs Winding Down BP Oil Spill Cleanup

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/09/coast-guard-oks-winding-down-bp-oil-spill-cleanup/?test=latestnews

"Louisiana officials wouldn't give their approval because they were concerned about what they perceived as a lack of long-term monitoring in the document. They also complained that the Coast Guard gave them only five days to review the plan..."

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-08T10:39:00.001-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Obama administration to unveil 5-year offshore drilling plan

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/11/08/obama-administration-to-unveil-5-year-offshore-drilling-plan/

"The Obama administration is set today to unveil a plan for selling offshore drilling leases over the next five years that focuses on exploration in the Gulf of Mexico."

Interior Plan Includes More Gulf, Alaska Leases

http://www.nationaljournal.com/domesticpolicy/interior-plan-includes-more-gulf-alaska-leases-20111108

"Specifically, those areas include five annual lease sales to begin in the fall of 2012 in the western Gulf of Mexico; five annual lease sales beginning in the spring of 2013 in the central Gulf; and two lease sales in 2014 and 2016 in the eastern Gulf that are not under congressional moratorium. Off the coast of Alaska, the Interior proposal calls for holding one lease sale in 2015 in the Beaufort Sea, one lease sale in 2016 in the Chukchi Sea, and one special-interest sale in the Cook Inlet."

U.S. Plans Lease Sales in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Alaska

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-08/u-s-plans-15-offshore-oil-lease-sales-with-none-off-east-coast.html

"President Barack Obama's administration plans 15 offshore oil-lease sales from 2012 to 2017, keeping the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards off-limits for drilling."

THE GULF

Evidence shows Gulf oil spill caused widespread ecological damage

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111107/ARTICLE/111109590

"Since the blown oil well spewed 186 million to 227 million gallons of crude into the Gulf last year, several species of fish have developed skin ulcers in what appears to be greater-than-normal numbers. Hundreds of dolphins — nearly 500 so far — have washed ashore dead, and fewer large migratory animals, such as whales sharks, have returned to their normal feeding grounds. Meanwhile, layers of dead organic matter mixed with traces of oil remain on the ocean floor. Weathered crude also persists in marshes — some of it still thick, some hardly detectable, but harmful to fish."

Oil-spill workers sought for study

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111108/APN/1111080608?p=1&tc=pg

"Federal researchers will be in Terrebonne Parish [LA] on Wednesday, looking for cleanup workers willing to participate in a $17.8 million study of long-term health effects from last year's Gulf of Mexico oil spill. They want to interview more than 50,000 cleanup workers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, and have enrolled 5,000 since February. About 20,000 will be chosen for an in-home interview and periodic follow-ups over at least five years."

CUBA/FLORIDA

Oil drilling in Cuban waters stirs unease in Florida

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/florida-oildrill110711/florida-oildrill110711/

"Spanish oil giant Repsol could begin drilling in late December or early January at a spot along the northern shore of Cuba about 90 miles from Key West. From there, the Gulf Stream could pick up any oil spill and carry it perilously close or even into mangrove islands and onto beaches in the Florida Keys, South Florida and up the U.S. eastern coastline."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Here Comes the Sun

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/opinion/krugman-here-comes-solar-energy.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

"We are, or at least we should be, on the cusp of an energy transformation, driven by the rapidly falling cost of solar power. That's right, solar power. "

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-08T10:39:00.000-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Obama administration to unveil 5-year offshore drilling plan

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/11/08/obama-administration-to-unveil-5-year-offshore-drilling-plan/

"The Obama administration is set today to unveil a plan for selling offshore drilling leases over the next five years that focuses on exploration in the Gulf of Mexico."

Interior Plan Includes More Gulf, Alaska Leases

http://www.nationaljournal.com/domesticpolicy/interior-plan-includes-more-gulf-alaska-leases-20111108

U.S. Plans Lease Sales in Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Alaska

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-08/u-s-plans-15-offshore-oil-lease-sales-with-none-off-east-coast.html

"President Barack Obama's administration plans 15 offshore oil-lease sales from 2012 to 2017, keeping the Atlantic and Pacific seaboards off-limits for drilling."

THE GULF

Evidence shows Gulf oil spill caused widespread ecological damage

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111107/ARTICLE/111109590

Oil-spill workers sought for study

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111108/APN/1111080608?p=1&tc=pg

CUBA/FLORIDA

Oil drilling in Cuban waters stirs unease in Florida

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/florida-oildrill110711/florida-oildrill110711/

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Here Comes the Sun

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/opinion/krugman-here-comes-solar-energy.html?_r=1&src=tp&smid=fb-share

"We are, or at least we should be, on the cusp of an energy transformation, driven by the rapidly falling cost of solar power. That's right, solar power. "

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-07T13:46:00.001-08:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Bill would require rescue boats within three nautical miles of active offshore oil, gas rigs

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/11/bill_would_require_rescue_boat.html

We Found Oil! Is That Good?

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2011/11/06/will-a-boom-for-oil-and-gas-delay-renewable-energy/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=thab1

"Companies can now extract oil and natural gas from the high Arctic, shale, oil sands and deepwater wells. These fossil fuels are still finite and dwindling, but tapping the new sources pushes back the date of "peak oil." Does that give the United States necessary time to develop sustainable energy sources, or will it keep Americans needlessly addicted to dirty fuels by keeping them cheap -- and eroding the "energy security" argument?"

THE GULF

Gulf spill still affecting environment, industries

http://www.houmatoday.com/article/20111102/NEWS0101/111109889/-1/living?Title=Gulf-spill-still-affecting-environment-industries

"The local environment and industries like tourism and seafood are still recovering from last year's BP oil spill, which released as much as 4.8 million barrels of oil after the Deepwater Horizon platform exploded, killing 11 men and creating a months-long gusher of oil from the bottom of the Gulf."

Oil Spills Are Forever: BP Gets Slap on the Wrist for Oil Disaster (Part Two)

http://www.truth-out.org/oil-spills-are-forever-bp-gets-slap-wrist-oil-disaster-part-two/1320348923

"The main voice opposing the "slap-on-the-wrist" measures against BP is US Rep. Edward Markey, who calls for stronger penalties. Under law, fines are capped at $35,000 a day, per incident for the violations, which Markey estimates to be just seven hours worth of BP's profits. "That fine obviously does not even begin to approach the amount needed to be a deterrent against a repeat of this tragedy. That fine is a slap on the wrist," Markey said."

Oil Drilling News

2011-11-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

Scientists find low but possibly harmful Gulf contamination

http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/bs-gr-gulf-aquarium-20111102,0,6894049.story

"Scientists from the National Aquarium and the Johns Hopkins University say they've found low but potentially harmful levels of toxic oil contaminants in the Gulf of Mexico months after the Deepwater Horizon well blowout was capped. Erik Rifkin, interim executive director of the aquarium's conservation center, and Yongseok Hong, a post-doctoral fellow at Hopkins, say that using devices that mimic the way fish absorb contaminants in their environment, they've detected oil-related chemical compounds on the Louisiana coast that traditional water sampling methods mostly missed."

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Feds issue record number of deep-water drilling permits in October

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/11/02/feds-issue-record-number-of-deep-water-drilling-permits-in-october/

"Government permitting of offshore drilling projects soared in October, as federal regulators signed off on 13 deep-water wells during the month — the most since the administration lifted a moratorium on that offshore exploration a year ago."

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-31T11:15:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

Coast Guard should step up security screenings of oil platforms

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/10/29/investigators-coast-guard-should-step-up-security-screenings-of-oil-platforms/

"Although the Coast Guard aims to inspect oil and gas platforms and other offshore energy facilities once every year, only about a third got the security screenings from 2008 to 2010, according to a government report released this week."

Researchers: BP oil spill may have contributed to Gulf of Mexico dolphin deaths

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/researchers-bp-oil-spill-may-have-contributed-to-gulf-of-mexico-dolphin/1198826

"Five of the more than 500 dolphins that have washed ashore dead along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas over the past two years died from a bacterial infection called Brucella, federal scientists announced Thursday."

More dolphins found: 3 washed up Friday; 14 total dead in October, which is 'not normal'

http://www.sunherald.com/2011/10/28/3539218/more-dolphins-found-3-washed-up.html?storylink=addthis

"There was a time when one dolphin death was an unusual event. But dolphins dying consistently, month after month, is something that has continued in the northern Gulf since the BP oil spill."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Rolls-Royce Talking to Developers, Utilities About U.K. Tidal Farms

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-28/rolls-royce-talking-to-developers-utilities-about-u-k-tidal-farms.html

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-27T13:33:00.001-07:00

THE GULF

BP gets OK to drill new deep-water well

http://www.chron.com/business/article/BP-gets-OK-to-drill-new-deep-water-well-2238092.php

"BP plans to drill the newly approved well in 6,034 feet of water - about 1,000 feet deeper than its doomed Macondo project. Drilling could begin within days using Seadrill's three-year-old West Sirius semi-submersible rig."

Post-spill, GOP still pushes 'Drill, baby, drill'

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jG9A3hsJdSCxathKF6mgbd0_VjrQ?docId=cc41a3d23a0e4b108dbe7e432a43dcc0

FLORIDA

Rooney's offshore drilling proposal is making waves

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/oct/26/eve-samples-rooneys-offshore-drilling-proposal/

"Last week, the Republican from Tequesta [U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney] unveiled a jobs proposal that would broaden the area where the state has authority over drilling (from 3 miles offshore on the east coast of Florida to 12 miles) and dangle a carrot before state lawmakers by promising Florida a percentage of the revenue from drilling leases. Rooney's plan also mandates more leases for oil and natural gas drilling in the federally controlled outer continental shelf."

NEW ZEALAND

Beach cleanup starts after tide exposes oil

http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/beach-cleanup-starts-after-tide-exposes-oil/5/105490

"Experience has shown us that this is what shoreline clean-up looks like. Beaches get cleaned, oil is revealed by tides or weather, and they need to be cleaned again."

Does this sound familiar, Gulf Coast residents?

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

U.S. to invest $60 million on solar energy

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/10/26/US-to-invest-60-million-on-solar-energy/UPI-99601319631435/?spt=hs&or=er

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-26T10:55:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

"Stage Two" of the BP Gulf of Mexico Environmental Disaster

New Drilling Permits amid 28,000 Unmonitored Abandoned Wells
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=27279

24,486 permanent and 3,593 temporarily abandoned wells in the Gulf of Mexico

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Solar power is beginning to go mainstream

http://news.yahoo.com/solar-power-beginning-mainstream-164508217.html

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-25T11:18:00.001-07:00

THE GULF

Whale, Dolphin Deaths Twice Normal Rate in Gulf

http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/10/whale-dolphin-deaths-gulf-twice-normal

"The latest NOAA report on unusual strandings of whales and dolphins in the northern Gulf of Mexico finds they're still dying at twice the normal rate 18 months after BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster."

In related news.......BP profits soar as CEO pledges to boost dividend

http://www.investmentweek.co.uk/investment-week/news/2119675/bp-profits-soar-ceo-pledges-boost-dividend

ALASKA

Jane Lubchenco Exclusive: 'We Don't Fully Understand The Consequences' Of Drilling The Arctic (interview)

http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/10/25/350682/jane-lubchenco-exclusive-we-dont-fully-understand-the-consequences-of-drilling-the-arctic/

Oil Drilling Plan Divides an Arctic Village

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/us/arctic-village-split-by-oil-drilling-plan.html

NEW ZEALAND

Head to head: Greenies v oil industry

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/5844714/Head-to-head-Greenies-v-oil-industry

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Mirrors in the desert reflect future energy

http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/industry-insights/energy/mirrors-in-the-desert-reflect-future-energy

Siemens Poised to Enter Geothermal Industry With Steam Turbine

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-24/siemens-poised-to-enter-geothermal-industry-with-steam-turbine.html

Repower to Supply 12 Turbines for Alaska's Biggest Wind Farm

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-24/repower-to-supply-12-turbines-for-alaska-s-biggest-wind-farm.html

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-24T11:33:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

US Govt Approves First BP Deepwater Exploration Plan In US Gulf Under New Rules

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20111021-712011.html

"In its new plan, BP is seeking approval to drill up to four wells in about 6,000 feet of water. The wells are located about 190 miles from the nearest Louisiana shoreline. BP acquired the leases on which it seeks to drill in 1997 and 2003. While this is BP's first exploration plan to be approved since the spill, U.S. officials have already approved more than 40 plans following the completion of site-specific environmental reviews conducted since stronger regulations were implemented in June 2010. "

NEW ZEALAND OIL SPILL

The Penguins' New Clothes (video report)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619/#45000086

All hands to the pumps to drain oil from stricken ship

http://www.smh.com.au/world/all-hands-to-the-pumps-to-drain-oil-from-stricken-ship-20111023-1medn.html

TIMOR SEA OIL SPILL

Timor seabed destroyed after Montara incident: YPTB

http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/76764/timor-seabed-destroyed-after-montara-incident-yptb

"The coral reefs where fish grow were destroyed strongly believed to be caused by chemicals Corexit 9500 or dispersant sprayed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) to submerge an oil spill to the seabed in the Timor Sea, according to the pictures and videos shown to reporters here on Thursday. [...] The destruction occurred because of crude oil spills from an explosion of Montara well in the West Atlas Block in the Timor Sea on August 21, 2009."

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-21T13:02:00.001-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Environmentalists: Offshore drilling still too risky, despite new rules

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/10/21/environmentalists-offshore-drilling-still-too-risky-despite-new-rules/

"According to an analysis by the advocacy group Oceana, the new regulations don't go far enough — and would not have stopped last year's oil spill, even if they had been in place April 19, 2010 — a day before the lethal blowout of BP's Macondo well."

GULF OIL SPILL

BP step closer to drilling new Gulf wells
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iI1Yeeoj07mh7FeXowxUxyeoid8Q?docId=c8cf9f07133f486c8fac38136849a165

Oil Spill Photos - May-June 2010

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/20/gulf-oil-spill-photos-ilcp_n_1016596.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009#s416035

Never forget!

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Japan eyes Scottish coast for tidal power

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/10/20/Japan-eyes-Scottish-coast-for-tidal-power/UPI-21421319108397/

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

OIL DRILLING REGULATION

Chevron CEO Praises US Oil Drilling Agency, A Frequent Target Of Criticism

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/10/19/chevron-ceo-praises-us-oil-drilling-agency-frequent-target-criticism/

""I think we have civil servants that are working very hard to process the permits," Watson said to reporters following a speech at the Peterson Institute for International Politics. [...] "I don't believe that Director Bromwich and others are slow-walking permits," Watson said."

ALASKA

Why Arctic Ocean oil drilling is a risky choice

http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/other_comments/1096998/why_arctic_ocean_oil_drilling_is_a_risky_choice.html

"It's not a question of 'if' a major spill will occur in the Arctic, but 'when and where', says conservation biologist and oil industry expert Rick Steiner."

CUBA

US admits limits in monitoring Cuba's offshore oil drilling

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/18/3987568/us-admits-limits-in-monitoring.html

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Fat Replaces Oil for F-16s as Biofuels Head to War

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-18/animal-fat-replaces-crude-oil-in-f16s-as-biofuels-head-to-war-commodities.html

"Reliance on fossil fuels is simply too much of a vulnerability for a military organization to have," U.S. Navy Secretary Raymond Mabus said in an interview. "We've been certifying aircraft on biofuels. We're doing solar and wind, geothermal, hydrothermal, wave, things like that on our bases."

German State Minister: We Can Decarbonize With Renewables Because "We Don't Have the … Koch Brothers"

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/10/04/335769/german-state-minister-dont-have-the-koch-brothers/

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-18T14:40:00.000-07:00

FLORIDA

USF receives $11 million grant from BP to fund oil spill research

http://www2.tbo.com/news/news/2011/oct/30/3/usf-receives-11-million-grant-from-bp-to-fund-oil--ar-272607/

CUBA

Havana fit over Cuba oil drilling

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/havana_fit_over_cuba_oil_drilling_kXtn49UB9SjNODrYo90gDN

US admits limits in monitoring Cuba's offshore oil drilling

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/18/2460190/us-admits-limits-in-monitoring.html

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

The future of offshore oil drilling is blowing in the wind

http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/10/17/the-future-of-offshore-oil-drilling-is-blowing-in-the-wind/

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-17T12:58:00.001-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Why "Drill Baby Drill" Advocates Are So Wrong

http://www.care2.com/causes/why-drill-baby-drill-advocates-are-so-wrong.html

"There is a problem with the report's premise that drilling like mad will supply enough oil to eliminate imports: it's impossible. Even if the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts plus the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico were opened up to drilling, the U.S. would still import 41 percent of the oil used in 2030, according to a 2009 analysis by the Energy Information Analysis (EIA). In other words, destroying our oceans through massive oil drilling would only make a dent in how much oil we need to import to keep up with demand. The EIA estimates that by 2030, the daily U.S. oil demand will be almost 23 million barrels. Phyllis Martin, a senior EIA energy analyst, told Scientific American in 2008 that offshore drilling doesn't make much of a difference when it comes to oil prices. "The amount of total production anticipated — around 200,000 barrels a day — would be less than 1 percent of the total projected international consumption," Martin said. When Media Matters asked energy analyst Chris Nelder a few years ago if the U.S. could achieve true energy independence through only drilling, he answered, "Not even close.""

Welch to Super Committee: Save $122 billion, end wasteful subsidies to the oil industry

http://vtdigger.org/2011/10/17/welch-to-super-committee-save-122-billion-end-wasteful-subsidies-to-the-oil-industry/

""In the current budgetary environment, the United States can no longer afford to give away billions of dollars every year to corporations earning billions of dollars in profits and costing American taxpayers twice: at the pump and through the tax code," Welch and his colleagues wrote."

'Death and Oil': the deadly cost of oil addiction (Book review)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2016484933_br16oil.html?prmid=head_main

THE GULF/BP

2 foreign corporations say they don't own share of leaking Taylor Energy well in Gulf

http://www.nola.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/10/two_foreign_corporations_say_t.html

More info on this chronic leak.

BP oil documentary 'The Big Fix' helps get New Orleans Film Festival off to an explosive start

http://www.nola.com/movies/index.ssf/2011/10/bp_oil_doc_the_big_fix_helps_g.html

""When we hear from the media, from the government that the oil is gone, we're being lied to," says famed oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau, who has studied the post-spill Gulf. "My question is, gone where?"Tug boat captain and former commercial fisher Kevin Curole can answer that: It hasn't gone anywhere."

Markey: BP Should Stand For 'Bigger Penalties'

http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/10/14/344514/markey-bp-should-stand-for-bigger-penalties/

FLORIDA

Deepwater Horizon Spill Cost to Florida at $12 Million -- and Rising

http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/deepwater-horizon-spill-cost-florida-12-million-rising

Lee County considers lawsuit against BP over oil spill

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2011/oct/14/lee-county-considers-lawsuit-against-bp-over-oil-s/

UWF to host oil-spill forum

http://www.pnj.com/article/20111014/NEWS01/111014015/UWF-host-oil-spill-forum?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp

"Gulf Coast business owners, public officials, and professors will convene Oct. 17 at the University of West Florida to discuss the impact of the BP oil spill. The free conference will take place at the UWF Conference Center, Building 22, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m."

CUBA

U.S. Will Inspect Cuban Rig

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203658804576635352043333380.html

"If Repsol's Cuba well, which is in slightly deeper water, experienced a blowout, the well could gush oil into the Straits of Florida, where it would be carried by the Gulfstream currents up the East Coast. The U.S. controls coastal waters as far as 200 miles from its shores, but in the narrower Straits of Florida it and Cuba have agreed to split the region equally.'

Bahamas oil drilling could begin by 2012

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/14/2454027/bahamas-oil-drilling-could-begin.html

NEW ZEALAND

'This should be a wake-up call'

http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/rena-crisis/5791702/This-should-be-a-wake-up-call

"The grounding of the cargo ship Rena has raised questions about New Zealand's ability to cope with a major oil spill, but the government is planning an international marketing campaign to boost offshore oil and gas exploration over the next three years."

Photos: New Zealand oil disaster kills over 1200 birds to date

http://news.mongabay.com/2011/1016-hance_nz_spill_birds.html

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Seven auto manufacturers collaborate on harmonized electric vehicle fast charging solution

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/10/harmony-20111013.html

Britain issues leases for wave, tide power

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/10/14/Britain-issues-leases-for-wave-tide-power/UPI-11991318584660/

France launches vast solar panel array

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hcb4e5gONvjJAApYizthIDvh3ZmA?docId=CNG.35a8b720b1074f7f6b4d4ed838e9e297.b1

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

US House Republicans blast proposed new fuel economy standards

http://www.platts.com/RSSFeedDetailedNews/RSSFeed/Oil/6575939

"Democrats on the panel defended the administration. "Frankly, I have a hard time understanding what the majority's problem is with the fuel efficiency standards, or whose interests they are representing in opposing them," said Maryland's Elijah Cummings, the senior Democrat on the subcommittee. "The new standards are critical to ensuring that consumers are getting the most for their money.""

OIL SPILL ALERTS

SkyTruth Launches Real-Time Pollution Incident Alert System

http://www.skytruth.org/?utm_source=Teri&utm_campaign=bcdba797a7-Alerts_Press_Release10_12_2011&utm_medium=email

"SkyTruth has launched a new service on our website called SkyTruth Alerts where we publish environmental incident reports, as we get (and produce) them. We are starting off the service with reports collected from three sources - focused heavily on oil and gas drilling and related activities in the US. The sources are reported oil and hazardous materials spills from the National Response Center, pollution response and investigation reports from NOAA's Incident News, and incident analyses published on our own SkyTruth blog."

THE GULF

U.S. Acts to Fine BP and Top Contractors for Gulf Oil Spill

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/13/us/us-cites-bp-and-contractors-for-deepwater-horizon-spill.html

U.S. Allows BP to Return to Gulf-Lease Bidding

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204002304576628441349622096.html

"The U.S. has decided to allow BP PLC to bid on new oil-drilling leases that go up for sale in the Gulf of Mexico later this year, less than two years after BP's Macondo well erupted and caused the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history."

Gulf Coast Task Force Releases Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (EPA)

http://www.epa.gov/gulfcoasttaskforce/

The public review and feedback period for this document is October 5-26.

THE NORTH SEA

BP: Spill off Scotland could be worst ever

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2011/10/12/BP-Spill-off-Scotland-could-be-worst-ever/UPI-68371318404600/

"Oil giant BP believes a worst-case oil spill nearly a mile below the Atlantic off Scotland would dwarf the U.S. Gulf oil spill, internal documents indicate."

BP faces fierce backlash from green groups over new oil well

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/bp-faces-fierce-backlash-from-green-groups-over-new-oil-well-2369714.html

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-12T12:22:00.000-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Republicans study offshore drilling, one year after lifting of deep-water ban

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/10/12/republicans-study-offshore-drilling-one-year-after-lifting-of-deepwater-ban/

"The committee's leading Democrat said Hastings' concern is misplaced. Instead of holding a hearing focusing on a short-term deep-water drilling ban, Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said the panel should be studying the long-term environmental effects of the Deepwater Horizon disaster and reports of oil sheens near BP's failed Macondo well. "Holding a hearing on the impact of a safety check following an unimaginable oil spill is a little like holding a hearing on wearing a cast after shattering your leg, without looking at the accident that required the cast," Markey said. Markey added that the Natural Resources Committee also was overlooking the economic damage to tourism throughout the Gulf Coast caused by the spill itself."

Rep. Jeff Landry (LA) meets with drilling officials after 'Gestapo' comment

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/10/offshore_regulators_meet_with.html

"Moments after the meeting, Bromwich released a statement saying that agency staffers "should not be placed in positions where they may feel they are being subjected to political influence, especially in connection with decisions on specific regulatory matters.""

THE GULF

Waterkeeper Alliance Takes Legal Action on Chronic Leak at 23051 Site in Gulf (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/10/waterkeeper-alliance-takes-legal-action.html

"One of our partners in the Gulf Monitoring Consortium, Waterkeeper Alliance, has filed a notice of intent to sue over the ongoing, chronic oil leak from the site of former platform 23051 in the Gulf of Mexico. We discovered this leak last May while analyzing imagery of the BP / Deepwater Horizon oil spill. According to the operator, Taylor Energy, and the Coast Guard, the wells at that location were damaged by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and, we presume, have been leaking 24/7 ever since. Repeated observations of the site on satellite images and via aerial overflights confirm that the leak is ongoing."

FLORIDA

BP begins work to remove tar patties on Pensacola Beach

http://www.pnj.com/article/20111010/NEWS01/111010008/BP-begins-work-remove-tar-patties-Pensacola-Beach?odyssey=nav%7Chead

"BP is taking its heavy equipment back to Pensacola Beach today to remove a concentration of tar patties buried in the sand near Portofino Resort."

Adam Hasner's changing positions on oil drilling

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/10/bizpac-adam-hasners-changing-positions-on-oil-drilling.html

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Nissan Develops 10-Minute Rapid Charger For Leaf Electric Car

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1067182_nissan-develops-10-minute-rapid-charger-for-leaf-electric-car

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-11T11:31:00.001-07:00

THE GULF

U.S. Wildcat Culture Risks Macondo Oil Spill Repeat, Graham Says

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-10-10/u-s-wildcat-culture-risks-macondo-oil-spill-repeat-graham-says.html

"U.S. oil and gas culture is the culture of the wildcat that's been transferred offshore," Bob Graham said today in an interview at an oil conference in Abu Dhabi. "The Gulf of Mexico had a culture of complacency. For every one fatality in the North Sea, there were four in the Gulf of Mexico."

When the Catch Disappears (NY Times slide show)

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/10/10/us/SHRIMP.html

"Shrimpers on the Gulf Coast say the white shrimp season, which began in late August, is a bad one, if not the worst in memory."

CALIFORNIA

Sunken World War II-era tanker -- which may hold 3 million gallons of oil -- to be investigated by high-tech divers.

http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_19083948

"Since the shipwreck's discovery in 1996, the Coast Guard, state wildlife agencies and environmental groups have worried that the steel tanker, which held up to 3 million gallons of crude oil, could rust through. A resulting oil spill could blacken the California coastline, particularly the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, which is only about a mile from the wreck site."

NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand oil spill: conservationists warn of wildlife 'tragedy'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/oct/10/new-zealand-oil-spill-wildlife-tragedy?newsfeed=true

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-10T13:17:00.001-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Drilling it in (Daily Princetonian Op-ed)

http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2011/10/10/28975/

"Regulation might never be able to remove the risk from the dangerous enterprise of offshore drilling. The only path to true energy independence and greater national security is to decrease American energy consumption and to invest in homegrown renewable energy."

NORTH CAROLINA

Why drilling for oil off N.C. coast is a bad idea

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/10/09/2676106/why-drilling-for-oil-off-nc-coast.html

NEW ZEALAND TANKER SPILL

'Highly toxic' water at Mt Maunganui

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10757900

"Maritime New Zealand has ordered people away from "highly toxic" water at Mt Maunganui beach as oil from a stricken container ship washes up onshore. The Liberian-flagged Rena cargo ship was carrying about 1700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and about 70 tonnes of marine diesel when it struck the Astrolabe Reef at top speed on October 5."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Post oil: Glimpses of life after fossil fuel

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech/2011/1007/Post-oil-Glimpses-of-life-after-fossil-fuel

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

EFFECTS OF THE BP OIL SPILL

Fish still suffering after BP oil spill

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20111002/ARTICLE/111009951/-1/sports?p=1&tc=pg

"According to a new study, fish living in marshes exposed to BP crude showed clear signs of oil-related toxicity, even when only trace amounts of oil could be detected in their tissues and the environment. The fish showed damage to their gills, making it harder for them to get oxygen and adapt to natural changes in salinity and temperature. The study also revealed that the marsh water was toxic to fish eggs, even when it tested clean by conventional sampling."

ALASKA

Shell moves closer to gaining offshore drilling approval

http://peninsulaclarion.com/news/2011-10-06/shell-moves-closer-to-gaining-offshore-drilling-approval#.To9f9nHlFYQ

"Step by step, Shell is moving closer to gaining final permission to drill exploration wells in offshore Arctic waters next summer. But, environmental groups aren't giving up on court challenges."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Solar plant generates at night

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/10/07/Backers-Solar-plant-generates-at-night/UPI-50861317981720/

"...the power plant was hailed by the two leaders as technological breakthrough because of a first-of-its-kind design that uses molten salt to keep turbines humming after sunset. "During the day we capture the energy of the sun and we store that energy into a tank," Sener mechanical engineer Santiago Arias told CNN. "Then, whenever we want, regardless if it is day or night, we convert that energy into electricity.""

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-05T11:37:00.001-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Governors asked to help revive offshore leasing at energy summit

http://www.ogj.com/articles/2011/10/governors-asked-to-help-revive-offshore-leasing-at-energy-summit.html

Coalition Calls for End to $122 billion in Handouts to Fossil Fuels

http://priceofoil.org/2011/10/04/coalition-calls-for-end-to-122-billion-in-handouts-to-fossil-fuels/

"Eliminating subsidies to the fossil fuels industry could reduce the national debt by $122 billion over ten years while bettering the environment and public health for America's families these leaders asserted. "Americans of all political orientations strongly favor ending these subsidies to the oil, gas and coal industries" they wrote, adding that "[M]ost Americans feel that Members of Congress are more responsive to their campaign donors than their constituents. Working to remove subsidies from the fossil fuel industry is one of the clearest ways you can help restore your constituents' faith in the ability of Congress to represent them.""

OECD, IEA Urge Cuts to Fuel Subsidies

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204524604576610780467196892.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

"The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the International Energy Agency Tuesday urged governments world-wide to cut billions of dollars in fossil-fuel subsidies, arguing the rollbacks would bolster sagging government budgets while cutting wasteful energy use and carbon emissions. A group of 24 industrialized countries now spends $45 billion to $75 billion annually on more than 250 support measures to producers and consumers..."

U.S. Regulators Promise Oversight Of Offshore Drilling Contractors (NPR)

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/10/04/141045160/u-s-regulators-promise-oversight-of-offshore-drilling-contractors

CUBA/FLORIDA

Concern Grows Over Plan to Drill for Oil Near Florida Keys

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-deibert/florida-oil-drilling-_b_990183.html

"The location of the proposed drilling is only 65 miles from the Marquesas Keys, an uninhabited group of islands near Key West, in an area of strong 4-6 mile per hour currents that come from the Gulf of Mexico, shoot through the Florida Straits and then churn northwards up the Atlantic Coast of the continental U.S. A wide swath of protected areas could be threatened, including the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary -- which spans some 2,800-square-nautical-miles and includes important repositories of coral reefs, seagrass and 1,600 miles of mangrove shoreline -- and Biscayne National Park, an area that contains the beginning of the third-largest coral reef in the world and mangrove areas along its shore. The million-plus acre Everglades National Park -- a subtropical wilderness that has famously been described as a "river of grass" -- is also nearby."

VIRGINIA

No offshore oil drilling for Virginia (Chesapeake Climate Action Network)

http://www.chesapeakeclimate.org/campaigns/virginia/virginia-offshore-oil-drilling

"Let's make Virginia a leader in offshore wind, not oil!"

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-04T11:39:00.000-07:00

GULF OIL DISASTER

Revenge of the Tarballs (NRDC blog)

http://www.onearth.org/blog/revenge-of-the-tarballs

Environmental groups: Oil spill's effects persist

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/10/environmental_groups_oil_spill.html

"The basic, underlying message of this report is: There is a lot more work to do," Callaway said. "The oil is not gone. We have to clean it up; we have to put methods in place to never let this happen again; and most importantly, we need to do significant restoration."

ALASKA

Interior Department Reaffirms Alaska Oil and Gas Lease Sale

http://www.boemre.gov/ooc/press/2011/press1003.htm

"Today's decision affirms the sale of 487 leases covering 2.8 million acres under Lease Sale 193. All of these leases are subject to a series of conditions to mitigate operational and environmental risks, including: protection of biological resources; orientation programs to familiarize personnel with environmental, social, and cultural issues; environmental requirements regarding the placement of pipelines; precautionary action to mitigate potential oil spill impacts; and measures to minimize the effects to Spectacled and Steller's eiders. BOEM has also required specific mitigation measures for the corridor of leases closest to the coastline, including a corridor 52 miles from the shore in which no lease activity will take place, a site-specific monitoring program to assess behavioral effects on a number of marine mammals and polar bears, and conflict avoidance mechanisms to protect subsistence harvesting activities."

Shell clears another hurdle for offshore oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic

http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/shell-clears-another-hurdle-offshore-oil-drilling-alaskas-arctic

"In a statement reacting to the news, Rebecca Noblin, of the Center for Biological Diversity, called the Obama administration an "an ostrich lost in the Arctic." "Today, the Obama administration today buried its head in the snow," Noblin said in a statement. "Its decision to open the Chukchi Sea to offshore drilling without first obtaining the basic data it needs to inform its decision threatens polar bears, whales, walrus, and the region's Alaska Native communities The government should not compound this error by allowing Shell to start drilling next summer.""

Oil Drilling News

2011-10-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

GULF OIL DISASTER

Kitchener biologist studying effects of Gulf oil spill

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/602635--kitchener-biologist-studying-effects-of-gulf-oil-spill

"He said he expects the damage will continue long-term because oil is still soaked in sediment and it's not breaking down. Occasionally wind and waves stir up blobs of oil and work crews continue to clean up the mess. It's a process that can continue to contaminate wildlife for decades, he said."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Utilities Giving Away Power as Wind, Sun Flood European Grid

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-29/utilities-giving-away-power-as-wind-sun-flood-european-grid.html

Yes, this is a real headline, not a dream of the future.

Biofuel a viable option for U.S. military

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2011/10/03/Biofuel-a-viable-option-for-US-military/UPI-34041317651802/

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

ALASKA

Groups sue to block Arctic offshore drilling

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/09/29/ap/business/main20113486.shtml

"More than a dozen Alaska Native and environmental organizations sued Thursday to block offshore oil drilling in the Beaufort Sea off Alaska's north coast. The 13 groups filed the legal challenge to federal approval in August of Shell Oil's exploration drilling plan with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Earthjustice attorney Holly Harris said in a news teleconference that allowing Shell to drill when it has no credible plan to clean up an Arctic Ocean oil spill is insulting and irresponsible."

Arctic Shell Game: No Spill Plan, No Problem - Feds Say Just Drill
Broad coalition challenges federal approval of Shell Oil's plan to drill in the Beaufort Sea

http://yubanet.com/usa/Arctic-Shell-Game-No-Spill-Plan-No-Problem---Feds-Say-Just-Drill.php#.ToTnNpblFYQ

"Earthjustice, on behalf of the Native Village of Point Hope, Alaska Wilderness League, Center for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Greenpeace, National Audubon Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, Northern Alaska Environmental Center, Oceana, Pacific Environment, REDOIL, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society initiated litigation in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement's (BOEMRE) decision to allow oil drilling in the Beaufort Sea."

CUBA

Lawmakers warn oil company to abandon Cuban drilling plans

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/184521-house-group-to-spanish-oil-company-abandon-cuban-drilling-plans

"A bipartisan group of 34 House members is pressuring Spanish oil giant Repsol to abandon its plans to drill in deep waters off Cuba's northern coast, warning that the company could face liability in U.S. courts. Their letter to Repsol — which warns that its plans will "provide direct financial benefit to the Castro dictatorship" — joins existing concerns about the environmental risk of spills in the waters 60 miles from Florida's coast."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

A Plan to Power 100 Percent of the Planet with Renewables

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-path-to-sustainable-energy-by-2030

"The authors' plan calls for 3.8 million large wind turbines, 90,000 solar plants, and numerous geothermal, tidal and rooftop photovoltaic installations worldwide.

The cost of generating and transmitting power would be less than the projected cost per kilowatt-hour for fossil-fuel and nuclear power.

Shortages of a few specialty materials, along with lack of political will, loom as the greatest obstacles."

Why Oil and Gas Companies Should Embrace Offshore Wind: Their Skills Could Lower Costs Sharply

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/09/29/331819/oil-and-gas-companies-offshore-wind/

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-28T13:10:00.001-07:00

THE GULF

Feds order Transocean to investigate oil floating above well responsible for Deepwater Horizon spill

http://blog.al.com/live/2011/09/feds_order_transocean_to.html

Note that Transocean immediately started pointing their finger at BP.

Transocean Rig May Be Source of Oil Sheen: U.S.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-27/u-s-says-deepwater-horizon-wreckage-may-be-source-of-oil-sheen.html

NORTH CAROLINA

Editorial: Offshore drilling still bad idea

http://www.reflector.com/opinion/editorials/editorial-offshore-drilling-still-bad-idea-705533

"Apparently the state learned nothing from the devastation inflicted by the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico last year. It must have forgotten that as recently as July, some 491 miles of coastline in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida were still contaminated. Drilling companies cannot provide assurances that such a disaster can be prevented along the Outer Banks. North Carolina's coastline faces enough threats without adding the possibility of environmental catastrophe. The Outer Banks are disappearing due to erosion and natural movement, and Hurricane Irene was only the latest in a long line of damaging storms to carve inlets through barrier islands. The state spends significantly on conservation and preservation efforts to protect wildlife along the coast, work that would be wrecked by a massive oil spill offshore."

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

GULF OIL SPILL - THE AFTERMATH

Alarming New Study Documents BP Oil's Impact on Gulf Ecosystem

http://www.nwf.org/News-and-Magazines/Media-Center/News-by-Topic/Wildlife/2011/09-26-11-New-Study-Documents-BP-Oils-Impact-on-Gulf-Ecosystem.aspx

"The study finds that oil exposure has altered the killifish's cellular function in ways that are known to be predictive of developmental abnormalities, decreased hatching success, and decreased embryo and larval survival."

Also see: Researchers find signs of toxic oil effects in Louisiana marsh fish

Oil Still Threatens a Cajun Paradise

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rocky-kistner/oil-still-threatens-a-caj_b_979104.html

"But now, more than a year after the well was plugged, Hahn has not escaped the oil. And neither has his coastal wetland home. He sees oil almost every time he goes out on his boat, he says. It floats on the surface and moves with the wind, spreading its tentacles to birds and fish and anything else that touches its toxic trail across the sea."

CHRONIC GULF OIL LEAKS

Taylor Energy / 23051 Site - Yesterday's Oil Slick (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/09/taylor-energy-23051-site-yesterdays-oil.html

"...the former platform 23051 site that has been leaking since 2004. The apparent slick is about 20 miles long and covers about 115 square kilometers. Assuming an average thickness of 1 micron (1/1000th of a millimeter), that's 30,705 gallons of oil."

MORE ON BP's RE-ENTRY INTO THE GULF

BP looks to get back into deep-water drilling in Gulf of Mexico

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/09/bp_drilling_plan.html

"Last week, BP filed its first deep-water exploration plan for the gulf since the spill, proposing to drill four wells 5,800 feet below the ocean's surface, the Times-Picayune's Richard Thompson reported. Federal regulators have until Oct. 21 to consider the plan."

OIL SUPPLY AND DEMAND

Who's afraid of Daniel Yergin?

http://transitionvoice.com/2011/09/whos-afraid-of-daniel-yergin/

"The next oil crunch is sure to come soon and it can't help but get the public's attention. Then, the question is, will truth or demagoguery win the day — will people fall for "drill baby drill" or will they be ready to demand that society start getting off of oil and, ultimately, start powering down from high tech globalization?"

AROUND THE WORLD

Sweden's West Coast Hit by Oil Spill (Surfrider Europe)

http://blog.surfrider.eu/2011/09/26/sweden-s-west-coast-hit-by-oil-spill/?lang=en

"The southwest coast of Sweden has been hit by the worst oil spill in years. According to coast guard officials the magnitude of the oil spill is still not evident, the cleanup operation that began last Thursday could continue for weeks and the decontamination of the effected beaches even longer."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

U.S. backs loan for Iowa bioethanol plant

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/09/26/US-backs-loan-for-Iowa-bioethanol-plant/UPI-64131317060764/

"Washington is supporting one of the nation's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plants with $105 million in loan guarantees, the energy secretary said."

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

THE GULF - THEY'RE BAAAAACK!

BP Gulf of Mexico Drilling Plan Criticized by Environmentalists, Lawmakers

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-26/bp-gulf-of-mexico-drilling-plan-criticized-by-environmentalists-lawmakers.html

"BP last week filed its first permit application for new drilling since the Macondo well spilled almost 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf over three months last year. Two of its rigs have started work near the Atlantis platform and the company has plans for its three other contracted rigs in the region, according to people with knowledge of the plans who declined to be identified because they hinge on gaining regulators' approval."

ALASKA

More Science Needed to Protect U.S. Arctic Ocean (Pew Environment Group)

http://www.pewenvironment.org/news-room/reports/More-Science-Needed-to-Protect-US-Arctic-Ocean-85899364164

""If we are to avoid irreparable harm to an ecosystem found nowhere else in U.S. waters, we need to develop a comprehensive research and monitoring plan and set aside significant areas for protection," said Marilyn Heiman, director of Pew's U.S. Arctic Program."

Also see:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-26/arctic-needs-more-oil-drilling-protection-pew-ocean-conservancy-find.html

CHINA

China Clamps Down on Offshore Drilling After Disastrous Spill

http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22942

"After what China calls a distastrous oil spill off its coast, the country is quickly enacting tough "zero-risk" environmental standards that oil companies say are almost impossible to reach."

Maybe China is learning the hard way. What have we learned?

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-23T10:33:00.000-07:00

THE GULF - DISPERSANTS

Surfrider Foundation Jointly Sues EPA for Lack of Study on Oil Dispersants
http://www.surfrider.org/coastal-blog/entry/surfrider-foundation-jointly-sues-epa-for-lack-of-study-on-oil-dispersants

ALASKA

A Tiny Alaska Village Stares Down Big Oil
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/a-tiny-alaska-village-stares-down-big-oil-09222011.html

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

The military?s historic embrace of smart energy
http://www.grist.org/renewable-energy/2011-09-21-the-militarys-historic-embrace-of-smart-energy
"...for a comprehensive account of what the Pentagon is up to, the place to go is this new report from the Pew Project on National Security, Energy & Climate: "From Barracks to the Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America's Armed Forces." It's an overview of what each branch of the service is doing, what kind of technologies they are using, where they're using them, and what kind of effect all this might have on energy innovation."
Visit http://www.nottheanswer.org for Surfrider's perspective on offshore drilling and the ongoing disaster in the Gulf.

Visit http://www.surfrider.org/join to join Surfrider Foundation.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/oilnewsroundup-unsub to unsubscribe.

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

GULF OIL SPILL AFTERMATH

BP oil not degrading on Gulf floor, study says
http://news.yahoo.com/ap-bp-oil-not-degrading-gulf-floor-study-171803770.html

In Pictures: BP oil spill damage continues
http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/inpictures/2011/09/201191865815935171.html

New Gulf Oil Spill Raises Questions
http://blog.cleanenergy.org/2011/09/21/new-gulf-oil-spill-raises-new-questions/
Visit http://www.nottheanswer.org for Surfrider's perspective on offshore drilling and the ongoing disaster in the Gulf.

Visit http://www.surfrider.org/join to join Surfrider Foundation.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/oilnewsroundup-unsub to unsubscribe.

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

President Obama calls for ending $41 Billion in Big Oil Subsidies (Environment America)
http://www.environmentamerica.org/news-releases/global-warming-solutions/global-warming-solutions/president-obama-calls-for-ending-41-billion-in-big-oil-subsidies

THE LATEST LEAKS IN THE GULF

Coast Guard Responds to Reports of Crude Oil in Bayou Dupont
http://www.katc.com/news/coast-guard-responds-to-reports-of-crude-oil-in-bayou-dupont1/
"The platform and associated wellheads are classified as orphaned by LDNR with the last owner of record listed as Cedyco Corp. Under authority provided by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Coast Guard issued an administrative order to Cedyco to secure the source of the discharge and to conduct clean-up operations."

Also see: Coast Guard: Oil Still Leaking In Barataria Bay
http://www.wdsu.com/r/29225806/detail.html
and
UPDATE 3: Coast Guard responds to reports of crude oil in Bayou Dupont
https://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/425/1196747/

GULF BEACHES

Tar balls on shore prove BP oil not degrading as quickly as expected, study says
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/apnewsbreak-tar-balls-on-shore-prove-bp-oil-not-degrading-as-quickly-as-expected-study-says/2011/09/20/gIQAFXLSiK_story.html
Visit http://www.nottheanswer.org for Surfrider's perspective on offshore drilling and the ongoing disaster in the Gulf.

Visit http://www.surfrider.org/join to join Surfrider Foundation.

Visit http://tinyurl.com/oilnewsroundup-unsub to unsubscribe.

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Will the Latest Gulf of Mexico Spill Report Prompt Any Legislative Action?
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/09/15/15greenwire-will-the-latest-gulf-of-mexico-spill-report-pr-13000.html
"But now, with an already-crowded fall legislative calendar and an election year looming, political will to advance spill-response legislation appears to have waned. Indeed, Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), the chairman of the Senate Natural Resources Committee who previously led the charge to pass comprehensive oil spill-response legislation, in his reaction to the report praised the Interior Department for making a series of offshore drilling safety reforms, but his only charge for Congress is to beef up funding for BOEMRE. "

Administration: Republican plan for offshore oversight could slow down permitting
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/09/15/administration-republican-plan-for-offshore-oversight-could-slow-down-permitting/

THE GULF

Coast Guard: Spill in Bayou Dupont under control
http://www.katc.com/news/coast-guard-spill-in-bayou-dupont-under-control/
Just another leak from one of the thousands of abandoned wellheads in the Gulf

FLORIDA

Drilling off Keys to begin by December
http://www.keysnet.com/2011/09/16/378472/drilling-off-keys-to-begin-by.html
Visit http://www.nottheanswer.org for Surfrider's perspective on offshore drilling and the ongoing disaster in the Gulf.

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Oil Drilling News

2011-09-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

GULF OIL SPILL FINAL REPORT - REACTIONS

Final Oil-Spill Report Chastises BP, Others

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904060604576570600492781420.html

Report: BP ultimately responsible in Gulf spill

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/14/general-energy-us-gulf-oil-spill_8679762.html

Report cites decisions, multiple causes for Macondo well blowout, oil spill

http://www.ogj.com/articles/2011/09/report-cites-decisions-multiple-causes-for-macondo-well-blowout-oil-spill.html?cmpid=EnlDailySeptember142011

Gulf oil spill: BP gets most blame in government report

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/09/gulf-oil-spill-bp-gets-most-blame-government-report.html

Bingaman on the Joint Investigation Report

http://energy.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=d10d48fa-508c-4692-8ef4-d9f22885b0d3&Month=9&Year=2011&Party=0

Report Provides Strong Arguments for Banning New Drilling and Investing in Clean Energy (Oceana)

http://na.oceana.org/en/news-media/press-center/press-releases/oceana-reaction-to-final-boemre-and-coast-guard-findings-on-the-errors-potential-causes-o

MEANWHILE BACK IN THE GULF......

Oil Drilling Rebounds in Gulf After Spill

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904491704576571052525514860.html

"Drilling has returned to near-normal levels in the Gulf. There are 23 rigs currently drilling wells in water deeper than 3,000 feet, according to federal statistics. That is the same number as two years ago."

That's funny, the right wing keeps talking about a 'permitorium '.

Radar Satellite Images of BP / Deepwater Horizon Spill Area, September 11 and 14 (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/09/radar-satellite-images-of-bp-deepwater.html

"...we're not yet seeing a trend that would support the idea that oil is working its way up from the Macondo reservoir and turbocharging the existing natural seeps in the area, or forming new sites of chronic leakage. But we don't have enough imagery yet to say for certain it isn't happening. All we can do is keep looking, and compare what we're seeing now with images of this area from before the BP / Deepwater Horizon spill began last April. We're working now on getting those historical images so we can establish that pre-spill baseline."

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

Deepwater Horizon Joint Investigation Team Releases Final Report

http://www.boemre.gov/ooc/press/2011/press0914.htm

"In Volume II, the JIT details evidence developed during the investigation and concludes that BP, Transocean and Halliburton's conduct in connection with the Deepwater Horizon disaster violated a number of federal offshore safety regulations under BOEMRE's jurisdiction."

Also see: U.S. blames poor management for BP oil spill

New evidence cites more BP oil spill mistakes

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/13/general-us-gulf-oil-spill_8677026.html

"At issue: BP petrophysicist Galina Skripnikova in a closed-door deposition two months ago told attorneys involved in the oil spill litigation that there appeared to be a zone of gas more than 300 feet above where BP told its contractors and regulators with the then-Minerals Management Service the shallowest zone was located."

Gulf Restoration Bill – A No Brainer for Congress?

http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.html?programID=11-P13-00036#feature3

Clean Up of TS Lee Tar Balls Begins

http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2011/sep/07/c-ar-2375611/

University of Mississippi leads team to study Gulf oil spill

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2011/09/university_of_mississippi_lead.html

"Ole Miss is the lead university in a 14-member consortium awarded $20 million over three years to study "Ecosystem Impacts of Oil and Gas Inputs to the Gulf.""

Hydrocarbons At Gulf Spill Surface

http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/89/8937sci3.html

"Valentine, Reddy, and others, however, are concerned that these results may engender a false sense of safety for workers. Naphthalene and other large aromatic hydrocarbons in oil have not been well studied above the surface at the spill site. These compounds don't readily dissolve in water, but they still are volatile and could have posed a risk to workers at the surface."

BP DRILLS AHEAD - THIS TIME OFF THE COAST OF SCOTLAND

Big Oil steps up the battle for deep water drilling

http://uk.ibtimes.com/articles/20110913/big-oil-steps-battle-deep-water-drilling.htm

"Now, with BP clearly believing that public outcry over Deepwater Horizon has faded, the plans are back on the agenda. A few days ago the company launched a public consultation on this environmental statement (pdf) for its proposed North Uist well.

Disturbingly, in its statement, BP takes a leaf out of Cairn's book, claiming that some fish will just swim out of the way of any spill. The company also admits that a deep water blow out at North Uist could release 75,000 barrels of oil a day - worse that Deepwater Horizon's 55,000. Finally, BP claims that fitting the new cap to plug a deep water blow out will take between 10 and 35 days, and it gives no details at all about how long it would take to drill a relief well."

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Offshore drilling chief takes aim at industry critics

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/09/13/offshore-drilling-chief-takes-aim-at-industry-critics/

"In a speech before the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., Bromwich said the critics are making "politically motivated" charges that are "simply not true."

The nation's top offshore energy regulator today hit back against oil and gas industry critics who say the government has been moving too slowly in permitting new coastal drilling projects."

DOI, BOEMRE propose more offshore safety regulations

http://www.ogj.com/articles/2011/09/doi-boemre-propose-more-offshore-safety-regulations.html?cmpid=EnlDailySeptember132011

"... the new proposals would establish additional job safety requirements, guidelines for reporting unsafe work conditions, procedures to allow any employee to implement a stop-work action when witnessing dangerous activity, ultimate work safety and decision-making authority on an offshore facility, an employee participation program, and a requirement that safety audits be conducted by third parties."

THE GULF

Mystery surrounds what some say could be another gulf oil spill

http://floridaindependent.com/47176/mystery-surrounds-what-some-say-could-be-another-gulf-oil-spill

"Progress Florida's SpillBabySpill.com — a site initially set up after last year's disaster — has been reporting extensively on the new oil.

Progress Florida Executive Director Mark Ferrulo says the denials by BP are "eerily reminiscent of the early stages of the first BP oil gusher disaster.""

FLORIDA

Cuban Offshore Drilling Plans Raise U.S. Concerns

http://www.npr.org/2011/09/12/140405282/cuban-offshore-drilling-plans-raise-u-s-concerns

"The U.S. group says long-running American trade sanctions stand in the way of proper spill preparation and a coordinated cleanup if something goes wrong on the wells that are just 60 miles from the Florida Keys.

Offshore oil drilling is banned along the Florida coastline. But the Cuban operation will be so close to U.S. shores that ocean currents could carry a spill through the Florida Keys, and foul beaches along the Atlantic Coast."

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-12T11:31:00.001-07:00

THE GULF

Platform 23051 Site - Still Leaking, Magically! (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/09/platform-23051-site-still-leaking.html

"And by the way, we're seeing a lot more than 5 gallons in the ongoing spill - 24/7/365 since September 2004 - from this hurricane-damaged cluster of wells. The MODIS /Aqua satellite image below, taken on September 10, shows a slick originating at the 23051 site that extends almost 35 miles."

NORTH CAROLINA (and all states considering new offshore oil drilling)

Voices From The Gulf (Video)

http://vimeo.com/27185459

"A brief and important message to the state of North Carolina [and to Virginia, Florida, Alaska and many other states] from the gulf coast of Louisiana about the realities of allowing big gas and oil companies to drill and develop in your communities."

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

U.S. scrambling to meet offshore drilling date

http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/U-S-scrambling-to-meet-offshore-drilling-date-2165637.php

"The Obama administration has less than 10 months to finish assembling its plan for selling offshore drilling leases over the next five years, and some oil industry leaders are worried the government is barely on track to meet a July 1 deadline for issuing the document."

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Japanese Breakthrough Will Make Wind Power Cheaper than Nuclear

http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/most-popular/japan-wind-lens-breakthrough.html

"Some major wind projects are already projecting costs significantly lower than coal power -- $80 per MWh for wind versus $90 per MWh for coal -- and that is without government subsidies using today's wind turbine technology."

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-09T12:57:00.001-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY AND PERMITTING

Offshore drilling agency about to split in two

http://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Offshore-drilling-agency-about-to-split-in-two-2161815.php

"A new Office of Natural Resources Revenue - responsible for collecting royalties for energy produced on the outer continental shelf - was established within the Interior Department last October. And on Oct. 1, Bureau of Ocean Energy, Management, Regulation and Enforcement officially will be carved into two agencies: the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management."

GULF OIL DISASTER AFTERMATH

Tropical Storm Lee surge reveals tar mats on Fourchon Beach

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/09/tropical_storm_lee_surge_revea.html

"Surge from Tropical Storm Lee uncovered numerous tar mats, dozens of tar balls and abandoned strings of oil snare pom-poms along a stretch of Fourchon Beach [LA] owned by the Wisner Donation Trust, according to the property's manager. "The beach got hit hard by surge, as it always does," said Cathy Norman, secretary-treasurer and land manager for the trust. "With all the sand removed, many things were uncovered, including these huge tar mat areas. "In some locations, the mats fell apart and tar balls blew up the beach and into the back marsh," Norman said. "The surge also uncovered oil snare and pieces of equipment that got buried during the BP oil spill response, including all these stakes that were used to hang the snare in the water to catch oil.""

"BP contractors were scooping tar balls off Alabama Gulf Coast beaches on Wednesday after similar reports. The material will be tested to determine whether it is from the BP Macondo well that erupted in the Gulf of Mexico last year."

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-08T13:05:00.000-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Oil Industry Report Outlines How to Create Temporary Jobs While Permanently Destroying the Climate

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/09/07/313611/oil-industry-report-outlines-how-to-create-jobs-while-destroying-the-climate/

"Oil production has soared under Obama. But Big Oil and its allies in Congress say Obama "has hardly missed any opportunity to block, impede, delay, hinder or obstruct American energy production." "

GULF OIL SLICKS

Gulf Overflight and Radar Image (August 30) Now in Google Earth (Skytruth)

http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/09/gulf-overflight-and-radar-image-august.html

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Creating Jobs by Harnessing Our Renewable Resources

http://thinkprogress.org/romm/2011/09/08/314557/creating-jobs-renewable-resources/

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-07T16:17:00.001-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Chevron CEO says supercommittee should boost oil drilling
http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/179921-chevron-ceo-supercommittee-should-widen-oil-drilling-access

THE GULF

WHOI-Led Study Sharpens Picture of How Much Oil and Gas Flowed in Deepwater Horizon Spill
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=7545&tid=282&cid=112889&ct=162
"In a detailed assessment of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, researchers led by a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have determined that the blown-out Macondo well spewed oil at a rate of about 57,000 barrels a day, totaling nearly 5 million barrels of oil released from the well between April 20 and July 15, 2010, when the leak was capped. In addition, the well released some 100 million standard cubic feet per day of natural gas."

BP Looks To Ramp Up Gulf Of Mexico Activity
http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/63179

ALABAMA

Tar Balls On Alabama Beaches To Be Tested
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/06/tar-balls-alabama-beaches_n_951131.html?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec3_lnk2|93168

FLORIDA

Scott seems to support Everglades drilling ? but quickly backs off
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/florida/fl-scott-open-to-drilling-2-20110906,0,2242055.story
Visit http://www.nottheanswer.org for Surfrider's perspective on offshore drilling and the ongoing disaster in the Gulf.

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Oil Drilling News

2011-09-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

OIL/ENERGY POLICY

Hastings pushes supercommittee to expand oil drilling

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/677-e2-wire/179615-hastings-pushes-supercommittee-to-expand-oil-drilling

Bachmann's Empty EPA Trash-Talk

http://www.frumforum.com/bachmanns-empty-epa-trash-talk

"The Florida Everglades is a treasured natural resource that provides drinking water and other ecological benefits to much of South Florida. The state of Florida and the federal government have spent hundreds of millions of dollars restoring the Everglades—much of that at the direction of GOP Governors Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist. In 2002, the administration of President George W. Bush bought back oil and gas drilling rights in the Everglades for $120 million.

Bachmann apparently does not realize that oil drilling in the Everglades has been studied and that there is broad bi-partisan consensus that it would be foolhardy—very little oil, very high ecological risk."

"Bachmann's drill-the-Everglades brain splat is just one in a long string of whacky, ill-informed and irresponsible comments Bachmann has made about energy and the environment. She recently claimed that if she were president, gasoline would fall below $2 per gallon. Either she is planning on instigating a massive economic depression, or she is totally ignorant of how the global oil market works. With only 2 percent or so of the world's proven oil reserves, U.S. production simply cannot impact the price of oil that much."

ALASKA/THE ARCTIC

Offshore drilling would destroy way of life

http://www.adn.com/2011/09/03/2048249/offshore-drilling-would-destroy.html

Oil exploration under Arctic ice could cause 'uncontrollable' natural disaster

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/oil-exploration-under-arctic-ice-could-cause-uncontrollable-natural-disaster-2349788.html

FLORIDA

Florida Gov. Scott backs Everglades oil drilling

http://www.news-press.com/article/20110906/GREEN/110906030/Florida-Gov-Scott-backs-Everglades-oil-drilling?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-02T14:58:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

Oil companies brace for possible U.S. Gulf storm

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/02/storm-usa-gulf-idUSN1E7810KA20110902

"Tropical depression 13, which could become Tropical Storm Lee later on Friday, has already prompted oil and gas producers to shut down platforms and evacuate workers from the offshore oil patch that provides about a third of the nation's oil production and about 12 percent of its natural gas."

Gulf of Mexico Rigs Shut as Storm Builds

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-01/crude-declines-before-u-s-jobs-report-weather-system-shuts-rigs-in-gulf.html

"The tropical depression, about 240 miles (385 kilometers) southwest of the Mississippi River mouth, was "nearly stationary," the Miami-based center said in an advisory issued before 2 a.m. East Coast time. It may strengthen into a tropical storm before reaching Louisiana's coast. BP Plc is evacuating all personnel at platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a message on the company's hurricane hot line. Anadarko Petroleum Corp. removed workers from its Gulf facilities and is shutting output at eight operating platforms."

Coast Guard says oil sheen 16 miles northeast of BP well too dispersed to be recovered

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2011/09/coast_guard_says_oil_sheen_16.html

"The oil was first spotted by On Wings of Care pilot Bonny Schumaker during a flight over the area on Tuesday. Schumaker reported a 10 mile by 4 mile string of oily sheen and thicker material to the Coast Guard National Response Center the same day."

BP's Destin Gas Pipeline Declares Force Majeure

http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/bp-s-destin-gas-pipeline-declares-force-majeure

"BP has declared a force majeure for their Destin natural gas pipeline after the discovery of fluid in high levels at a Mississippi compressor station, affecting all offshore production in the Gulf of Mexico. The 255-mile Destin natural gas pipeline is responsible for delivering up to 1.2 billion cubic feet of gas a day in the Gulf of Mexico, and transports to nine major U.S. pipelines from the Gulf and extending further north than Mississippi. "

ALASKA

Are our heads in the sand?

http://homertribune.com/2011/08/are-our-heads-in-the-sand/

"Now that it is clear that unpreparedness was one of the factors leading to the tragic loss of life and economic and environment impacts from in the Gulf oil blowout, one would think that we would have seen that last of "unlikely to happen" as a prevention strategy. Not so in Alaska. In fact, even as local communities and fish and wildlife populations attempt to recover from the Gulf spill, the Escopeta Oil Company (which recently transported an exploratory drilling platform to northern Cook Inlet) argued in it's oil spill and blowout prevention contingency plan that "the circumstances for such an event are unlikely." Similarly, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) recently declined to concur with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that the resurgence of exploratory oil drilling is "not likely to effect" declining numbers of Beluga whale in Cook Inlet primarily because of the low probability of a large spill."

CALIFORNIA

Editorial: Senators need to stand up for California's oil spill prevention program

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_18807737?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

Oil Drilling News

2011-09-01T11:00:00.001-07:00

THE GULF

New leak near Deepwater Horizon site quickly becoming a massive oil slick
http://www.examiner.com/environmental-news-in-tallahassee/new-leak-near-deepwater-horizon-site-quickly-becoming-a-massive-oil-slick
"How can BP say it's not there when they have a ship out there sampling it?" asked Shumaker.Schumaker also reports calling the slick in to the National Response Center, though the U.S. Coast Guard has declined to comment for the time being."

20110830 - OWOC Gulf of Mexico flight (YouTube Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlWKptW74CY&feature=player_embedded#
New oil spill? Watch and decide.

FLORIDA

BP oil spill caused losses on the Treasure Coast, too
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/aug/31/eve-samples-bp-oil-spill-caused-losses-on-the/
"What were the local losses? Many were claimed by commercial fishermen who live here but operate in the Gulf of Mexico. Others were local restaurant workers who lost their jobs because of a drop-off in tourism, according to a spokeswoman from the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, the third-party group handling the claims for BP."

OIL DRILLING POLICY

Obama can?t catch a break on oil
http://www.grist.org/oil/2011-08-31-obama-cant-catch-a-break-on-oil
"The fact is, oil prices soared despite both record drilling and the highest domestic oil production levels in almost a decade. It should be obvious that yet more drilling can't have any significant impact on oil prices -- particularly since the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) has been making that precise point for years now."
Visit http://www.nottheanswer.org for Surfrider's perspective on offshore drilling and the ongoing disaster in the Gulf.

Visit http://www.surfrider.org/join to join Surfrider Foundation.

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Oil Drilling News

2011-08-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

Oyster Population Plummets in Louisiana After BP Spill, Floods
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/oyster-population-plummets-louisiana/story?id=14404214
"...oyster producers east of the Mississippi River are now also investigating a mysterious substance growing on the shells oyster larvae attach to (commonly referred to as "cultch"). He believes it's due to the lack of harvesting in the area after the BP oil spill."

Oil Slicks Sighted Yesterday 16 Miles from BP / Deepwater Horizon Spill Site
http://blog.skytruth.org/2011/08/oil-slicks-sighted-yesterday-16-miles.html

MAINE

Offshore oil drilling doesn't add up for Maine (LTE)
http://portlanddailysun.me/node/28022/

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Global biofuels production up 17% in 2010 to hit all-time high of 105 billion liters
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2011/08/wwi-20110831.html

South Korea touts tidal power plant
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2011/08/30/South-Korea-touts-tidal-power-plant/UPI-95391314716170/
Visit http://www.nottheanswer.org for Surfrider's perspective on offshore drilling and the ongoing disaster in the Gulf.

Visit http://www.surfrider.org/join to join Surfrider Foundation.

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Oil Drilling News

2011-08-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

THE GULF

Dispersants Used in BP Gulf Oil Spill Linked to Cancer

http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2011/2011-08-26-092.html

"Five of the 57 ingredients in dispersants approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use on oil spills are linked to cancer, finds a new research report based on data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by environmental groups on the Gulf of Mexico."

CALIFORNIA

Keep state's oil spill response program afloat

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/08/30/3870715/keep-states-oil-spill-response.html

Also see: Oil spill showdown looms in California legislature

ALTERNATIVES TO OIL

Solar May Produce Most of World's Power by 2060, IEA Says

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-29/solar-may-produce-most-of-world-s-power-by-2060-iea-says.html

The next wave of energy from the sea

http://www.newscientist.com/gallery/next-wave-of-energy-from-the-sea

"A recent study by the Carbon Trust predicts that by 2050 wave energy could yield as much as 190 gigawatts of electricity or more than 3 times today's total electric output in the UK. As the industry begins to scale up, more than 100 companies are developing novel devices to harvest energy from the seas."