Oil Leak at Gulf of Mexico Oil Well

[Guest Andre]

As oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill made landfall at the mouth of the Mississippi River, local fishermen and environmental experts spoke out on BP's response to the disaster, which threatens ecological and economic disaster throughout the region.

 

[Guest Black Sun]

http://www.tescocorp.com/bins/index.asp

 

Tesco Corporation is an Industry leader in the development and commercialization of drilling technology and services. The Corporation’s mission is to change the way wells are drilled; by reducing drilling risk and increasing operational efficiency TESCO generates real value for its customers.

 

I wonder if they have spoken with BP on using this technology on drilling the second well head?

 

TESCO’s revolutionary CASING DRILLING™ process makes it possible to speed up drilling 20 to 30 percent, or more, by eliminating drill-string tripping and the problems associated with it.

[Guest Human]

Good man BlackSun, you are thinking.

 

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I wonder if they have spoken with BP on using this technology on drilling the second well head?

[JT Allen]

Why would there be a liability cap of 10 billion? Shouldn't the liability cap be, basically bankruptcy for the company found liable? Who pays after the cap? The taxpayers?

[Guest LAW]

U.S. Sen. David Vitter today made the following remarks at the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works hearing, “Economic and Environmental Impacts of the Recent Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.” Vitter is a member of the committee.

 

“The challenges we currently face following the well collapse at Deepwater Horizon - industries dealing with uncertainty, fisheries facing shutdown, and men and women across Louisiana concerned about their livelihoods and their families - cannot be overstated,” said Vitter. “As a member of this committee and a Gulf state senator whose state has been affected by the spill, I'm disappointed that my request to delay this hearing until we've capped the well and made headway protecting our coastline was ignored. I’m afraid that pulling focus and resources away from the coast is a mistake, and Louisianians know that this problem won’t get solved in a Washington committee room but only when we have all hands on deck.

 

“As it stands, initial efforts to cap the well with dome technology called ‘cofferdam’ failed because of the depths and temperature we are dealing with on the Gulf floor. A second attempt at capping and capturing the well is expected in the near future in hopes that technological challenges can be alleviated.

 

“In my multiple conversations with the Coast Guard, it has also been made clear that getting more boom in the water to protect the coast is a top priority because, as it stands, for every five miles of coastline potentially exposed to the spill we have less than one mile of boom in place.

 

“Additionally, I have been in discussions with my fellow Gulf state senators on how we can update and revise the Oil Pollution Act. We can’t abandon the energy we need to fuel our economy, but we must be better prepared in the future.”

[Guest Captian hook]

As oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill made landfall at the mouth of the Mississippi River, local fishermen and environmental experts spoke out on BP's response to the disaster, which threatens ecological and economic disaster throughout the region.

 

 

BP aint going to do Jack crap they promise. You will see.

[BlackSun]

People need to check this story out now!!!!! I do hope it is a rumor.

 

US Orders Blackout Over North Korean Torpedoing Of Gulf Of Mexico Oil Rig

 

http://www.eutimes.net/2010/05/us-orders-blackout-over-north-korean-torpedoing-of-gulf-of-mexico-oil-rig/

 

A grim report circulating in the Kremlin today written by Russia’s Northern Fleet is reporting that the United States has ordered a complete media blackout over North Korea’s torpedoing of the giant Deepwater Horizon oil platform owned by the World’s largest offshore drilling contractor Transocean that was built and financed by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., that has caused great loss of life, untold billions in economic damage to the South Korean economy, and an environmental catastrophe to the United States.

 

Most important to understand about this latest attack by North Korea against its South Korean enemy is that under the existing “laws of war” it was a permissible action as they remain in a state of war against each other due to South Korea’s refusal to sign the 1953 Armistice ending the Korean War.

 

http://www.helium.com/items/1822296-possible-north-korea-target-deepwater-horizon-oil-platform

 

Suspicions that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was a deliberate act gained strength with news that North Korea may have played a role in it. Reports that North Korea torpedoed the Deepwater Horizon oil rig by many outlets include reports of a government-ordered a news blackout concerning details. If the oil disaster was caused by an intentional act, the dispatch of SWAT teams to the Gulf by the Obama regime makes sense.

[Guest Franco]

Rumors are flying that according to the Russians, the North Koreans launched one of its SSC Sang-o mini-subs with the intention of sinking the platform. I hope this is not true.

[BlackSun]

This story appears to originate from a group called "Sorcha Faal." Most people believe that "Sorcha Faal" is actually David Booth.

 

Sister Maria Theresa is the 73rd Sorcha Faal of the Sorcha Faal Order, Elected as Mother Superior 3 February 2007.

 

The Order of Sorcha Faal was established in 588 (BCE) in Tara, County Meath, Ireland, and claim as their Founder the oldest daughter of King Zedekiah, Tamar Tephi.

 

The name, Sorcha Faal, comes from the ancient Gaeilge branch of the Goidelic languages of Ireland and has the meaning of: Sorcha: She Who Brings Light Faal: the Dark and Barren Place

 

The Order of Sorcha Faal comprises 18 Monasteries in Ireland, Russia, Egypt, Lebanon, and the United States.

 

You can join Sorcha Faal’s mailing list by sending your request to: sorchafaal@fastmail.fm

 

http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1367.htm

 

Fax:

PO Box 841

C/O whatdoesitmean.com

Yarmouth, NS B5A 4K5

CA

 

David Booth is cited as the Registrant and Administrator for whatdoesitmean.com.

 

whatdoesitmean.com NS ns2.servint.com 21600s

whatdoesitmean.com NS ns.servint.com 21600s

 

OrgName: ServInt

OrgID: SRVN

Address: 6861 Elm Street

Address: 4th Floor

City: McLean

StateProv: VA

PostalCode: 22101

Country: US

 

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CIDR: 209.50.224.0/19

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Parent: NET-209-0-0-0-0

NetType: Direct Allocation

NameServer: NS.SERVINT.COM

NameServer: NS2.SERVINT.COM

Comment: ADDRESSES WITHIN THIS BLOCK ARE NON-PORTABLE

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Updated: 2001-06-22

 

RTechHandle: NO178-ARIN

RTechName: ServInt Engineering

RTechPhone: +1-703-847-1381

RTechEmail: ipdept@servint.com

 

6861 Elm Street

4th Floor

McLean, VA 22101

 

General Offices:

800–5-SERVINT (800-573-7846)

Intl +1-571-766-1000

Fax +1-703-847-1383

[Guest greenzen]

What would be the purpose of this misinformation? Does servint.com know what is being posted on their servers?

 

This would make great "Weekly World News" material. But, the problem is many people believe this nonsense and it is actually going viral.

[BlackSun]

Good point.

 

OrgName: New Dream Network, LLC

OrgID: NDN

Address: 417 Associated Rd.

Address: PMB #257

City: Brea

StateProv: CA

PostalCode: 92821

Country: US

eutimes.net SOA

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Authority records

 

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http://wiki.dreamhost.com/

 

Registrant:

Contactprivacy.com

96 Mowat Ave

Toronto, ON M6K 3M1

CA

 

Registrant is cited as:

 

Registrant:

Jessica Nachtman

16435 E. Stallion Dr.

Loxahatchee, FL 33470

US

[Guest SPLC]

The European Union Times isn’t exactly a venerable news source akin to, say, The Associated Press. It is registered to Jessica Nachtman, wife of Christopher Nachtman. Jessica Nachtman states that she merely provides Web hosting for "a European who lives abroad," who she declined to identify further. She said she does not publish or modify any of the site's content. Christopher Nachtman is a former member of the neo-Nazi group National Alliance who more recently has been active in Volksfront, a racist skinhead group.

[Guest LAW]

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-05-07/news/fl-ritz-manalapan-stabbed-20100507_1_holocaust-denier-john-kopko-neo-nazi-publications

 

Citing insufficient evidence, the State Attorney's Office decided not to prosecute a stabbing case that occurred outside a controversial Holocaust denier's speech at the Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan last year, authorities said Friday.

 

Christopher Nachtman, 32, of Loxahatchee, is accused of stabbing John Kopko, 44, of Jupiter, after a heated argument Oct. 26, police said.

 

They were at a seminar by David Irving, a nationally known British author who questions the number of Jews killed in World War II, denies that Auschwitz was a death camp and defends Hitler as a hapless leader who didn't know the extent of the mass exterminations.

[Guest Ariz]

What is sick is Transocean took out a $560 million insurance policy on its Deepwater Horizon rig, which was greater than the value of the rig itself. They are going to make money off this disaster.

[Guest Luke]

GOES-13 satellite images (CIMSS Satellite Blog) gives a good picture of what is actually happening.

 

http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/goes/blog/archives/5240

[Guest HUMAN]

Transocean is the LARGEST deep water oil contractor in the world.

 

Just to put it in perspective as to why this country has them there "They are the best".

[Guest John]

"GreenZen" I don't know what the ultimate purpose of this misinformation would be, but if people honestly think there are North Korean Subs (giggle) patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and torpedoing oil rigs at will, than these same people are not fully cognizant of the capabilities of the United States' DoD, among others ... hell, the freakin' DEA would be all over the stupid "North Korean mini-sub" thinking they were drug traffickers. My point is is that I highly doubt there are (again, this is funny to me at this point) enemy subs cruising the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

Get outta here!!!

[Luke_Wilbur]

Build splat bombs made principally like a potato gun. Our Navy would arm a guided torpedo warhead filled with high density epoxy. High compressed air could be released by a sensitive impact sensor. The epoxy should consist of Class F fly ash to seal the well head.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Luke_Wilbur

[Guest Human]

I honestly don't see this oil spill costing no more than 1 billion dollars in damages AT MOST to BP when all the law suits are settled.

 

No matter how much damage it does to the coast line, and businesses.

[Guest HUMAN]

Under a law passed by CLINTON, The Oil companies are ONLY liable for 8 pennies for EVERY Barrel of oil spilled.

 

Get this!!! 8 pennies under LAW for every barrel, and there is 42 gallons of oil in each barrel.

 

You can do the math.

 

You democrats ARE IN REALLY BIG TROUBLE with the general public, because when the general public finds out about this law? WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest LAW]

Remarks by the President on the Ongoing Oil Spill Response

 

THE PRESIDENT: Good afternoon, everybody. I just finished meeting with some of my Cabinet and administration officials about the ongoing efforts to stop the BP oil spill. And I wanted to give the American people an update on these efforts, but I also want to underscore the seriousness and urgency of this crisis.

 

The potential devastation to the Gulf Coast, its economy, and its people require us to continue our relentless efforts to stop the leak and contain the damage. There’s already been a loss of life, damage to our coastline, to fish and wildlife, and to the livelihoods of everyone from fishermen to restaurant and hotel owners. I saw firsthand the anger and frustration felt by our neighbors in the Gulf. And let me tell you, it is an anger and frustration that I share as President. And I’m not going to rest or be satisfied until the leak is stopped at the source, the oil in the Gulf is contained and cleaned up, and the people of the Gulf are able to go back to their lives and their livelihoods.

 

Now, the most important order of business is to stop the leak. I know there have been varying reports over the last few days about how large the leak is, but since no one can get down there in person, we know there is a level of uncertainty. But as Admiral Thad Allen said today, our mobilization and response efforts have always been geared toward the possibility of a catastrophic event. And what really matters is this: There’s oil leaking and we need to stop it –- and we need to stop it as soon as possible. With that source being 5,000 feet under the ocean’s surface, this has been extremely difficult. But scientists and engineers are currently using the best, most advanced technology that exists to try to stop the flow of oil as quickly as possible.

 

Our second task has been to contain the spill and protect the Gulf Coast and the people who live there. We are using every available resource to stop the oil from coming ashore. Over one million feet of barrier boom have been deployed to hold the oil back. Hundreds of thousands of gallons of dispersant have helped to break up the oil, and about four million gallons of oily water have been recovered; 13,000 people have been mobilized to protect the shoreline and its wildlife, as has the National Guard.

 

This week, we also sent to Congress legislation that would provide us with the additional resources to mitigate the damage caused by this spill. And I ask for prompt action on this legislation. That would help with cleanup efforts, it would provide unemployment assistance and job training to folks whose jobs are affected by this crisis, and it would help with the region’s economic recovery. That's why this legislation is important.

It would also help ensure that companies like BP that are responsible for oil spills are the ones that pay for the harm caused by these oil spills -– not the taxpayers. This is in addition to the low-interest loans that we’ve made available to small businesses that are suffering financial losses from the spill.

 

Let me also say, by the way, a word here about BP and the other companies involved in this mess. I know BP has committed to pay for the response effort, and we will hold them to their obligation. I have to say, though, I did not appreciate what I considered to be a ridiculous spectacle during the congressional hearings into this matter. You had executives of BP and Transocean and Halliburton falling over each other to point the finger of blame at somebody else. The American people could not have been impressed with that display, and I certainly wasn’t.

 

I understand that there are legal and financial issues involved, and a full investigation will tell us exactly what happened. But it is pretty clear that the system failed, and it failed badly. And for that, there is enough responsibility to go around. And all parties should be willing to accept it.

 

That includes, by the way, the federal government. For too long, for a decade or more, there has been a cozy relationship between the oil companies and the federal agency that permits them to drill. It seems as if permits were too often issued based on little more than assurances of safety from the oil companies. That cannot and will not happen anymore. To borrow an old phrase, we will trust but we will verify.

 

Now, from the day he took office as Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar has recognized these problems and he’s worked to solve them. Oftentimes he has been slammed by the industry, suggesting that somehow these necessary reforms would impede economic growth. Well, as I just told Ken, we are going to keep on going to do what needs to be done.

 

And so I’ve asked Secretary Salazar to conduct a top-to-bottom reform of the Minerals Management Service. This week, he announced that the part of the agency which permits oil and gas drilling and collects royalties will be separated from the part of the agency in charge of inspecting the safety of oil rigs and platforms and enforcing the law. That way, there’s no conflict of interest, real or perceived.

 

We’ve also ordered immediate inspections of all deepwater operations in the Gulf of Mexico. And we’ve announced that no permits for drilling new wells will go forward until the 30-day safety and environmental review that I requested is completed. We’re also closing the loophole that has allowed some oil companies to bypass some critical environmental reviews, and today we’re announcing a new examination of the environmental procedures for oil and gas exploration and development.

 

Now, as I’ve said before, domestic oil drilling continues to be one part of an overall energy strategy that now includes more clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency than at any other time in our history. But it’s absolutely essential that going forward we put in place every necessary safeguard and protection so that a tragedy like this oil spill does not happen again. This is a responsibility that all of us share -– the oil companies share it; the manufacturers of this equipment share it; the agencies in the federal government in charge of oversight share that responsibility. I will not tolerate more finger pointing or irresponsibility.

 

The people of the Gulf Coast need our help, and they deserve nothing less than for us to stand up and do whatever is necessary to stop this spill, prevent further damage, and compensate all those who’ve been harmed already. That’s our job.

 

It’s also our job to make sure this kind of mess doesn’t happen again. It’s a job we’ve been doing. It’s a job we will keep doing until the well is capped and the spill is cleaned up, and all claims are paid.

 

Thank you very much.

 

END

12:20 P.M. EDT

[Guest DOI]

Secretary Salazar announced that he intends to restructure the Minerals Management Service (MMS) in order to establish a separate and independent safety and environmental enforcement entity. Salazar said the MMS’s inspection, investigation, and enforcement operations will be separate and independent from the agency’s leasing, revenue collection, and permitting functions. Currently, the Minerals Management Service collects energy revenues on behalf of American taxpayers and enforces laws and regulations that apply to offshore energy operators.

 

“The job of ensuring energy companies are following the law and protecting the safety of their workers and the environment is a big one, and should be independent from other missions of the agency,” said Salazar. “We will responsibly and thoughtfully move to establish independence and separation for this critical mission so that the American people know they have a strong and independent organization holding energy companies accountable and in compliance with the law of the land.”

 

The oil spill response legislation that the Obama Administration will submit to Congress will propose an additional $29 million for inspections, enforcement, studies and other activities. This includes approximately $20 million for increased inspections of other platforms, engineering studies, and enforcement of safety regulations for other offshore platforms, another $7 million for more comprehensive evaluations of policies, procedures and actions that may be needed in light of the Deepwater Horizon incident, and $2 million for the Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey or others to conduct general environmental studies. MMS’s budget for inspections for Fiscal Year 2010 is $23 million.

 

At the request of the Obama Administration, the National Academy of Engineering will conduct an independent, technical investigation to determine the root causes of the Deepwater Horizon disaster so that corrective steps can be taken to address the mechanical failures underlying the accident.

 

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is a highly-regarded and respected organization affiliated with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Its projects, like those of the NAS, are implemented by the Academies’ operating arm, the National Research Council (NRC). Its project teams are composed of members of the NAE and other experts from academia, industry, and - when appropriate - from government. The team members are unpaid experts throughout the world with knowledge and expertise in various engineering disciplines. Similar, independent investigations have been conducted of events like the space shuttle Challenger accident. NAE and NAS analyses and technical investigations often lead to results and findings that have had enormous impact on future policy decisions.

 

The independent NAE analysis and technical investigation will complement -- but not replace -- the on-going joint investigation that the USCG and MMS are conducting under their respective governmental investigative authorities.

 

The Obama Administration, in the oil spill response legislation it is submitting to Congress, is proposing to eliminate a 30-day congressionally-mandated deadline for the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to act on exploration plans that oil and gas companies submit. Changing this 30-day mandatory deadline to a 90-day timeline that can be further extended to complete environmental and safety reviews, as needed, would provide MMS more time to conduct additional environmental analysis on an exploration plan.

 

Additional environmental analysis on the exploration plan would supplement the full-scale Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that MMS conducts for the five year plan. It would also supplement the EIS and other environmental reviews conducted prior to any lease sale. MMS also undertakes additional environmental reviews for smaller grids of lease blocks before they are developed.

[Guest LAW]

People need to know that our President has been in the process of reforming MMS before this tragedy.

 

Last January, Secretary Salazar launched an "Ethics Reform Initiative" with Minerals Management Service Employees

 

"The President has made it clear that the type of ethical transgressions, blatant conflicts of interest, wastes and abuses that we have seen over the past eight years will no longer be tolerated,” the Secretary said. “The Department of the Interior will raise the bar for ethics, and we will set the standard for reform."

"So in addition to reviewing the cases of those individuals, we will examine a fundamental restructuring of the MMS royalty program so that taxpayers get their fair share from the development of natural resources, like oil and natural gas, on our public lands," said Salazar, who noted that the royalty office collected $23 billion last year on behalf of the American taxpayer.

 

Undertake a thorough review of the Department’s ethics regulations, policies and guidance and recommend areas where they can be strengthened. “This review will build on President Obama’s order to the Office of Government Ethics to develop rules and regulations consistent with the ethics pledge for all Executive Branch employees, where applicable,” Salazar said.

[Guest Franco]

Tony Hayward, BP Group Chief Executive, today said:

 

We absolutely understand and share President Obama's sense of urgency over the length of time this complex task is taking. We want to thank the President and his administration for their ongoing engagement in this effort.

 

"BP - working closely with scientists and engineers from across the whole oil industry, from government agencies and departments, and with local officials along the Gulf Coast - is focused on doing everything in our power to stop the flow of oil, remove it from the surface, and protect the shoreline. We are working with state and community leaders to mitigate the impact on the lives and livelihoods of those who have been affected.

 

"And while we continue in these efforts, we are participating fully in investigations that will provide valuable lessons about how to prevent future incidents of this nature.

[Guest Guest]

According to Tony Buzbee, managing partner of The Buzbee Law Firm, “Transocean has accepted more than $430 million in insurance proceeds related to the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill, but has asked a Houston federal court to limit its liability to only $27 million, citing an arcane law that dates back to the 1800s. This is a despicable action contorts the intent of the Limitation of Liability Act, which allows a vessel owner to limit its liability to the post-accident value of the vessel. This dishonors the families of the 11 men who were lost on April 20, but also those who were injured on the rig, and the many more affected by the oil spill.”

 

Buzbee, who has tried numerous limitation actions, added, “The first step is to challenge the paperwork filed by Transocean today. We will then ask the Court to be allowed to question Transocean executives, including the CEO whose previous claims regarding employee loyalty and rig safety will be severely scrutinized.”

 

The Buzbee Law Firm, which represents a Halliburton cementing hand who was involved in the cementing job on the Deepwater Horizon, intends to provide testimony that both Transocean and BP officials knew that one of the two pressure tests performed prior to the explosion was abnormal, but work continued on the rig. This evidence, according to Buzbee, should be sufficient to defeat Transocean’s effort to limit its liability.

 

The Buzbee Law Firm represented more than 150 workers injured at the 2005 Texas City BP refinery explosion and has represented hundreds of rig workers during the past 10 years. The firm also recovered $15 million from Transocean on behalf of a group of offshore drilling workers, obtained a a $6.2 million verdict against Halliburton, and others, for the death of an offshore worker, and obtained a $100 million punitive damages verdict against BP for a group of refinery workers.