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Subscribe to RSSEleven people were injured in the production platform blast and oil spillage was minimal, according to the Coast Guard. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Updated at 5:56 p.m. ET: Coast Guard crews continued searching Saturday evening for two workers missing after an explosion and fire aboard a Gulf of Mexico oil rig on Friday that was apparently triggered by workers using a blow torch to cut a pipe.
Eleven workers on the rig were airlifted to hospitals after the accident some 17 miles southeast of Grand Isle, La. Four of the injured were in critical condition.
The fire was extinguished a few hours after the blast and Coast Guard Capt. Ed Cubanski told reporters that the platform appeared to be structurally sound. Twenty-two people had been aboard the rig at the time of the accident.
The search and rescue operation is making use of an 87-foot surface vessel assisted by a helicopter, the U.S. Coast Guard told NBC News Saturday night.
The platform was not actively producing oil and a sheen spotted in the water was probably from an estimated 28 gallons of oil that could have spilled when a pipe ruptured, Cubanski said Friday.
It does not appear the incident could lead to a major environmental disaster, added Coast Guard Capt. Peter Gautier.
Gerald Herbert / AP
Damage from the fire aboard a Gulf of Mexico oil rig is seen Friday after the fire was put out.
He said initial reports suggested that the explosion occurred when maintenance workers using a torch cut into a pipe with oil inside.
The platform is a shallow-water production platform, unlike BP's Macondo well that blew out in 2010 in mile-deep water. The Macondo explosion killed 11 workers and caused the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
The owner of the platform is Houston-based Black Elk Energy. On its website, the company stated that this month it was starting to drill the first of 23 new wells in the Gulf of Mexico.
Last Sunday, The Houston Chronicle named Black Elk Energy one of the top small businesses to work for in Houston based on employee surveys.
In August, the oil and gas company was named one of the fastest-growing privately held companies by Inc. Magazine.
The explosion came a day after BP settled criminal charges in the Macondo disaster by agreeing to pay $4.5 billion in penalties. It still faces up to $20 billion in civil fines.
Black Elk Energy was investigated last August by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement for an incident in which two employees were dropped 60 feet into Gulf of Mexico waters due to a crane malfunction, Reuters reported. No injuries were reported.
Black Elk also paid a $300,000 civil fine in September, related to a site inspection in 2011 of one of its facilities that revealed it was not complying with regulations.
Federal data also shows a small fire occurred at a Black Elk platform in February of 2011 in the Gulf of Mexico, but was quickly contained.
The company's chief executive, John Hoffman, formerly worked for BP Amoco, according to a report earlier this year in the Houston Business Journal. Hoffman founded Black Elk in 2007, the report said.
Friday's incident could reignite a national debate over safety standards for offshore drilling. After the Horizon spill, the government overhauled offshore drilling regulations and imposed a ban on drilling that lasted for several months.
"BP and the government may have settled criminal matters yesterday, but today's incident shows that increasing safety of offshore drilling and for hard-working men and women is still not a settled matter," Rep. Ed Markey, the ranking Democrat on the House National Resources Committee, said in a statement.
NBC's Edgar Zuniga Jr. as well as Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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I pray for the safety of the workers and the recovery of the injured. Nuff' Said.
Agreed. There will be plenty of time to investigate what happened, why and discuss drilling. For now-let's focus on sending prayers and positive thoughts to those who are injured or milling and their families.
DISCUSS THIS NOW! Doctors and Nurses are attending to the wounded. Postpone discussion for WHAT exactly? Sheish, this is a discussion board after all. Goodness gracious. Sheish.
Buy gas now..price will go over $5 by tomorrow!
Ms. Moni
We don't even know what happened yet! I am all in favor of regulations regarding drilling-and am certainly not a "drill baby drill" supporter. But-we have no idea what caused the fire at this point, how bad it is or how many people are dead. Let's get the facts straight and not jump to conclusions and point fingers until we know what happened.
In the meantime-I hope that all aboard are safe, that those sent to rescue them are also safe and that there is no spill like the last time.
Once we have the details-then we can debate.
what exactly happens when one is milled? does it hurt?
You know how we can really solve these problems?? Less regulation! That will surely keeps these things from happening.
They need medical treatment, not prayer.
All the regulation in the world won't do us a hill of beans if it isn't enforced. Also since it is unlikely spydergirl can just go out there and provide medical attention to those injured, her prayer will just have to do.
It's been reported that it's a NON working rig right....under going repairs.....that was from the Coast Guard. They said there may have been small amounts of left over oil in the pipes....BUT IT'S A NON WORKING RIG.
Construction crew at fault.
"Construction crew was finishing work on a water skimmer when it appears that the wrong line was cut, which resulted in the explosion and fire. A water skimmer is a device that separates water from oil."
Maybe we need to throw those people in charge of MMS in jail. Obviously they are doing a piss poor job of checking on the safety of workers on Oil Rigs. I wonder how many of them used to work for oil companies before working for the government?
this is a small production platform in shallow water about 10 miles off the Louisiana coast; there are hundreds of production platforms out there; offshore drilling is a very dangerous business, that is why the workers are paid big bucks, work 14 on and 14 off, pay begins at about 50 thousand for a new trainee, up to 300 thousand for a rig supervisor; it will not effect the price of oil 1 ct, heavy machinery, giant traveling blocks, slippery floor, surrounded by large engines, blowout prev-enters, diesel-drilling mud mixture, operating 24 hours a day, not a job for the faint at heart.
Holy crap... here we go again... :(
Yes, alternate energy sources.
Which line should I cut? Well there is only two..one on left and one on right, does it make a difference? Guess not!
Job opening for eight
RednecksRoughnecks.drill baby drill!!
TO: JasonFinPhilly24 who wrote:
You're being sarcastic, correct?
Lousianna being a Republican Red State I doubt if many, if any, regulations are enforced.
I don't believe that people need to be killed by explosions or unenforced regulations in order to make money.
Why do Republicans believe that they need to pollute our air and poison our water in order to conduct business??? If you ask me, I'd call it "greed" because they don't want to spend the money to conduct "clean" business. They want to go cheep in order to maximize their already "record profits" (which they DON'T pass on to their employees), and that's probably when they put lives at risk, and have unexpected explosions.
Right. Here we go again.
Medical treatment, not prayer. :D lol! So true.
Well, it isn't like the Original Poster can fly down their and lend medical aid, probably. So if praying makes them feel like they are doing something, then why not?
But really, a rig accident what, one day after the announcement of the BP settlement? How screwed up is that?
uchusky99--what you said in #1.4 makes perfect sense to me. Yes, I do believe it is important to not pass judgement until the facts are in. The BP oil spill at Macondo/Deepwater Horizon was as a result of criminal negligence--we know that now, and heads are rolling because if it. But sometimes accidents simply happen even to the best, and the best the rest of us can do who are not first responders or attending medical personnel is to pray, or send positive vibes, or whatever one wishes to call it. For me, I pray. For my atheist nephew, he sends positive vibes. There's nothing wrong about hoping for recovery! Once more facts are known, then we can debate whatever issues come up.
My prayers and thoughts are with those injured, the families of those killed, and that there is very little, if any, oil spilled. And my prayers and thoughts are with all those working to contain this accident.
American Girl,
Simple answer: We don't believe that at all.
Groundhog Day!
TO: alan3008 who wrote:
[Why do Republicans believe that they need to pollute our air and poison our water in order to conduct business???]
Well then, why do Republicans fight so hard against "regulations" and refuse to give any merit to global warming?
Even the post that I responded to called for "less regulation".
Shhhh! Global Warming isn't in the Bible! Therefore it doesn't exist.
Hurricane Sandy was a myth too. So Obama could get re-elected.
Damn You! You Muslin President who went to a Christian Minister who didn't like whites or something like that! FREEEDUMMMM!!!
Yeah, those of us who like conservatisim definately need to kick this crowd who thinks this was to the curb...
American Girl,
Regulations often go way overboard and make doing ANYTHING practically impossible. Someone thinks an industry is going to harm some rare form of slug and they want to shut the entire industry down. It's incredible.
You need to educate yourself on global warming. First Google "sun spots" and do some reading. Secondly, global warming has been going on for thousands of years. Remember NY city was under a thick sheet of ice a long time ago. The earth has been warming up long before the industrial age. Does man contribute? Of course, but not as much as many of these nutbags say we do.
Here come the greenies with their idealistic solutions to energy, and the usual condemnation of Conservatives and Republicans as the nexus to the Evil Oil Empire.
Before you go blowing smoke up everyone's azz about how clean energy will save the world, please consider how much of our production is now tied to petroleum. Also consider the massive cultural, economic, industrial and infrastructure changes that would be needed, and then, who would pay for them... guess that's you and me.
The only nutbags are the ones that don't believe in global warming.
Watch, Obama will step in and shut down all the oil wells in the Gulf because this one had an explosion.
FYI I do not give 'Democrats' credit for 'discovering' global warming. That would mean you believe Al Gore. While yeah, he was onto something, I still do not, to this day, understand why hard core conservatives allow this interpretation to exist. Do they believe he invented the internet too?
All Al Gore did was put something together that scientists were looking at forever. By the way, scientists DO point out how the period of warming we are in far exceeds a normal cycle. Al Gore, however, did not discover that himself. And Democrats do not run 'science.'
Well, unless you a) believe Democrats nutjobs or b) evangelists. Last time I checked, they didn't.
Anyway, smart conservatives (i include you, alan, in this mix by the way) know that there are business answers to the problem, not just regulatory ones.
answer= alternate energy source; fine come up with a small power plant for a truck that can move 120 thousand pound load up a mountain road at 70 miles per hour and have a range of 600 miles;
Regulation redneck state; ; oil industry is highly regulated, accidents happen because of carelessness and not thinking ,a human trait.
Redneck state; well not really, Louisiana was settled around 1740; mostly French, Spanish and west Indian slaves, has largest amount of Natural gas and oil reserves per size in the world.
solution; there is none, just realize accidents are going to occur, it is the nature of the beast.
American Girl, I am a Republican and have a degree in Alternate Energy Engineering. Now let me ask you a question. Why do all democrats support the life style of lazy people and believe working folk should take care of them. Also why do democrats support killing unborn babies.... see I can stereotype a group of people also.
Derek - Wait. What?! You don't know how conservatives allow that interpretation to exist. That's a joke, right? The people (in)famous for decrying "political correctness" now want to wipe the thought of climate change from the face of the earth. "Can't allow that thought, it might affect profits!" This America, comrade. All kinds thoughts allowed, even very very stupid ones like "If you not conservative you not smart." See comrade? Is allowed freedom of speech which sometimes means 'freedom of gross stupidity.'
WeAllHaveOpinions
Why do all republicans support corporate subsidies for OIL CORPORATIONS that are making BILLIONS in record profits. Are corporations LAZY and entitled to receive BILLIONS annually, not pay their fair share of taxes and then FORCE americans to pay more?
WHy do you republicans feel they have the right to FORCE legitimate rape on the American people? What gives you the right to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her own body? The GOP lost two senate seats this year alone. Keep that mentality and see what really happens.
Why do republicans feel that gays/lesbians (who pay the same taxes you pay) are not entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Equal marriage rights for everyone Why to republicans feel they have the right to FORCE their religious beliefs down our throats at every turn.
Democrats do not support 'lazy people', but rather then let Americans starve to death, we are going to help them get back on their feet while they look for a JOB that the GOP sent to CHINA with a tax credit. Social programs are not a way of life and those who abuse the system should no longer get it. We have to have a limit.
As for those impacted by this accident, you are in our thoughts.
- Moderate Democrat
American Girl!!! You are right on.
Perhaps this is what we get when Obama rushes everyone to use their drilling licenses now, or lose them. Something about drilling, rushing, and safety just don't seem to mix.
What was the rush to make sure every license was being used? Are there even enough skilled operators, inspectors...etc available to allow every rig in production to operate safely?
The problem with letting a few licenses sit unused for a few years was...what?
T-REX-847863
Do not try and pin this on Obama. Seems to me, these oil companies have had those licenses for QUITE some time have they not? The problem with letting these licenses sit? Why not give them to SOMEONE else who would actually use them???
TO: alan3008 who wrote:
[Well then, why do Republicans fight so hard against "regulations" and refuse to give any merit to global warming?]
What regulations are you speaking to? Let's stay focused on fossil fuels, which is what this story is about.
I got a bit of information on global warming, not that I was looking for it, but the story found me, for instance, my brother lives in Illinois where winters used to be almost unbearably cold. Now there's almost NO winter and temps are often in the 70s during what used to be "winter months" when temps used to be below zero.
How do you explain to New Yorkers and New Jersey residents that global warming means almost nothing when their homes and life history was nearly wiped off the map due to a freak hurricane?
TO: WeAllHaveOpinions who wrote:
You're way out of line!
Why not direct your question to Mitt Romney, he threw away the entire presidential election in order to protect and support RWNJ positions such as yours, so I'm sure he has a more "worthy" answer that you'll respect.
I hnow people across this country were praying for us when the hurricane was approaching. I appreciate it. Sandy was supposed to hit us at high tide. The storm traveled for thousands of miles at 15 mph but for some reason when it dog-legged for our coast, contrary to the computer models it doubled it's speed and hit us 2 hours early. Yes we were still hit hard by Sandy but if she had hit at high tide, it would have been much, much worse. This is a free country and you can believe what you want. I believe it was Divine intervention.
I will pray for these men and their families.
American Girl does your head hurt when you attempt to think?
Of course regulations are enforced particularly those that are Federal and as well as for any blue state.
Here is a thought...perhaps you personally should avoid any contact or use of all aspects of your life that are related to fossil fuels and their bi products. No gas or oil, no natural gas, no plastics no home power unless it is limited to solar or wind generation. I sure hope your utility companies rely on 100% green sourced energy. Perhaps you can go collect cow dung to fuel your furnace...But then you would need to forgo your computing devices as they are made of materials that are either a bi-product of petroleum or use petrol fueled distribution methods. Seriously I don't see you stepping up to shed the hypocrisy of fossil fuels in your world...such is the droning of empty, self-righteous, rhetoric from a basic position of will ful ignorance. I am very sad for you.
Exactly what do you mean by "clean business"? And who are "they" Republicans or the Energy Industry? Rhetorical empty remarks do not make an argument or solid platform for substance.
That is such BS and you truly haven't a clue what you are talking about. The energy industry is one of the best paying industries globally. They offer very competitive salaries and bonuses as well a tremendous benefits plans. Oil and Gas industry employers are one of the biggest targets for Obama's wrath on "platinum" insurance plans and unfortunately, those who are at a entry level status or who are in unskilled positions will probably have to forgo the best insurance options for their families because they will be penalized by this administration for paying for their dependents. Again, the bonus structures for energy companies are generally based on "Profits" and are quite generous across the earning spectrum for employees. When profits are high so are bonuses you know that lump sum payment that affords employees the ability to: get ahead on retirement and savings, make down payments on cars or homes, affords employees the opportunities to travel or to do home improvements without borrowing against their homes or even to set cash aside for a possible medical emergency. When profits are low the bonuses are lower.
When you speculate and use terms like "probably" again you are just highlighting ignorance of your subject matter. The employees working on rigs, in plants and on vessels are also some of the best trained skilled individuals in this country. They are constantly having to certify and train in safety measures and in hazard response. Not everyone is allowed on a rig unless they comply with safety standards that include passing certain training courses including what to do if a helicopter or crew boat has trouble in transit.
Unfortunately you exemplify one of the biggest, scariest problems we face in America...people who haven't a clue about what they are talking about and believe that their imagination is imbued by reality.
As to the first question.....The simple answer is not all regulation are good regulation. Just because a legislative body can impose requirements doesn't they should in every instance and does not mean that particular regulation serves a higher purpose. So specifically related to off shore drilling or to the Oil and Gas industry what regulations do you think aren't being given enough support by the legislators? Also when it comes to "regulations" many federal agency regulations offer a minimum standard and generally most energy companies and well most companies work under a "best practice" policy particularly when it comes to employee safety.
As to your second question......You reference "Global Warming" makes it appear that that school of thought is actually something more than a theory or scare tactic. Given your commitment to a better earth you should probably not burn that dung for heat because those renowned "Global Warming" advocates are really not a fan of cow farts and bio waste that produce methane that contribute to global warming. So if you are going to shout pseudo science as an authority perhaps you should expand your theoretical expertise to at least explore other theories or perspectives on our changing environment. Maybe even go back and examine the initial theory and see how that first study was flawed. The thing is the earth is changing, it has changed in the past and will continue to change in the future. Without out modern conveniences our earth has suffered periods of warming and cooling and in the end nature wins out and heals itself.
About time: "Why do all republicans support corporate subsidies for OIL CORPORATIONS that are making BILLIONS in record profits. Are corporations LAZY and entitled to receive BILLIONS annually, not pay their fair share of taxes and then FORCE americans to pay more?"
RIGHT ON! When corporations take advantage of corporate welfare & tax loopholes--they are applauded and called successes. But if someone needs food stamps to stave off hunger until they can get back on their feet--they are insulted and called "moochers."
Despicable! When will we learn we're all in this together--and a rising tide lifts us all?
Right on, American Girl! Your posts are always thoughtful and informative. I appreciate them and applaud your ability to bring some rational discourse to the Vine. Thank you!
"Hey Al, does this pipe have any explosive vapors in it?"
(sparks torch)
"I don't know Frank, instead of checking it, just cut into it with your plasma torch!"
"Oka-"
BOOOM!
D.Man, exactly. You can't regulate stupidity.
Much of what you state is absurd. Regulation is equally strict here as in any other Federal water. The state actually has ZERO involvement in overseeing anything offshore. Trust me. I know. I work for Big Oil. In the Gulf offshore from Louisiana (the correct spelling btw) to be precise.
Let me also dispel some of the myths concerning subsidies. Those "billions" amount to a whopping $4B or so according to public records. Would you care to guess how much Big Agriculture gets? I can assure you it is multiple times that. Would you also care to guess where most of the pollution downstream on the Mississippi derives from? Would you also care to guess what most of that subsidy for Big Agriculture is used for? Because I can assure you it is NOT food. Hint: it derives from corn.
As for your not sharing of profits/bonuses statement, it is blatantly obvious you know nothing about the oilfield. Bonuses are common. Early completion of wells always involves a bonus. Complying with all safety regulations earns a bonus. And btw I am not talking about a few hundred dollars. And did you think us workers on rigs like to gamble with our lives? It is pretty standard for ANY worker who is observed doing ANYTHING that may harm the lives of others to be run off the job pretty darned quick by other co-workers.
Jersey Michael
I hnow people across this country were praying for us when the hurricane was approaching. I appreciate it. Sandy was supposed to hit us at high tide. The storm traveled for thousands of miles at 15 mph but for some reason when it dog-legged for our coast, contrary to the computer models it doubled it's speed and hit us 2 hours early. Yes we were still hit hard by Sandy but if she had hit at high tide, it would have been much, much worse. This is a free country and you can believe what you want. I believe it was Divine intervention.
Divine intervention, eh? And there was I thinking that it was God's punishment for allowing gay marriage.
All American Girl
You replied
Why in your opinion is we all have opinions out of line...I am sure the poster sleeps just fine with his/her perspective. After all its Democrats crying foul and that working America and Successful America should support their every need because they can't seem to stand to a reasonable standard of living on their own efforts. Even when it comes down to a woman who chooses to become sexually active and oops gets pregnant so now those supporting the tax base in this country should pony up the funds and resources for her to choose to have an abortion. If you are philosophically unable to enter into a discussion with we all have opinions then why feign objection or respond that he should ask Mitt Romney. That is such a thin line of response if you are indeed committed to your own perspective.
Regarding Hurricanes on the Mid-Atlantic coast are you under the impression that the east coast has never had a hurricane before? when it comes to waters and tides damage is more prevalent in areas where people have built up and concrete prohibits the water to run off or be absorbed by the earth. Certainly an issue for man but not really part of that who pseudo science of global warming. Maybe old Al Gore can get a tree for carbon credit scam going.
Jersey Michael, My best to you, your family and your neighbors in the recovery. It can be a hard road so my prayers will continue. Maybe the mid Atlantic states can have one of those warm winters this year.
TO: Voter-in-LA who wrote:
That's what I said, the State is not enforcing regulations.
I have my opinion, and I'm sticking to it!
As for "subsidies", I didn't mention that in any of my posts, but I can't imagine WHY Big Oil is getting any "subsidies" when we need a whole lot LESS fossil fuels, and a whole lot more renewable energy.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
TO: txmom32 who wrote:
Because that person used his opinion to attack me with narrow minded insults and made unwarranted assumption having nothing to do with this article.
Why don't you respond to him? I already did.
I would like to see live video of what is going on there...I haven't been able to find any, and I would like to see what is going on. Weird since usually we have footage right away.
Our dependency on fossil fuels yet again saving humanity...
And by the way, the article states the likely explanation for the explosion was a maintenance worker using a torch on a pipe with oil! I mean unless this was faulty equipment, what an idiot! Not to insult the dead but come on...
I realize that it wont matter to some of you but lets get some of the facts straight.
This type of platform is not a drilling rig, it does not have a derrick used for drilling, it may not even be over a existing well. Production platforms are used for a lot of different reasons, it could be a collection point for several wells in the area and is connected to them via pipeline. A lot of wells in that area also produce natural gas which is separated from the crude, compressed and sent inland via different pipelines, to different locations.
The work being done on the platform may not even be being done by a Black Elk crew, a lot of the equipment on platforms is leased from other companies and is serviced by those companies. The only Black Elk employees may have been nothing more than a Company Man or Engineer, supervising a third party equipment company doing an installation.
I know it's a lot more fun attacking oil companies with the liberal left talking points, but those of us who have actually worked in the field know that the companies don't want anyone hurt or the environment damaged because of an accident. To think that companies don't care about employees or the environment is just plain sick, no one wants anything like this to happen, but accidents do happen and I can promise you the company is hoping like hell no one dies.
American Girl: "
TO: txmom32 who wrote:
Because that person used his opinion to attack me with narrow minded insults and made unwarranted assumption having nothing to do with this article.
Why don't you respond to him? I already did."
Again, American Girl, SPOT ON! Some people do not seem to see there is a RADICAL difference between rational discourse and civilized debate re: issues vs. personal insults and slanderous attacks. THANK YOU for enlightening TX Mom. Let those with ears hear!
I work for State government and I can assure any of you here crying regulation that the last person you want "regulating" anything is a politican. They work in these perfect worlds with perfect ideals. Then they make legislation. Then that legislation is imposed. Then the real problems start.
My agency was created under a public records law. The law is so unmanagable, grey and contradictory and even now is out of date in just 10 years. This is regulation no matter the stripes of the tiger. Want meaningful regulation? Put a group of the top people from the business or system you want to regulate, and let them use working knowledge to figure it out. Otherwise, no level of government regulation is gonna fix something like "safety in the oil industry." (insert anything you want in the quote).
As a pipefitter with 42 years of experience I can say that the guy who cut into that pipe was not the one who made the mistake. He was following orders from those above him. Most likely he was assured by several people that he was safe.
The cause of this was greed and stupidity. There are rules for this sort of thing that have been refined for over a hundred years, and those rules are written in blood. Some of it mine. Those rules were broken and people died. Those responsible should go to jail.
Hmmmmmm,
OK Libbies, who you gonna blame for this one?
Obviously, even in your little distorted world of liberalunacy, the statute of limitations must be up for blaming Bush, Reagan and Herbert Hoover for all the worlds ills, right?
How could this horrible accident happen under Barrack Husseins watch?
So, why hasn't Barrack Hussein created all the regulations needed to stop all oil rig explosions?
So, why hasn't Barrack Hussein created all the regulations needed to stop ALL accidents of any kind from ever happening?
So, why hasn't Barrack Hussein created all the regulations needed to stop the oceans from rising?
So, why hasn't Barrack Hussein created all the regulations needed so no more hurricanes hit our nation?
So, why hasn't Barrack Hussein created all the regulations needed to stop our consulates from being attacked and diplomats killed?
So, why hasn't Barrack Hussein created all the regulations needed to keep Twinkies in business?
I mean, his economic, domestic and foreign policies are abject failure he should at least just write every possible regulation to stop every possible problem we will ever encounter.
That’s what regulations are supposed to do, right? Make the world perfect.
Miklkit was any of that 42 years in the oilfield and more importantly offshore????
The employees worked for Grand Isle Shipyard a third party contractor on this job, as far as who is to blame you have no way of knowing if the guy using the torch isn't at fault.
Having worked in the oilfield and more specifically as a Safety Coordinator/ParaMedic in the oilfield and on offshore facilities I can tell you that the JSA (job safety analysis) done by the engineers covered the fact that the pipe was to be cut with a cold cut saw, see that is just what we do, we look at the job and try and find anything that could go wrong and try and figure out the safest way to do the job. Now once the JSA is done and sent down the line to the company doing the job and then down to the foremen and crew doing the job several key parts may have been left out, one being even the need to bring a cold cut saw with them on the job, maybe the guy who was cutting the pipe thought that the saw wasn't needed. The guy cutting the pipe didn't even have to be a pipefitter, could have been a plain old labor hand who didn't know any better, or never saw a JSA for that job.
I can assure you no one at Black Elk wanted anyone hurt, I can also assure you no one at Grand Isle Shipyard wanted anyone hurt, these are just people doing a job, a job that is dangerous and where things can go sideways real fast.
Heart and prayers go out to those who are lost and their families and to those injured.
Lol....priceless. Yes, give those licenses to those that want to use them but then tell them they cannot drill. Or is drilling good now?...I keep losing track of which side of the Liberals mouth I should be listening to...
First to all who wonder about "milling"... I am pretty sure that ushusky meant missing, as in the two people missing.
Second, I am relieved that this article did not describe this as a "Blow-Torch" accident. The press has described almost all torch related accidents by using the term "blow-torch." A blow-torch uses pressurized white gasoline (Basically pure neptha, benzene, or a mixture, but lacking any other additives, used to be used as high output lantern and camp stove fuel, since replaced by kerosene, or used with a paraffin additive.) which is atomised at the burner tip creating a very hot but generalized flame. The blow-torch (blow refers to the pressurization of the fuel in a small tank, usually by a small attached hand pump) was/is typically used in cast iron sanitary pipes to pour a lead or bitumen seal over the top of a compacted oakem seal. It is also used in melting lead solder for standing seam roofs, copper flashings, and copper gutters and downspouts. A legitimate blow-torch disaster was the Jefferson County Courthouse fire in Madison, Indiana in 2009, where a gutter installer's torch ignited fumes from drying gold metallic paint as it dried resulting in 40-60% loss to the building. Most house related fires are caused by propane torches used to thaw frozen pipes or solder new copper plumbing lines. Welding and cutting accidents are primarily involved with oxy-acetylene gas torches or plasma torches.
General safety guidelines call for any vessel (including a pipe) which contained a volatile to be openly vented and filled with water before cutting or welding. The water will retard heating to a degree, but the highly localized heat of the torch and injection of excess oxygen is still effective. So are plasma torches. Clearly this was not done, or done effectively.
Finally, Prayer for the injured and for the missing is ALWAYS appropriate. Never discount the power of faith and goodwill. Whether you believe in the God of Abraham, Mohammed, or Christ, in Bhuddism, Confuscionism, Shinto, Animalism Naturism, or whatever; most of us pray, often in time of need. You may discount this, but consider the following; is the intended recipient of the prayer the god, or the one you wish blessed? I know self-avowed agnostics and atheists who admit one thing, the existence of positive and negative energy. Their complaint with religion, beyond the imaginary sky-dwelling old man, is that religions ignore not just science, but the idea that we do have potentials, including energy, that influence the world around us. If we choose to pray for positive results, or ask others to do the same, think of it as an attempt to add to or magnify the efforts of those actually tending to the injured, not replacing them.
Robbob,
I'm also pretty sure that ventilation of the pipe and explosion-control (like water or lubricant flooding) would have been included in the cold saw work order. Any pipe or vessel which has had or has standing oil or volatiles has the potential of flash-over.
By the same token, I recognize the "field utility" of your argument. 99.9% of the time things either work out well or the incident results in a few first degree flash burns and missing hair; but this was one of those 0.1% that didn't turn out so well. Which is why all those nasty regulators get so damn picky about following the rules. Plus, we don't know how or why the pipe was being cut. If it was to install a weld-on or saddle tee or "y", a cold saw would not be appropriate. However, 'best; or even general safety practice seems to have been missed. The investigation will hopefully tell us. And by the way, I'll also let the investigation tell me if this was a 'local' decision or a corporate.
American Girl
Global warming has happened before, long before we took possession of our planet, it really doesn't matter what we do ,global warming will still continue, so get of your global warming high horse and come back to reality, btw I live in NJ.
Why hasn't Obummer stopped all car accidents?
Why has Obummer stopped the pipeline bringing oil from Canada?
Why has Obummer stopped the funds for hydrogen as a renewable energy source?
Obama didn't stop any pipeline from bringing oil from Canada to us. He delayed approval of a pipeline bringing oil from Canada to ports in the Gulf of Mexico where it can be shipped off to other nations. In point of fact, that oil right now can only go to the local region. Thus some peoiple have said that the price of gasoline in the upper midwest is actually lower, because they have all the crude they could want (others say that is not true). Building that pipeline will help the oil companies, but it will not affect the price of gasoline in the US in that region. (See Bloomberg Business Week, "Why the Keystone Pipeline Won't Ease Pain at the Pump."
To Fred: The argument that global warming has occurred before and therefore there is nothing we can do is pernicious. The fact that things have occurred before for other reasons has no logical impact on the fact that global warming is occurring right now due to man's impact.
The science is very simple. Greenhouse gases absorb the nighttime radiation that cools us during the night. Ever wonder why it gets cold at night? After all, when the sun sets, everything is warm. Where does the warm energy go? Answer: it is radiated to outer space by the release of photons (the same photons seen in night vision goggles). GHGs abosrb those photons preventing them from leaving the earth's atmosphere. More GHGs mean less cooling, and more heat energy is trapped. The consequence of the GHGs we have added is the entrapment of the equivalent of millions of atomic bombs every year. This is measured directly by satellites that can count photons leaving the atmosphere. There is no scientific doubt of this mechanism. There is no scientific doubt that we mankind are impacting the weather.
Interesting aside: warming deniers used to point out to the fact that while the lower atmosphere is getting warmer, the upper atmosphere is cooling. The mechanism is that more CO2 atoms have drifted to the very top of the atmosphere (the thermosphere) where they can actually radiate heat more efficiently than nitrogen or oxygen. So in this very wispy area, we see more heat loss (overall, the earth has way less heat loss - but here where there are only a few pounds of gas per cubic mile, there is more heat loss locally). This cooling of the very top layer leding to contraction, which is actually impacting the drag on low orbit satellites! We may be killing ourselves and destroying our crops, but we are doing an interesting science experiment on earth.
American Girl;
all offshore oil exploration is regulated by federal Maritime law , all drilling permits are issued by the U.S. dept. of Interior, all inspections are done by Coast Guard, bureau of land management and OSHA. all regulations are written by Federal agencies, no state may issue any rules or regulations in regard to offshore drilling operations, well head and production taxes are paid to the Federal Government(they share some with the adjoining States but keep the lions share.)
And so it begins again.
ditto
And it will quickly end. Even if there is a spill (which there probably isn't), shallow-water wells can be quickly closed. All the snafu in 2010 was due to the depth of the water - nobody but a few robot submarines could reach the well, and at that temperature and pressure things tend to act in unexpected ways. In shallow water on the continental shelf, controlling a gusher is not strictly-speaking easy, but it's not all that difficult.
At this point the main concern should be the safety of the workers.
I try not to be too conspiracy theory-ish, but it does seem a bit coincidental that right on the heels of the legal decision from the 2010 explosion this happens. I wouldn't go so far as to say outright that it was sabotage by ELF or anything, but it just seems crazy coincidental.
It's a NON working rig..under going repairs.
Well, this is certainly a surprise. Who could have seen this coming?
DIG BABY DIG!!! Keep killing workers, polluting our waters, and destroying our swampland that is the biological kidneys of the wetlands! We have to keep our U.S. Oil Cartel happy and stuff their pockets with money. FIND ALTERNATIVES TO OIL! This is once again a sickening man-made disaster. My heart goes out to the families of those hurt and killed.
I want to know why the Black Elk company pages are fobidden. Are they trying to hide who the actual owners are?
My heart goes out to injured corporate person and its injured investor family bleeding profits. Is there a god to pray to that companies believe in?
It begins again because some moron was torch cutting a pipe with oil inside. You would think that people working on those rigs would know better but apparently NOT. As usual, it just takes one idiot to cause a major disaster.
Do not attribute to conspiracy that which can be explained by incompetence.
The only god that corporations bow to is Green.
This does not bode well for the next 22. Maybe Black Elk should back off, regroup and perfect the socially desirable practice of not blowing people up.
This isn't a drilling rig and those weren't Black Elk employees, so your comment is 100% wrong on all fronts.
Robbob
It is a standard industry safety practice to ALWAYS drill a hole into ANY pipe before you cut to ensure NO product is present inside. If product is present and you still need to cut it, then you use a saw and not a torch. This pipe exploded, so it must have been under high pressure either way. The workers obviously took a short cut to speed up the job, perhaps ordered to by management, if that's the case then someone is criminally responsible.
Geronimo,
Actually, from what I have seen and read, Black Elk has a good reputation. All oil drill and extraction is an inherently dangerous operation. This, the hard physical work, the frequent travel, and frequent isolation explain part of the wages paid in this industry. Another component is the knowledge and experience of what can and cannot be done in dealing with equipment and fuel-rich envrironments.
Ken Trout,
I also thought of the drilling aspect. But the "old school" safety of water flooding any volatile vessel still applies. What we do not know is why the pipe was being cut. If was for a "tee" or "y" connection (either welded or saddled) a cold saw or band saw might not have been appropriate. We don't know if this was a 12" pipe or a 60" pipe. Was it vented?
A standing partially crude oil pipe of any significant diameter (12" or greater) could easily build an explosive volume of volatile gases. Add heat (gas flame, plasma jet, spark or hot chip from a "cold" saw) and boom. Further, these workers had to know that this was an oil handling pipe and would have residue in it. Who ordered the work and how will be discovered, but obviously the how was wrong.
All that's left is to pray for the injured and missing, for now.
Bill
You are correct in much that you state. The purpose for drilling the hole (regardless of size of pipe) to to check for volatile fluids. Regardless of what you are cutting or what you are building you would NEVER use a torch on a pipe containing petroleum products. Once established that the pipe contained even residue, you would next ensure it was properly cleaned, made inert and isolated prior to lighting a torch. As this pipe was obviously part of the system on an operating platform, flooding is not practical and never a good practice.
Platform was shut in since Aug., some times flooding is not an option, hence the need for cold cut saw, they knew before hand that at least one line was dirty, now was it miss identified, crew got in a hurry, or didn't have right equipment, who knows. Done enough hot taps in my life to know that it cam be done right, but one miss step and people die. Looking at pic it looks like the tank went up as well, that is its bottom under the crane and its laying on its side.
Drill baby drill! Fools.
More people will die in car accidents in the next 60 minutes. Are they fools too?
Maybe you should keep your comments focused on the lives that were lost, and not be such a prick.
What alternatives for energy independence do you have? Maybe a pipeline over land would be a good start? If not... please enlighten us with your expertise.
Adding American drilled oil to the current supply will drive the cost up, not down. Oil prices around the globe are dictated by OPEC and the highest bidder (China as of today). It would just give them more oil to make greater profit.
Drive baby drive!
Breed breeders breed.
If not breed, at least commit the act.
WisconsinDad-2479817
You say if there is a shortage of oil the price goes down, & if there is a glut and no one buys on the world market the price goes up?????
On what planet are you referring to where this happens?,
WisconsinDad,
Hate to say this, but "IDIOT." China is as communist as Mitt Romney or Donald Trump, just in a different way. If we will sell oil at $120/bbl and OPEC wants $125, China will buy US oil. Like Ken Trout asks: "What planet do you live on?"
WisconsinDad,
Hate to say this, but "IDIOT." China is as communist as Mitt Romney or Donald Trump, just in a different way. If we will sell oil at $120/bbl and OPEC wants $125, China will buy US oil. Like Ken Trout asks: "What planet do you live on?"
Watch gas prices go through the roof because a non producing well blows up.
Anything to make a buck.
Indeed my thoughts... Just as they where going down. Heck I spilled a little oil when I was topping of my engine and they went up!
More dead people? None of them CEOs..sigh
xxx, you want CEO's to die??? You are the problem.
So are you, clown.
Wow, Buick, that reading comprehension thing flaring up again? Or is it more of the "take a questionable situation and make it as bad as possible" again?
Steve,
No, no big spill, a rig down for maintenance, people hurt, maybe killed, but no production lost. God bless your sweet ass, gas prices won't change unless you idiots line up in a panic.
Love your attitude btw, to hell with the people hurt, is your next fix going to cost another penney per gallon?
Drill baby drill!
shut up .....idiot
nobama on libya.......lie baby lie
STEVE TRAVIS on nobama, cry baby cry.
You're killing me Pluto! Please keep it up! I love it!
Alright geniuses, explain hoe President Obama is connected to this.
BTW, if you had written this about Jack Kennedy, Richard Nixon, or Ronald Reagan, the FBI would be talking to you right now. As a temporary plant foreman, I had two experiences with the FBI. One was a military secrets clearance exercise, brief questions about work habits and what little I knew about his social life (very little). The other was more a biographic essay regarding not only his work habits, but how he got to work, who were his friends, did he talk politics, was he troublesome? As the questions got more unrelated, I finally said that I had answered all that I could, that the person was a good worker who did the jobs requested, and caused no problems. And that I was unaware of any illegal activity. A year later, a union organizer (from the home plant union, not from the subject of the FBI probe) appeared at the plant. The attempt was unsuccessful, but the company closed the plant anyway, to incorporate it into the union home plant. The company owners (this took place during the Reagan Admin) were big-time Republican supporters who had arranged for their Canadian VP and General Manager to remain in ther US long past his green card.
Betty
Thanks for the sentiment Betty, I'm a dentist...
Maybe the US can get another $4 billion in fines - we will be in the black in no time, as long as you don't mind eating 3 legged crabs and eyeless shrimp...
BobbyG,
A 1/2mile oil sheen? You can get that from a quart of motor oil. Believe it or not, petroleum actually leaks into the seas naturally. Don't exaggerate, or folks won't believe the real worries, like the big five we have had in the last ten years. Look them up. Get educated. And try to sound like a grown up.
@ bill,
thanks for the advice - but I consider oil platforms that blow up in the gulf to be an adult kind of problem... If you like, you can have my share of oily water to drink - no thanks are necessary...
Good thing I got gas last night! Gas prices have not dropped back to the pre-BP oil rig explosion prices. We might be seeing $4.50 gas prices by the end of the week!
I will admit the first thing I looked for was did BP own this one.
Ditto that.
2010 BP rig explodes and they want to stop deep water drilling. Now a shallow water rig explodes. Let's see if they want stop of all offshore drilling.
That's Obama's intention. Make gas prices sky high so people will have to buy overpriced and subsidised electric cars.
Obama TEMPORARILY Shut off deep water drilling - it is back up and has been for quite awhile. I would suggest that if a temporary halt ot shallow water drilling is proposed to investigate it might be worth while. Ocean drilling impacts the livlihoods of lots of folks when disaster strikes - like the tourist business and fishing business along the coasts.
Riight....which is why oil production in the US is up, under Obama's tenure. Look, it's clearly evident you don't like the President, and that's fine. Not everyone likes the candidate chosen. But, at least follow reality, otherwise it just makes you sound like disgruntled losers (as in, people who backed the wrong horse, not necessarily your lot in life).
The President has nothing to do with, nor can do anything about gas prices. "Supply and demand" read up on it.......
You don't even believe the post you typed. How can the President of the United States(regardless as to who it is) cause gas prices to go up or more importantly force you to buy an electric or alternative fuel car? Do you even have the most remote clue as to how the U.S. Government operates, and what they cannot do?
@Anticheffy - actually, the supply of oil is greater than it has been in over 30 years, also, the demand for oil is down. The oil business has never followed the theory of "Supply and Demand" they follow Wall Street speculation instead.
Kubla (#11.6)-- I had to give you a thumbs up on that because while I do believe that supply and demand affects even gas prices, so does Wall Street--and sometimes Wall street can make things dicey........
This oil rig was NOT drilling, so there is no reason to temporarly halt shallow water drilling at all
And yet, whenever someone buys an oil future, someone else is selling one. Go figure.
What the heck is wrong with wanting to drill safely--discover clean energy alternatives--and protect America's natural resources and spectacular beauty?
So to be clear, its not Mr. Obama's fault gas prices are up. But it was Bush's?
B Murphy: On the point of increased production, wasnt the second biggest arguments against "drill, baby, drill" that it would take 10 years to get any well production? So what you are saying is that Mr. Obama and his stump team lied and it can actually be done faster or are you willing to admit that most of the benefit was from wells explored, found and developed before the last 4 years? Cant be both.
Some of the folks get this, and the rest follow the TeaParty refrain.
First, the President (Barack Obama) suspended deep off-shore drilling to review safety measures, after a catastrophic failure proved that measures at the time were inadequate. Would you be happier if he had approved MORE failed wells?
Second, this was an off-line production well, down for maintenance and refit. We have NO idea why the pipe was being cut or how, other than a torch was involved.
Third, as several have pointed out, the US is gaining oil production, both from old wells and new wells. And in case you missed it, President Obama moved to cancel "protective" leases (leases that oil producers took to block others from potential oil fields to protect oil prices). Since "protect leases" actually CUT protection, why did oil companies complain? It hurt their bottom line by reducing oil costs. Oil prices are not based on reality, but upon "futures" value, what would oil be worth if Iran collapses, or Saudi Arabia is overrun? Prices built on fear, some rational, others perhaps mythic. Meanwhile, back at home, people equate this accident with the BP spill of 2009 and oil prices spark at over $5.00/gal, again.
TIME to get real real folks, we have poked millions of holes in the earth's crust to get oil. As time went on, and we ACTUALLY learned science, the success of those holes increased. And we realized that some (much) of this oil was under the sea. We developed ways to drill it. The nay-sayers wabt us to believe that despite the fact that less than 1% of all wells turn "bad", we ought to ban all wells. If you apply the same standard to human reproduction... Should we not ban all reproduction to guard against the 1-or 5-or 10% that seems to go bad?
In so far that increased tension in the Middle East causes great market uncertainty over oil production in those countries, sure, I suppose you could argue that Bush didn't help. Was it entirely his fault? Of course not. The President has little to no control over oil prices, that power rests solely upon the shoulders of OPEC.
Wouldn't know, I rarely follow the talking points. What I will say is that indeed a great deal of legislation takes effect years after it's signed into law. However, the President does have the authority to suspend a great deal of legislation through executive order, such as what occurred directly following the BP disaster. However, he DID rescind that order, and permits were once again given out. Which allowed the increased oil production to continue, thus decreasing our dependence upon foreign oil.
As far as gas prices are concerned though, as long as the majority of the world's oil comes from foreign countries, the US will simply be powerless to effect any change in overall price. It's simple economics. Even if the US becomes 100% self-sufficient with regards to energy (oil, gas, coal, solar, wind etc..), the price per barrel still remains the same as the foreign markets, because American oil companies are going to seek the best profit. Not drive the price down in the US. It would make no sense to function that way.
It benefits the oil companies, to keep the prices as high as possible. It benefits no one else.
But is anyone paying attention to the sink hole in Louisiana?
tom-1268602 - I have heard some about it, but honestly have not been following it that closely. There are just too many disasters to keep up with these days.
I am now....thanks. I often wonder what the point is of going to the trouble of jumping through various hoops on various news sites in order to make a comment. I liken it to screaming into your pillow in hopes that it will prompt your neighbour to stop his dog from barking.
That being said I googled Louisiana sink hole and am amazed.....not a peep on popular television media.
Thanks again...two birds one stone and all that. Perhaps screaming into the void or even whispering into an unseen ear has more impact than I had assumed.
SMART human: "I often wonder what the point is of going to the trouble of jumping through various hoops on various news sites in order to make a comment. I liken it to screaming into your pillow in hopes that it will prompt your neighbour to stop his dog from barking."
WHAT A GREAT ANALOGY! I hope you don't mind if I borrow it sometimes. I love the imagery of screaming into my pillow to prompt others to listen to me. Thank you Smart Human!
oh sh!t, I'm heading that way next week...
Another excuse for the administration to put a moratorium on drilling. $10 a gallon within a year...just watch.
Moron.
No butt head, it is another chance for them to raise gas prices. Feel sorry for them, they have to cover the insurance for the dead and injured.
I would love to see prices of $10 per gallon. Reduction of consumption is *exactly* what we need! Drive less, drive smaller vehicles, take the bus, or use your bicycles and feet instead of ramming around town in 5,500-pound SUVs. Stupid Yuppies...
$10/gallon gas is decades off. A little non-functional rig exploding isn't going to cause prices to spike that dramatically.
Let's see, "moron", "butt-head" and some fool who wants to see $10 per gallon gas not smart enough that it will effect the price of everything else.
Yep, that about sums up the mentality of the left: Name calling and economically illiterate.
While you are merely a toady for the rich.
Pragmatic, apparently you didn't read my post. Of course this event cannot cause the price of gas to spike even a little bit.
What I said is that the administration will use it as an excuse to demonize oil companies. The policies of the current administration WILL cause the price of gas to reach $10 per gallon...and it's NOT decades away.
We've got to get off oil and coal before we destroy this planet from the results of these types of fuels.
I pray for those who were killed. I'm very sorry for their loss, and will pray for their families.
I was looking online to alternatives to combustion engines last week. There are so many alternatives to gas-driven engines out there. I also think there is NO reason technology can't be putting cars on the market that get 100 mils per gallon. There was one alternative engine that was so efficient that it doubled it's efficiency compared to traditional combustion engines.
the tea leaves of war in israel. tensions in Iran. Sandy. Oil rig explosions. Here come the higher oil prices and the hurt on the american people and economy.
I wish I had a *real* choice of an alternative engine when buying a car. Not just the short mileage electrics for those who don't travel. but a real choice of an alternative fuel based vehicle.
Well Bubba...
We are not going to get off of them until they run out. You and I will be long gone by then. If there were affordable alternatives they would sell like hotcakes. So what is this "efficient" engine you are talking about.
Bubba, you could mount a sail on your car and use your hot air to get to work. Oh that's right, a job...............
I believe Tesla's electric car won the car of the year award. Electric cars are great. there are more and more of them every year. Natural gas operated cars and semi also help. There is nothing wrong with using all forms of energy.
markinbecker, Tesla is selling cars in the thousands, we need them to ramp up to millions. We need solutions, not drops in the bucket.
Well Neal, Rome wasn't built in a day. People are working on solutions but your negative attitude doesn't help. He helpful not a hindrance. Have an open mind.
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/gashole/
Check this out and if you go to Youtube you will find many more more efficient engines.
We've got to start somewhere. We don't still live in caves, do we? Like you twice, markinbecker.
Electric cars are not the answer. Especially not the answer for environment. The production of the batteries is extremely toxic to the environment and ask yourself "Where does the electricity come from?" The answer, at least if you live in the northeast, is predominantly coal. The answer is closer to Hydrogen Fuel Cell which is completely clean and can be reclaimed from natural gas use. However, the funding was cut off in the first term from President Obama.
Does anyone else here (besides one earlier commenter) realize that oil's impact goes way beyond cars and gas? Petrolium is in EVERYTHING. And I mean everything, including that vasoline some of you here might use.
So here are the facts: if we get away from oil, be prepared to live an amish life complaining about what your wood stove is doing to the environment. Honestly, go plant a few hundred trees. You'll do more good there than running from fossil fuels and pretending that option wont return us to the stone age.
I don't imagine a world completely off oil. No way. I get it.
But there's so much of what we do that is so wasteful, including the ridiculously low MPG we get on cars, the wasted plastics on clamshells protective casings for cheap chinese junk we buy, plastic bags, plastic bottles...just absolute waste. I get it those things are made cheaper by their nature of cheap plastics from oil. I get it. But the cost to our environment is wickedly high. Ever see that floating plastic Island around the south pacific the size of texas and growing?
We are NOT being responsible with oil and it's products, including gasoline and other derivatives.
I also agree that electric vehicles are not the answer either.
Here's the link to the article that started me reading on alternatives to combustion engine designs.
( They removed the linnk. Just google "bill gates invests into alternative combustion" and you'll get hits. from there, you can follow articles on popular mechanics and other sites that show the numerous alternatives that engineers fastidiously are designging. )
if you start there, and google alternatives to combustion engine, you come up with several designs that are out there that work today. Just like with the Tucker, I'm sure Big Auto and Big Oil will stifle many of these from ever hitting the market, but there are solutions out there.
It's not the Flux Capacitor magic engine that Marty drove. It's a step above the traditional combusion engine. No it's not powered by a personal portable hydrogen reactor either. But just imagine what could happen to the consumption of oil if we were to use these engines that are double efficient than the ancient combustion engiens offered today.
And don't forget natural gas vehicles that are out there, too. but that begs the issue on fracting. Wouldn't want to replace one harmful energy source (oil) with fracking waste and carbon burnoff.
it's too bad hydrogen power sources aren't further along in development. Water as a by product. That'd be wonderful. but we're not there yet.
Hydrogen!
The oil companies will not go for it because they do not want to change/alter the distribution system from a non-pressurized liquid, to a pressurized liquid. It will cost them profits and make them replace ancient production plants, and they will lose their ability to manipulate prices with the current government controls in place.
Of course hydrogen is expensive to make, if your only making five gallons at a time!
When John McCain was going against George W. Bush in the republican primary for the presidential election, Carl Rove started a whisper campaign in South Carolina I believe, where he told donors, voters, and others that when John McCain was being held as a prisoner in a North Vietnamese POW camp, John McCain was scootched in the hiney so hard and so often that when he was finally released and allowed to return that he came back a little nuts. Carl Rove implied that McCain wasn't playing with a full deck. It was also speculated that McCain grew to love this so much that when he was given a first opportunity to return he turned it down. Now I know something like this was indeed supposed to have happened to Lawrence of Arabia but is it possible? I know that it's completely probable but is it possible? Everyone has witnessed his sullen ugly moods where he has a sudden fit, becoming enraged. Is this mental tempermentality caused by his being scootched in the hinder for long hours? I wouldn't know, we'd have to turn to an expert of sorts in this kind of matter, someone like Rush Limbaugh. So Rush tell us, is McCain's Jekyll/Hyde moments caused by him being bumped in the bumkin until you've got a rotten pumpkin? Dittoheads get on those phones and start making those calls and get Rush to tell us what he thinks. We'd like to know. In that POW camp did McCain play end receiver so often that he developed a love for the ball game? Or is he just plain nuts? Let us know what you think!
So what assylum to you live in?
So just exactly how is this even pertinent to the article in question. And - even though I am far from a McCain supporter - Karl ROve and his whisper campaign denigrated a man who served this country honorably, he did turn down a chance to be repatriated early because he didn't want special treatment (his father was a high mucky muck in the NAVY), and lastly quoting Karl ROve is like quoting Archie Bunker.
M T bar aka M T Brain- set down the coco puffs. The white coats will be there shortly
I know i should not even respond to this kind of idiocy, but what the hell does this have to do with the Oil rig explosion?
See post 16.1. Easy call. Hopefully, this is deleted as opposed to collapsed very soon.
Leave Archie Bunker out of this,
He's a national hero.
Archie Bunker for President/2016.
Can't be any worse than the party tard's that will be nominated.
This HAD to be because of all those regulations stifling free trade and job creators, if the government would just back off everything would be fine! Foxnews next faux outrage at 11.
where's the Obama Blame , The Oil Companies don't care at All!! McCain you better hold a special hearing for
this!!
Apparently some of you are reading comprehension challenged - One of the comments was that this was a non-producing well and lets watch prices rise - wong to quote the article "The platform is a production platform, unlike the Macondo exploratory well in mile-deep water that blew out in 2010."
Another reading challenged commenter said that we shouldwathc the other 22 new wells this company is going to drill - well since this is a production well it is not 'new", so it is not one of the 23e new wells the company wants to drill.
Paragraph 4 said the well is NON production right now.
Today NOW! WE NEED TO STOP BURNING OIL IN OUR CARS AND POWER PLANTS> NOW!
And then what would you do with your car, and how will power plants run?
Stephen Trapp, you are quite welcome to stay in your home, in the dark, without heating or cooling. The rest of us will keep burning oil, TYVM.
Rex- I'm guessing Stephen will be living in his.
So I take it from your strong comments that you have figured out a way to power civilization without the use of gasoline and/or nuclear power, right? You must be the smartest person alive today, just shut them all down, right? Leave it to a liberal, telling everyone how what they are doing is wrong, but have no solution as to an alternative, ever. Just want to here yourself talk, moron.
My family is in oil and gas development. I owe my existence to the oil industry. Oil gas and coal are dirty and limited. It is of vital interest to all to find alternatives to fossil fuels. It is a vested interest of national defense. It will be expensive and big, it will change all of us. We need to do it now while we still have access to cheap fuel for all. It is just going to get more expensive, there is only so much. And somebody will figure it out means we need to pay for development and the logistics of infra structure still need to be worked on. Think of your local electrical utility, that took about 6 generations of people for that to develop. We said we could go to the moon in a decade. We did it. We need to figure out what to replace oil with, or this all goes way forever. Period. That is conservative thinking. Limiting long term costs. Read Locke.
The next great alternative will be perfected when an oil shortage makes it necessary. There's too much money to be made coasting on oil. It won't be replaced on a large scale until we're forced to do so when it becomes scarce or unprofitable. Two things seem to drive major scientific break throughs: necessity and war. Necessity: We HAVE to figure out an alternative because we have no other choice. War: We're looking for the next best way to beat our enemy and either stumble upon a discovery or repurpose weapon technology for everyday life (kinda like Iron Man...repulsor technology developed for war but then adapted to clean energy distribution).
Stephen
It is conservative thinking. Think about a solar power system for a house. It's completely conservative. First there's personal responsibility. You're taking responsibility for your own power production. Then it's free-market. You sell off excess power you produce. Or you buy extra power you need. The grid becomes a marketplace. Economically, it pays for itself over the lifetime of the system, even without government subsidies. It's just a major initial investment, which is not what Americans want. That's why you get a free cell phone and get locked into a 2 year contract instead of paying $50 for a cell phone and getting a cheaper contract you can leave at any time.
And really, there is no reason why environmentalism is a "Liberal" idea. The only reason Liberals own the topic is because they present big government solutions. The Conservatives simply don't have any small government or free market ideas.
Pragmatic: "And really, there is no reason why environmentalism is a "Liberal" idea."
SPOT ON! "Conservation" should be "conservative," shouldn't it?
And since many Republicons claim to be religious--you'd think they would want to preserve the Earth god(dess) gave us all! After all, we're all in this together. Healthy people and a healthy environment is PRO LIFE, isn't it?
Pragmatic,
I've been interested in solar for my house for some time and hope the cost can be reduced as more people move to it.
As a cautionary tale, a local firefighter buddy of mine encourages anyone who installs these units to contact local fire companies and let them know. In case of a fire emergency, solar panels can cause serious and fatal injuries to those trying to save you because they can remain active even if no light is hitting them.
"Drill baby drill!"
You're a bit slow today Toasty, some lady already said that.
So?
Well apparently BP didn't like the fine they got yesterday and blew this thing up..
Not BP -
Crap! Here we go again!!
OMG! Not again!!!!!
That was exactly what I was going to post, Brooke.
What a bunch of ignorant comments I see posted about this situation on here. Got to love people who dont have a clue who think they know what is best.
Why don't you all just shut the he_— up. My brother may be on that rig!!!!
Calm down. He's not there anymore.
go spartans !
Katherine ...Sorry to hear. However, employees who work on oil rigs have as much right to safe working environments onshore or off. Yet, you have the Big Oil bois laughing up their sleeves at how much they get away with.
This is one reason why there will never be offshore drilling off our Atlantic Coast. We just suffered massive power outages, huge losses of homes and the entire shoreline...if Big Oil had oil rigs offshore, we'd be swimming in oil by now.
Sorry, but there comes a time when Americans working for Big Oil need to ask themselves a very serious question: Which is more important? Your life or drilling for oil?
The reality is that Solar Energy in the US is now one of Big Oil's biggest competitors. 50% of German's energy is coming from solar and not oil. It's time for Texas to stop living in the 1800's...We can and will move away from oil as the monolithic monopoly it has become.
Better to find a job in a futuristic industry that has more potential than to lose your life for a Big Oil Big Daddy.