Daylife/Reuters Pictures used by permission
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The oil well spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico didn’t have a remote-control shut-off switch used in two other major oil-producing nations as last-resort protection against underwater spills.
The lack of the device, called an acoustic switch, could amplify concerns over the environmental impact of offshore drilling after the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig last week.
The accident has led to one of the largest ever oil spills in U.S. water and the loss of 11 lives…
U.S. regulators don’t mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon, hired by oil giant BP PLC, didn’t have one. With the remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated…
Nevertheless, regulators in two major oil-producing countries, Norway and Brazil, in effect require them. Norway has had acoustic triggers on almost every offshore rig since 1993.
The U.S. considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn’t needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well.
Golly. Does that infer the Oil Patch Boys bought enough politicians and bureaucrats to stop regulation.
An acoustic trigger costs about $500,000, industry officials said. The Deepwater Horizon had a replacement cost of about $560 million, and BP says it is spending $6 million a day to battle the oil spill…
RTFA. Lots of history, lots of detail. You do the math!
If we’re going to treat corporations as individuals, why not have the death penalty. This makes me sick to my stomach. It will destroy the Gulf fisheries, maybe for generations. Nothing can stop it now. I’m not even going to follow it anymore. I don’t want to see the photos of the damage.
Thanks Republicans.
Re: bobbo, whats really to learn here said, “Skeptic==of what possible relevancy is the notion of fault not being “solely” the oil companies? The relevant point is that the oil companies ARE responsible and they FAILED. Fact is they are PRIMARILY and LEGALLY responsible.”
Bobbo, the truth has made you uncomfortable I see. It makes me uncomfortable as well. BP did all that it thought was necessary to pump out that oil safely. A disaster of this magnitude is a nightmare for them. Including the cost of this disaster, ALL offshore drilling projects have been stopped until further notice.
Bottom line, the reason they are pumping in the Gulf of Mexico is because of our dependency on the cheapest oil possible. The American public wants them to drill there because they are literally keeping affordable food on your table and until we can wean ourselves off of oil. It is everyone’s fault we are in this position.
I don’t care if they spent a trillion dollars on safety measures…. they are drilling for oil in 5,000 feet of ocean, where earthquakes and tsunamis happen, and it was only a matter of time this event. Murphy’s Law.
So go ahead and put all blame on the oil companies. They are ‘legally’ resonsible. So what? It will solve nothing, and prove nothing. They will eventually start drilling offshore again, once they design /start using a supposedly safer system and the price of oil climbs back to $140/ barrel to cover the costs…. because that’s where the remaining oil is now. There will be more and more offshore drilling and the risk will catch up to them by statistics… and it will happen again.
RTaylor, if you want to stop the slaughter of leopards, don’t buy a leopard skin coat.
Whether there was human error or not, these oil companies are there because you want to maintain the status quo… cheap human comforts and luxuries. We are all guilty.
Just think of what alternative energy… like floating tethered windmills could have been built with all that money? The oil companies are in that business as well.
Skeptic==that was weak. You sound just like a nattering naybob of negativity. I did think you would have a better answer than “the people” (ie-us, you and me) are responsible. Now, I did expect some kind of nonsense, but not that childish.
Do “we the people” want cheap energy?==Yes.
Do “we the people” want oil produced by unsafe polluting oil rigs?===No. And even if we did, the role of the government, and even the oil companies themselves, is not to give it to us.
In this case though, some automatic shut off valve failed to work, or a remote control valve was not designed in or whatever. One scenario makes them more liable, the other not==none of it having to do with the responsibility of “we the people” or anyone else not directly involved in the rigs operation/design.
I suppose if I drove over to your house and punched you in the nose it would be your fault for not having provided for an effective law enforcement regime?
There is an old expression: When everyone is responsible, then no one is responsible.
So, I don’t detect any wayward libertarian influence in your effluence, just TARDATION on its own. Now, straighten up and never use that specious non-argument again. ((Unless it fits like why we have so many illegal aliens here and other ignoble thoughts.))
By everyone’s account this disaster was unavoidable. How many other off shore oil rigs are there in this condition?
So today I’m listening to the talking heads on money channel yelling about how they can speculate, leverage, ‘invest’ in some financial derivative that will get them some ‘fast money’!
Wow! It’s all about ‘fast money’ isn’t it?
You know until we bite the big one and start using something besides oil for everything we’re going to have more messes like this…
short BP..
#19 & 20 The0ne
“I’m very curios to the resolution of why these 4 valves did not work at all.”
Good link, thanks.
Those BOPs are used all over the gulf and everyone sort of assumes they will take care of blowouts like this. Its the first time I have known one to fail.
I just hope they can get it capped somehow.
bobbo with the childish retort, you have tunnel vision. You can’t see that the big picture where everyone is responsible, can apply can and does apply to this scenario. Air, water, food, oil. Your personal assault by one person on another individual is a laughable comparison, and just shows how little you understand. And here, I thought you were just ashamed to be part of the problem.
You said:”Do “we the people” want oil produced by unsafe polluting oil rigs?===No.”
Wrong answer. The facts speak for themselves. The various past oil disasters did absolutely nothing to slow the demand for oil. The general consensus is “we want it cheap, and we don’t care how you do it”. Just watch the complaints when gas goes up 25 cents a gallon.
The world economy doesn’t hinge on any other single product like it does for oil. Practically everything you have or need depends on oil. You are obviously the type of person that has to deny blame when you know you are part of the problem. I’m sure that if you punish the oil companies enough over these events, then you will see $500 a barrel as they attempt the impossible.
The ONLY safe and reasonable solution is to not drill offshore, period. Let oil prices rise to wherever they need to be, based on extracting oil safely, take a cut in quality of life for a generation, and start spending trillions on wind farms and research.
You are so naive Bobbo, if you thing there won’t be another disaster at sea because of a better safety valve.
Just curious why my last comment was deleted. If anyone was offended I apologize.
#30–boolez==page back until you find your draft that you never sent.
#29–Skeptic==my goodness, what lengths you go to support AOBCCS!. That just doesn’t look snappy enough when connected to my own fixation: AOBCCSberTARDIAN. No, just no snap at all.
Isn’t it a fact that “even cheaper than oil” relatively right now can be had with our coal reserves by the application of various technologies? I think so. Clean Air and Clean Water Acts limit the production of power from Coal. Americans see that. Oil spills out at sea rarely coming into populated sea shores are too remote to impinge peoples consciousness. In fairness then it is NOT a desire for dirty but cheap oil that drives this equation but rather desire for cheap oil without awareness of the dirt.
Bottom line, peace loving as I am, I still should hop in my car and drive over and punch you in the nose. Dramatic demonstration of your vacuous argument. Like the Oil companies==I am responsible for what I do==not my victims/consumers. Its rare that a safety device while expensive up front doesn’t save money in the longer term. cost of cleanup–lost oil all could have paid many times over what the safety valve would have cost.
But I see another shading to your inability to think long term. Yes, maybe AOBCCSberTARDIAN will work after all.
boolez==sorry, if it was posted and then deleted normally that is highlighted. Might be a glitch.
I used to enjoy a website for atheists arguing with theists that would censure now and then but they put the post into a separate category and invited people to argue whether or not it was proper to censure/delete the posting. Some excellent discussions took place there and the moderators even changed their minds on occasion.
Might try to go back and see if the repetitive arguments have changed or not. Can they change?
Well Bobbo, you are wrong again. It wasn’t a cheap valve, it was human error… as always seems to be the case. Do a little reading on the Deepwater Horizon history. I did.
Private industry rules! It just goes to show that without regulation big business can look after its own safety regs.
Heck only 11 people died and oil is spewing into the gulf, it could have been worse with the bad old government regulating them!
34,
It also shows that the regulatory agencies we have are worthless.
And that ALL the money needed to replace the thing will come from YOUR POCKETS.
NOT like small companies where a Mis-adventure leads to them going BROKE. These folks have the ability to CHARGE YOU FOR THEIR MISTAKES.
There will not be a loss to Upper wages or Profit margin.
ALSO, you might think of it as a way to RAISE PRICES.
I hope you know that the OIL corps Capped most USA oil long ago. They bought it all up, and are holding it at prices/costs BELOW $0.25 per gallon. All they need do is pay for mineral rights on the land to HOLD IT for years..
Yu hear about oil discoveries around the world, but you will NEVER hear about many in the USA.
Want to be VERY afraid? Look up the history of the trolley. From horse drawn to Electrical. Look up the corruption and payola from what was Done.
When you think of POWEr and control, THINK OIL.
Tell Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal to go after the oil companies that line his party’s pockets to clean up his filthy, oily shores full of dead sea animals.
American taxpayer dollars should not be going to that Mr Rogers looking jackass.
Had this been in place what would have happened?
No one really knows, as it has only been used in simulations.
#33–Skeptic==are “all” the facts about this particular blow out known? While people can always be better trained, and facilities can always be more staffed, equipment failure and plant design are also always present.
From this thread or the other one I recall two significant allegtions:
1. Unlike the rest of the world, USA does not require remote control shut off valves. That seems outrageous but consistent with the LIEberTARDIAN notion that common sense regulation equals slavery.
2. That some kind of maintenance was being done that prevented the valve from working. Huge design error, see No 1 again.
I don’t know what you mean by “it wasn’t a cheap valve etc” I don’t think I was being specific at all, but regardless.
BP is primarily at fault here. THEY should be sued out of existence for whatever negligence is found.
Blaming “we the people” for needing energy is ((I hate to say)) just plain stupid. Any such liability is secondary to the primary actor here==BP. Keep your eyes on the prize.
#11,
How is that supposed to happen? One of the things driving the current financial crisis is that our government various world governments are intertwined with these banks, and the US federal government only gets about 1/3 of its money from taxes. Most of the rest of that money comes from complex financial instruments, like for example… bonds are sold then invested in cdo’s and other nitwitery, creating massive revenue short falls when the price of oil goes up or banks begin to falter…
When you really get a handle on the current financial crisis, the situation is not as bad as the tea baggers complaining about the existence of a federal reserve, it is actually much worse.
The fact is, the us federal government now has a vested interest in these companies surviving, and because of deregulation, the public at large gets no say in how these governmental agencies (remember these are private companies that are largely owned by the federal government) are operated.
The fact of the matter is, should we continue to go this direction, it is inexcusable for the federal government to continue to charge taxes at all ever, because as it stands right now, the federal government gets most of its income as shareholders in private companies.
And what shareholder is going to insist that its financial interests use a safety valve when not using it gives it an edge over other it competitors…. (other countries)
Bobbo, I won’t bore you with all the details, but cementing the hole was the initial source of fault. Haliburton has had many, many failures over mant years in cementing… leaving voids where explosive gases can escape. Further research shows that cementing isn’t reliable at all…anywhere… and yet every oil company utilizes it. The wrench was after the fact. It couild have gone down the pipe during the explosion. That valve you mentioned could have failed in the same way. So what are the possibilities for fault?
1) Government regulation is incompetent, criminal or both,
2) the engineering method of cementing is inadequate
3) those involved are insane… expecting different results over and over from the same process
4) BP is trying to save a buck and doesn’t give a shit about wrecking the environment to do it
5) Both the government and big oil are taking ridiculous risks to satisfy our voracious appetite for oil
6) Americans see red every time their dependency on Arab oil is mentioned, so politicians oblige them to stay elected.
7) The government should have never allowed an unprecedented, ands very dangerous undertaking of a 5000 ft deep well so close to the coastline near environmentally sensitive waters.
That’s just for starters.
Have I covered everyone yet? EVERYONE involved is an ass.