Corporate inaction and incompetence helped thrust the Macondo blowout into an environmental disaster, and energy investment banker Matthew Simmons will be the first one to say so; in fact, he was among the first to say so, and by his own words, took a roasting for it. Read the longer article in full at: http://knox.villagesoup.com/news/story/matt-simmons-tells-a-real-ugly-story/338589
Simmons believes the image of the oil spewing from the blowout preventer displayed on news sites around the world fails to illustrate the reality of the situation. He maintains that a vast lake of oil seeping from the ocean floor and the well head lies approximately six miles from the site where BP says it is trying to cap the oil flow — "flowing like lava and now probably the size of two Washington states," said Simmons. That is the source of what is polluting the gulf, spreading "rainbows of death that stretch for miles in every direction," a description of the oil paths narrated in a video produced by the conservation aviation group South Wings.
The world is not seeing that well head, from which the heavy crude is gushing. The drilling rig is only partially attached to that well head, maintains Simmons, via a damaged riser — a long pipe (see image 5 in the gallery for an illustration of the mechanics). BP is focusing on capping the end of that riser, which is minimally connected to the well. Imagine a hose that is 30 percent connected to the faucet. The faucet is leaking more water than is entering the hose, while at the other end of the hose, much activity is placed on stopping the hose flow.
He points to the color of the oil: Louisiana light is a high grade of crude oil typically obtained along the immediate shelf; but what is washing up with the waves is a heavy, orange substance that suggest to Simmons an origin deep below the gulf floor. He fears what gases are also coming up with it, methane and benzene lifting onto ocean breezes.
Simmons calculates up to 120,000 barrels a day are seeping up into the Gulf, while the U.S. Geological Survey estimates 35,000 to 60,000 barrel per day. He calls the oozing oil the "crime scene," outlining its potential for smothering life in 40 percent of the gulf. In addition to environmental destruction, he talks of the potential for massive human injury, should hurricanes stir the gulf waters and release even more toxic gases from the underwater accruing oil.
It's a scenario compounded by the prospect of power plants and refineries becoming incapacitated, their systems contaminated by oily water, causing mass mechanical failure. How will people escape noxious clouds if they can't rely on power to get them out, said Simmons.
Showing posts with label Gulf sea life killed. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gulf sea life killed. Show all posts
Monday, July 26, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
OIL, OIL AND MORE OIL... for a Quarter of a Century???
IF that massive oil "leak" in the Gulf can't be stopped, plugged or sucked up effectively (with the LEAST amount of ecological damage), we can't even FATHOM the full extent of ensuing problems. I hate to be "doom and gloomy" but we (the people) have NEVER faced a problem of this magnitude. How come we could engineer moon landings but we can't engineer a "FIX" to deep-sea drilling? If we CAN'T (or don't / won't) envision potential problems and plan for solutions to them, what business do we have GAMBLING with our EARTH?
Concerns about the integrity of the sub-seabed well casing appear also to be motivating some seriously doomerish recent public statements from Matt Simmons, the energy investment banker who decided to go rogue a couple of years ago following the publication of his controversial Peak Oil book Twilight in the Desert.
Simmons says, for example, that “it could be 24 years before the deepwater gusher ends,” a forecast that makes little sense if one accepts the conventional view of what’s wrong with the Deepwater Horizon well and how long it will take to plug it with relief wells.
Are these concerns credible? From a technical standpoint, it is clear that improperly cemented wells can and do rupture and cause blowouts. It’s fairly clear that this is part of what happened with Deepwater Horizon. But is the well casing further disintegrating, and is oil escaping the well bore horizontally as well as vertically? We just don’t know. And that is largely due to the fact that BP is as opaque on this score as it has been with regard to nearly every sensitive technical issue (including the rate of leakage) since its drilling rig exploded two months ago.
So far, up to 3.6 million barrels of oil have spilled into the Gulf. The size of the Macondo oilfield has been estimated as being anywhere from 25 to 100 million barrels. It is unclear how much of that oil-in-place would escape upward into Gulf waters if its flow remained completely unchecked, but it is safe to assume that at least half, and probably a much greater proportion, would eventually drain upward. That means many times as much oil would enter the Gulf waters as has done so until now.
Already Deepwater Horizon is the not only the worst oil spill, but the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Multiplying the scale of this existing catastrophe multiple times sends us into truly uncharted territory.
Already, coastal ecosystems are being shredded; for a sense of how bad it is for wildlife in the Gulf now, just read “Biologists fear Gulf wildlife will suffer for generations.” In a truly worst case, oil — and perhaps dissolved methane as well — would hitch a ride on ocean currents out to the deep Atlantic, spreading ecological destruction far and wide.
For the economies of coastal states, a worst-case leakage scenario would be utterly devastating. Not only the fishing industry, but the oil industry as well would be fatally crippled, due to the disruption of operations at refineries. Shipping via the Mississippi River, which handles 60 percent of all U.S. grain exports, could be imperiled, since the Port of South Louisiana, the largest bulk cargo port in the world, might have to be closed if ships are unable to operate in oil-drenched waters. Unemployment in the region would soar and economic refugees would scatter in all directions.
The consequences for BP would almost certainly be fatal: it is questionable whether the corporation can survive even in the best case (that is, if “bottom kill” efforts succeed in August); if the spill goes on past the end of the year, then claims against the company and investor flight will probably push it into bankruptcy. Americans may shed few tears over this prospect, but BP happens to be Great Britain’s largest corporation, so the impact to the British economy could be substantial.
The consequences for the oil industry as a whole would also be dire. More regulations, soaring insurance rates, and drilling moratoria would lead to oil price spikes and shortages. Foreign national oil companies could of course continue to operate much as before, but the big independent companies, even if they shifted operations elsewhere, would be hit hard.
For President Obama, an environmental disaster of the scale we are discussing could have political consequences at least equivalent to those of the Iranian hostage crisis during the Carter presidency. Obama’s only chance at survival would be an FDR-like show of leadership backed by bold energy and economic plans and ruthless disregard for partisan bickering and monied interests.
For the U.S. economy, already weakened by a still-unfolding financial crisis, a worst-case scenario in the Gulf could be the last straw. The cumulative impacts—falling grain exports, soaring unemployment in southeastern coastal states, higher oil prices—would almost certainly spell the end to any hope of recovery and might push the nation into the worst Depression in its history.
We would all prefer not even to contemplate such a scenario, much less live with it. It is irresponsible to inflict needless worry on readers, but the more I learn about the technical issues, and the worse news gets, the more likely this scenario seems. We all hope that a relief well will succeed in stopping the oil flow sometime around August, and that until then BP will be able to siphon off most of the oil escaping through the riser and damaged blowout preventer. But one has to wonder: is anyone at the White House seriously considering the worst-case scenario? And what should citizens be doing to prepare, just in case?
(Here’s a tip: read my FIRST post or so at this blog on survival / preparedness and stock in at least a 30-day, 60-day better food supply ~!)
Concerns about the integrity of the sub-seabed well casing appear also to be motivating some seriously doomerish recent public statements from Matt Simmons, the energy investment banker who decided to go rogue a couple of years ago following the publication of his controversial Peak Oil book Twilight in the Desert.
Simmons says, for example, that “it could be 24 years before the deepwater gusher ends,” a forecast that makes little sense if one accepts the conventional view of what’s wrong with the Deepwater Horizon well and how long it will take to plug it with relief wells.
Are these concerns credible? From a technical standpoint, it is clear that improperly cemented wells can and do rupture and cause blowouts. It’s fairly clear that this is part of what happened with Deepwater Horizon. But is the well casing further disintegrating, and is oil escaping the well bore horizontally as well as vertically? We just don’t know. And that is largely due to the fact that BP is as opaque on this score as it has been with regard to nearly every sensitive technical issue (including the rate of leakage) since its drilling rig exploded two months ago.
So far, up to 3.6 million barrels of oil have spilled into the Gulf. The size of the Macondo oilfield has been estimated as being anywhere from 25 to 100 million barrels. It is unclear how much of that oil-in-place would escape upward into Gulf waters if its flow remained completely unchecked, but it is safe to assume that at least half, and probably a much greater proportion, would eventually drain upward. That means many times as much oil would enter the Gulf waters as has done so until now.
Already Deepwater Horizon is the not only the worst oil spill, but the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Multiplying the scale of this existing catastrophe multiple times sends us into truly uncharted territory.
Already, coastal ecosystems are being shredded; for a sense of how bad it is for wildlife in the Gulf now, just read “Biologists fear Gulf wildlife will suffer for generations.” In a truly worst case, oil — and perhaps dissolved methane as well — would hitch a ride on ocean currents out to the deep Atlantic, spreading ecological destruction far and wide.
For the economies of coastal states, a worst-case leakage scenario would be utterly devastating. Not only the fishing industry, but the oil industry as well would be fatally crippled, due to the disruption of operations at refineries. Shipping via the Mississippi River, which handles 60 percent of all U.S. grain exports, could be imperiled, since the Port of South Louisiana, the largest bulk cargo port in the world, might have to be closed if ships are unable to operate in oil-drenched waters. Unemployment in the region would soar and economic refugees would scatter in all directions.
The consequences for BP would almost certainly be fatal: it is questionable whether the corporation can survive even in the best case (that is, if “bottom kill” efforts succeed in August); if the spill goes on past the end of the year, then claims against the company and investor flight will probably push it into bankruptcy. Americans may shed few tears over this prospect, but BP happens to be Great Britain’s largest corporation, so the impact to the British economy could be substantial.
The consequences for the oil industry as a whole would also be dire. More regulations, soaring insurance rates, and drilling moratoria would lead to oil price spikes and shortages. Foreign national oil companies could of course continue to operate much as before, but the big independent companies, even if they shifted operations elsewhere, would be hit hard.
For President Obama, an environmental disaster of the scale we are discussing could have political consequences at least equivalent to those of the Iranian hostage crisis during the Carter presidency. Obama’s only chance at survival would be an FDR-like show of leadership backed by bold energy and economic plans and ruthless disregard for partisan bickering and monied interests.
For the U.S. economy, already weakened by a still-unfolding financial crisis, a worst-case scenario in the Gulf could be the last straw. The cumulative impacts—falling grain exports, soaring unemployment in southeastern coastal states, higher oil prices—would almost certainly spell the end to any hope of recovery and might push the nation into the worst Depression in its history.
We would all prefer not even to contemplate such a scenario, much less live with it. It is irresponsible to inflict needless worry on readers, but the more I learn about the technical issues, and the worse news gets, the more likely this scenario seems. We all hope that a relief well will succeed in stopping the oil flow sometime around August, and that until then BP will be able to siphon off most of the oil escaping through the riser and damaged blowout preventer. But one has to wonder: is anyone at the White House seriously considering the worst-case scenario? And what should citizens be doing to prepare, just in case?
(Here’s a tip: read my FIRST post or so at this blog on survival / preparedness and stock in at least a 30-day, 60-day better food supply ~!)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
IF THERE IS A HELL, THERE'S GOTTA BE A SPECIAL PLACE IN IT FOR BP ~!
BP is burning endangered sea turtles alive.
News has just emerged from the Gulf Coast that BP is burning endangered sea turtles alive.
A boat captain who has been leading efforts to rescue the endangered turtles says BP has blocked his crews from entering the areas where the animals are trapped, effectively shutting down the rescue operation.
BP is using "controlled burns" to contain the oil spill. Shrimp boats create a corral of oil by dragging together fire-resistant booms and then lighting the enclosed "burn box" on fire. If turtles are not removed from the area before the fire is lit, they are literally burned alive.
The sea turtle most affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the Kemp's Ridley2 which is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Parties responsible for killing the endangered turtles are liable for criminal penalties that include prison and civil fines of up to $25,000 per violation.
As a result, BP perversely has a financial incentive to allow the endangered turtles to burn rather than allow rescue crews to cull them from the burn boxehttp://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bp_endangered_turtles/s before the containment fires are lit.
"They ran us out of there and then they shut us down, they would not let us get back in there," said turtle rescuer Mike Ellis in an interview with conservation biologist Catherine Craig that was posted on YouTube.com. 3
Tell BP: Stop burning endangered sea turtles alive. Sign petition at:
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bp_endangered_turtles/
1 BP 'burning sea turtles alive', Raw Story, June 20, 2010
2 Sea Turtles Among Oil Spill Victims, NPR, June 10, 2010
3 Venice, Louisiana, Boat Captain/ by Catherine Craig, YouTube, June 13, 2010.
News has just emerged from the Gulf Coast that BP is burning endangered sea turtles alive.
A boat captain who has been leading efforts to rescue the endangered turtles says BP has blocked his crews from entering the areas where the animals are trapped, effectively shutting down the rescue operation.
BP is using "controlled burns" to contain the oil spill. Shrimp boats create a corral of oil by dragging together fire-resistant booms and then lighting the enclosed "burn box" on fire. If turtles are not removed from the area before the fire is lit, they are literally burned alive.
The sea turtle most affected by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the Kemp's Ridley2 which is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Parties responsible for killing the endangered turtles are liable for criminal penalties that include prison and civil fines of up to $25,000 per violation.
As a result, BP perversely has a financial incentive to allow the endangered turtles to burn rather than allow rescue crews to cull them from the burn boxehttp://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bp_endangered_turtles/s before the containment fires are lit.
"They ran us out of there and then they shut us down, they would not let us get back in there," said turtle rescuer Mike Ellis in an interview with conservation biologist Catherine Craig that was posted on YouTube.com. 3
Tell BP: Stop burning endangered sea turtles alive. Sign petition at:
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/bp_endangered_turtles/
1 BP 'burning sea turtles alive', Raw Story, June 20, 2010
2 Sea Turtles Among Oil Spill Victims, NPR, June 10, 2010
3 Venice, Louisiana, Boat Captain/ by Catherine Craig, YouTube, June 13, 2010.
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