Steve 1

The gas they are taking about is the problem right now ,Methane Hydrate a very nasty shushie ,they have to figure out a way to deal with it ,a heated enclosure or whatever to let the oil flow out the top ,the best minds in the world are working on this.and the numbers are off it is 205,000 gallons a day of light crude the last I checked.

Catmando

"Word also came yesterday that the oil spill may be five times worse than previously thought. Ian MacDonald, a biological oceanographer at Florida State University, said he believed, after studying Nasa data, that about one million gallons a day were leeching into the sea, and that the volume discharged may have already exceeded the 11 million gallons of the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster..."

Catmando

I don't hear or read of the other oil companies getting involved. Wonder why that is? Do they have no feelings for America??

GB

Very good point!

jayboat

iTrader: (1)

What a stupid thing to say. I guess you're over there agreeing with rush and brownie... you know: Obama did it so there would be more support for no more drilling, etc, etc. Maybe you're one of those folks who thinks because mercury is 'natural' you want some on your breakfast cereal.

If you could bother yourself to actually read a bit you would know that tighter regulation could have prevented this by actually forcing BP to install that acoustic switch. In hindsight, I'll bet that half mil is looking like a helluva deal to them about now.

This is a case where cutting edge technology and good old fashioned greed have outpaced our brains. We figured out how to drill to unbelievable depths, but didn't worry so much about what might happen if something went awry. As Steve mentioned, methane hydrate is the major problem with the containment vessel, but there are so many variables at those depths-- many that have not been dealt with extensively because this technology is so new. Who knows what other new problems they will encounter? So much at this stage is theory and speculation.

Golf balls and shredded tires do not give me much confidence. It tells me there was very little thought given to a disaster scenario like the one we are faced with.

Corporations NEVER have our best interests at heart. They have proved it time and again. That's the reason for regulation.

omerta one

Perhaps, but I can't imagine that from a pure P&L standpopint BP is very happy about this.

jayboat

iTrader: (1)

Once again, it looks like the Obama administration (DEMOCRATS) are trying to do the right thing here--

From the AP via Kos:

An administration official who asked not to be identified because the plan is not yet public said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will urge that Congress approve splitting the Minerals Management Service in two. One agency would be charged with inspecting oil rigs, investigating oil companies and enforcing safety regulations, while the other would oversee leases for drilling and collection of billions of dollars in royalties.

Currently, the Minerals Management Service, an arm of the Interior Department, is responsible for collecting more than $10 billion a year from oil and gas drilling and with enforcing laws and regulations that apply to drilling operations.

Some critics have said the two roles are in conflict and are one reason the agency has long been accused of being too cozy with the oil and natural gas industry.

An internal investigation in 2008 described a "culture of substance abuse and promiscuity" by workers at the agency. The investigation by Interior's inspector general found workers at the MMS royalty collection office in Denver partied, had sex with and used drugs with energy company representatives. Workers also accepted gifts, ski trips and golf outings, the report by Inspector General Earl E. Devaney said.

Jed Lewison (from Kos) adds:

The idea of separating revenue and leasing functions from safety and inspection seems prudent, particularly in light of the history of corruption at MMS. Other nations -- for example, Britain, Norway, and Australia -- have taken the same step. It's also worth keeping in mind that while MMS does have oversight over oil drilling, it also has oversight over mining and other methods of resource extraction.

While this may be a good step, it's also important to remember that there really is no way to absolutely guarantee the safety of operations like oil drilling. Even if we cut the likelihood of another BP Deepwater spill by 50%, that's still too high because of the magnitude of the damage that the spill can cause.

So even as we realign the safety functions of the MMS, we must realize we're merely making a fundamentally flawed system less intolerable. Our real mission is to develop clean alternative sources of energy, to improve the efficiency of our energy-consuming machinery, and to decrease the amount of energy we waste. If any good can come out of this spill, it's to underscore the fundamental truth that we must break our addiction to oil.

Until we reach that point, a more effective MMS is essential, but let's not forget -- it's just a Band-aid, albeit an important one.

wigginout

If you think Obama is all about helping us, just give it time. Soon they'll be telling us what to eat, drive, say, think and and how to live. One thing I do know about most Democrats I've met, is that they are blow boaters and despise us, our lifestyles, and LOUD powerboats. I do believe most corporations are all about profits, but had we not waited so many years to provide our own source of oil, and refine it, we might have more safety measures in place to prevent this. Just remember that it's the consumer that drives companies. If anyone feels this is BP's fault there ARE other companies to buy from. Seems the government has been regulating home loans, banks, insurance companies and health care forever. How have they done so far? So if we could have had just more agencies, this could have been prevented?

Neverfastenuf

Everett, did you know Salazar was Democrat? I am not going to engage in a political debate, this is not the thread (IMO). Just curious if you knew of Salazar. He has been rather "pesky" regarding any energy exploration in our neck of the woods. And he is from Colorado.

Sam

VtSteve

Nice Visit Myrtle Beach SC ad banner on the bottom of the page though