Oil Rig Fire - Gulf of Mexico - Do we want these on Atlantic Coast?

[Fishamajig]

I am all about domestic energy production and can see some fishing potential for offshore rigs on the Atlantic Coast, but before we do so, can we see the dowside of this program? Is there anyway to have additional safeguards? How often do these things blow up?

The Coast Guard is saying that this may very well be one of the worst oil spills we have experienced. Remember too that it is spring and a lot of spawning/juvenile fish, shrimp and oysters could be impacted in the Gulf.

I understand that they are floating the theory of setting this oil slick on fire. Makes me wonder why you would put forth the effort of extinguishing in the first place. With the wealth of kmowledge on this board, someone should have some insight.

Signed,

Confused in Mechanicsville, MD

[Potomacduck]

Don't worry about oil rigs off Virginia, this was a 100% political ruse.

The Obama Administration tossed out the possibility of drilling off the coast to appease the "drill now" crowd. They like the idea.....so.....Obama's not so bad after all.........instant poll results. Get it?

The Administration will turn around and have the EPA do a 10 year environmental impact study and those oil rigs will NEVER HAPPEN.

[bring_em_on]

Agree with Potomacduck. However, if it did happen, it's a very safe operation. I grew up in South TX and there are countless drilling and work over rigs across both land and water. It's rare that anything happens (not to say it doesn't). When you read stories about what just happened in the Gulf, you have to remember that there's a huge interest in NOT drilling. I remember a pretty big oil spill off Port Aransas, TX in the late 70's and all the enviro groups lamented about how many decades it would take for the area to recover. Hell, it wasn't but a few months later and you would have never known anything happened if you didn't know already. Fishing and wildlife recovered (and to be fair, it recovered with extensive help from those same enviro groups).

[goose70]

The issue is one of risks v benefits. The risks of a significant oil spill are very low based on historic data. However, as we can see, the potential for serious consequences when a major failure does occur in deep water are very high. I have learned that many folks in the industry are scratching their heads over how they'll be able to stop the (now multiple) leaks in the Gulf. People all along the coast there are reporting a very strong odor from the spill. This is scary, serious stuff when it goes wrong.

Of course, there are benefits that one must weigh against the risks. Each of us uses petroleum products not only in transportation, but also in just about every tool, toy and body product that we use. We have little hope of weaning ourselves off of that (without massive societal costs) anytime in the foreseeable future. So I do not expect us to be dismantling petroleum platforms anytime soon.

However, when it comes to expanding the risks, such as to the Virginia coast, my views are more mixed. Currently, the coast of Virginia is estimated to contain enough petroleum to serve this country's needs for 2-5 days, depending on who you believe. Ask yourself if that amount of petroleum is worth even the slight risk of ecological and economic catastrophe for the Bay and coast. On the other hand, we actually have little idea of what is really down there, and whether it's recoverable at anything under $150/bbl. The 2-4 day estimate may be wildly optimistic, or we may find a gigantic reserve that is relatively easy to exploit.

So, for that reason I do support exploration off the coast (which I understand carries less risks of what we're seeing today in the gulf....but correct me if I'm wrong, Capt. Nemo). But whether I support production depends on many variables, including the amount of petroleum at stake and the results of the investigation of our current disaster. I am also confident that this is the view of White House staff, contrary to the cynical speculation expressed by one poster, above.

Finally, keep in mind that modest additional conservation efforts, using the same technology and machinery that we have now, would save the equivalent of a few Alaska's worth of oil over a relatively short time. The pending shortage of exploitable oil is real and it won't hit gradually. Pinning our hopes on maintaining our present oil consumption on east coast drilling is idiotic and ignorant.

[BILL H]

Deleted. Responded to wrong thread.

[rocksandblues]

there is no way anyone will spend millions upon millions for a 4 day petroleum supply. There is more than that out there. Way more if they even commit to preliminary studies.

To answer the original question, yes we (I) want those here. Our way of life is inexorably is tied to petroleum.

If we really want to live risk free lives we need to outlaw automobiles which kill hundreds of humans every week.

[goose70]

there is no way anyone will spend millions upon millions for a 4 day petroleum supply. There is more than that out there. Way more if they even commit to preliminary studies.

Why not? The industry has spent far more for far less. Do you know how much a 4-day petrol supply is worth?

The industry needs to hire you as its exploration guru. Why spend millions on exploration when they can just ask you?:))

[Bottom Knocker]

target for terrorists and environmentalists

[J.A. Veil]

Do you know how much a 4-day petrol supply is worth?



To put some facts on this discussion, the Dept of Energy's Energy Information Administration publishes statistics on crude oil production and consumption. The most recent month for which numbers are available is January 2010. The average daily volume of domestic crude oil production is 5.4 million barrels (1 barrel or bbl = 42 gallons). The average daily import volume is 8.5 million bbl. The total U.S. consumption for January averaged 13.9 million bbl/day. Assuming a cost of $70/bbl, a 4-day supply would be worth a gross value of $3.9 billion. I have no idea whether the Virginia offshore reserves are more or less than a 4 day supply. I suspect they are much larger, but have no real evidence to support that opinion.

[rocksandblues]

why arent you out chasing ambulances??

just kidding!

i am no petroleum expert. but if one were to spend the time to research how much it cost to get gulf of mexico sized oil rigs designed, built, permitted and installed and pumping, i bet you the business decision would not be positive if the return were not higher. With years of supply in already explored and demonstrated it would be a lot more logical to add another rig in the gulf, or Canada, or any one of the many world oil fields under lease by oil companies?

I am all for wind farms too. Lord knows there is plenty of wind around.... Goose ;)

[goose70]

why arent you out chasing ambulances??

just kidding!

i am no petroleum expert. but if one were to spend the time to research how much it cost to get gulf of mexico sized oil rigs designed, built, permitted and installed and pumping, i bet you the business decision would not be positive if the return were not higher. With years of supply in already explored and demonstrated it would be a lot more logical to add another rig in the gulf, or Canada, or any one of the many world oil fields under lease by oil companies?

I am all for wind farms too. Lord knows there is plenty of wind around.... Goose ;)

The ambulances come to me.:thumbup:

Hot air aside,:)) my point about the four day supply is that it's not much petrol in the grand scheme of things, but it's still A LOT of petrol from a busines standpoint and a LOT of money to be made (see John Veil's numbers). Obviously, it would not all be pumped, shipped, refined and used in four days, but would trickle in over a few decades.

Of course, the petroleum companies are hoping to find much more than that....right now, nobody really knows how much is there.

[rocksandblues]

because I had no real dAta to support my pontification I used my google machine to find the following


http://www.thomasjeffersoninst.org/pdf/articles/Virginia_Offshore_FactBrief.pdf

[goose70]

Thanks for the link. I have worked on matters involving many of the petrol industry's leaders and have never heard of Dr. Schnare, Esq., PhD (minor point, but lawyers aren’t supposed to sign their owns names with an "esq.---you let other folks give you that honor:nono:). Nevertheless, I'm not prepared to quibble with any fact in the paper, especially since they seem more-or-less in line with what I've seen in the past. To my non-expert eye, it appears to be well presented and I'm assuming that it is well researched. In fact, it seems like quite a nice, educational nutshell about some important facts and figures that illustrate key points about petrol use and consumption.

Of course, Dr. Schnare and his "Jefferson" institute also have a strong policy objective that they are trying to promote in this paper. I see nothing wrong with that, but it should be read with that in mind.

Perhaps the most alarming piece of data in it is the last bullet point on p.3, where the good doctor claims that 63% of citizens feel that finding more energy sources is more important than conservation. I suspect, when you look at behavior versus what people say, the figure is actually much higher. And it is this fact that will doom us if we do not make a concerted effort to educate folks about just how much cheaper and easier it is to conserve than to find new petroleum, and that nobody has yet developed anything close to a viable plan to keep long-term oil supplies in line with current consumption, let alone projected global increases in consumption. This is not only an environmental issue, or a national security issue, but an issue that impacts the very foundation of modern civilization. We cannot stupidly piss our oil away as we continue to do now.

P.S.: The paper raises another good point about natural gas exploration. The East Coast is thought to be very rich in natural gas supplies -- a clean, abundant source of energy.

[hackeyfly]

Maybe we can get a positive out of this situation locally. It seems that the oyster industry in the Gulf has figured out how to maintain a reasonable and healthy population of oysters that produces a major influx into the local economy. Bring them up here so they can teach opur local boys how to do it.
Pat in Joppa

[saltfly]

Changing to newer, cleaner, safer, more sustainable energy and technologies is not nearly as challenging as changing known paradigms and mindsets

I agree with you. In the 70’s , during the gas shortage. A guy from, I think it was North Carolina. It may have been South Caroline. Came up with a Hygiene conversation kit. For the engines you have in your cars and trucks, right now. He also developed hygiene production from solar cells. He built a few service stations in his town and was converting car and truck engines, to promote his systems. All very reasonably priced. When the news got hold of it, and started spreading the news. It seemed the gas shortage came to an end just a few weeks later. Then the oil companies made every effort to shut him down and buy up the process. The gov. is offering money for anyone who can come up with a good hygiene burning engine. Where is that guys system????? Buried in some oil companies safe. But what is more important. Where is the news clips from back then? And why isn’t the media bring them back to show people something all ready excess.

[CaptNemo]

I agree with you. In the 70’s , during the gas shortage. A guy from, I think it was North Carolina. It may have been South Caroline. Came up with a Hygiene conversation kit. For the engines you have in your cars and trucks, right now. He also developed hygiene production from solar cells. He built a few service stations in his town and was converting car and truck engines, to promote his systems. All very reasonably priced. When the news got hold of it, and started spreading the news. It seemed the gas shortage came to an end just a few weeks later. Then the oil companies made every effort to shut him down and buy up the process. The gov. is offering money for anyone who can come up with a good hygiene burning engine. Where is that guys system????? Buried in some oil companies safe. But what is more important. Where is the news clips from back then? And why isn’t the media bring them back to show people something all ready excess.

I had no idea you could burn hygiene...what about bad hygiene is that a fuel source too or just good hygiene? If we could burn bad hygiene imagine how much cleaner the world be...