Gulf Oil Rig Disaster

[Jim Craik]

Just as in Alaska, the people of the gulf area have made millions & millions of $ (billions?) from the oil industry, additionally, they knew that not only was this sort of thing possible but fairly likely, did they prepare, set up contingency plans? NO.

If you dance with the devil you should prepare to get burned and when you get burned who's fault is it?

 

[Keith]

Good point Al. You know, the two main complaints mentioned by Obama re: Hayward seem to be two fairly innocent quotes i.e. "I want my life back" and "the Gulf is a big ocean" neither of which appears to be damning enough to warrant Obama's "I would sack him" quote.

I don't know whether you get much British News, but BP via Hayward have unequivocally stated they will return the Gulf to it's original state and pay whatever compensation is warranted.

It doesn't sound much like a company trying to duck responsibility nor are they caring to join Obama's 'Blame Game', although perhaps they could. Seems like they are busy getting on with it to me.

Obama really does sound a bit like a petulant child in all of this. US President? My heart is sinking daily....:worried:

And as regards all complaints from US citizens I guess that they all drive electric cars right?

 

[domtoni]

Well said Al. My sentiments exactly.

Amazing that BHO said that Haywood would not have continued to work for BHO. But BHO's comments, lack of action etc mean he wouldn't work for me. If only the election was coming sooner rather than later.

 

[Chris P.]

Why are so few people interested in why this happened in the first place? So many people are looking for every angle possible to go after Obama - and perhaps that is necessary, but I would expect at the same time to at least raise some questions as to why a situation arose where someone was drilling when they had no suitable contingency plan?

I would love to know what a president is supposed to do in this situation. The Repubs want to drill baby drill and blame a democrat when we're not drilling - now we have a big oil spill (probably due in part to relaxed permitting by a republican administration) and they're blaming a democrat for not cleaning up their mess. People are so quick to make light of Obama's blaming, but don't to come clean with the real reasons why this situation exists - not just why it happened, but why it is still going on. I contend neither are the current president's responsibility, yet he's getting every finger pointed at him. Back up, look at the big picture, then start pointing fingers, otherwise it's going to happen AGAIN.

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

I don't think BO is being unfairly blamed. It took a long time for him to initially confront the problem, and then a very slow response. If I can look up oil spills on google and find the remedies that were taken (such as the flotilla of skimming super tankers in Saudi Arabia), then why can't BO's brain trust cabinet (with 8% of real life work experience, surround yourself with the best and brightest, not cronies) figure this out? If GW had a hollywood party in the middle of Katrina, they would have hung him up by his nuts! Yes BO has screwed up, and has been complacent due to lack of knowlege. This job is far more than community organizing. And saying he's going to have someones "ass" on national tv didn't impress me one bit. His cockiness, arrogance and lack of decisive action is getting old. And I'm getting sick of him dating and partying on my dollar! There, I feel better.

 

[Charlie Farley]

BO 's disengenous attitude stinks. But then again, look at his initials, lol.
Armpits ? , lol.

 

[Chris P.]

If GW had a hollywood party in the middle of Katrina, they would have hung him up by his nuts!

I remember seeing images of a dead American floating in the flood waters before GW ever did anything. I don't, however, remember anyone having him up by his nuts.

In hindsight, it's easy to blame the president and yes it is incredible that we didn't do much early enough. My point is so many people are accusing him of playing a blame game but at the same time the only blame they are able to dole out is to someone who has to deal with this mess and NOT those that created it in the first place. By create, I don't just mean BP (or even the drilling company) - I mean those that allowed a company to drill where they were out of their league. Which begs the question: what the hell is any president supposed to do? Even if GW were still president: what the hell is he supposed to do? OK - so he could put forth efforts to start oil containment weeks ago - I agree with that, but that doesn't stop the oil from coming out nor does it reverse time and keep it from happening in the first place. There seems to be so much energy put into pulling out all the little details about how the president hasn't "done enough" and not much going into why he even needs this distraction. Without that, it's going to happen again. Not to mention the fact that there's Another Gulf oil spill: Well near Deepwater Horizon has leaked since at least April 30 | al.com

So what's Obama supposed to do about that? Swim down and plug that hole too? I know you guys want to have your own little GW to bash about like the democrats had the last 8 years, but come on - if you have to look this hard you haven't got much. I hardly believe Obama is any worse than anyone before him, certainly not stellar - I agree, but let's be reasonable.

 

[Rune]

After seeing pictures of the BOP people in the oil business here in Norway, (I work for BP)drilling people said that this type BOP is not used in the Norwegian sector longer, due to the fact that it could not be remote operated and it is to risky and not according to regulations
This does not help the Gulf area now so it is history but it may be an issue when they start the drilling in this area again . To much money is down in the ground to let it be there for ever.
I hope that the two wells they drill now, will be good wells so they can inject mud /concrete and seal off the oil flow.
I have read many good comments in this tread that both BP and the governement should have taken care of earlier.

 

[Pat]

As soon as somone decides to "Blame Bush" they lose all credibility. That indicates to me that they are into the administration's smoke and mirrors approach to blaming versus problem solving. The governor of Louisiana desperately wanted to build sandbars to intercept the oil before they entered the wetlands. The feds refused because they wanted to do an "environmental impact study". They didn't feel so compelled in February 2009 - BP files a 52 page exploration and environmental impact plan for the Macondo well, located in Mississippi Canyon Block 252 in the United States sector of the Gulf of Mexico about 41 miles (66 km) off the Louisiana coast, with the Minerals Management Service (MMS), an arm of the United States Department of the Interior that oversees offshore drilling. The plan stated that it was "unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities". In the event an accident did take place the plan stated that due to the well being 48 miles (77 km) from shore and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts would be expected. The Department of the Interior exempted BP's Gulf of Mexico drilling operation from a detailed environmental impact study after concluding that a massive oil spill was unlikely.

 

[Chris Martino]

Sad to read so many can justify this horrific mess.

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

Sad to read so many can justify this horrific mess.

I don't believe that anyone here is justifying this crisis, with plenty of areas in shallow water to drill, it's the environmentalist that force oil people to drill in super deep water that should accept a good part of the blame. If a working procedure is not in place to seal a well that goes bad at these extreme depths, the should not be drilled. I do blame the goverment for that. All in all the oil industry has a pretty good track record in the gulf considering the amount of wells they have drilled.
Some Gulf of
Mexico OCS statistics follow (approximates as
of June 30, 1998):
· 35,500 hydrocarbon wells drilled;
· 8,850 active hydrocarbon leases (1,600
producing leases);
· 3,400 producing oil wells and 3,400
producing gas wells;
· 3,900 active platforms;
· 27,800 miles (total) of pipelines;

 

[Al Wohlstrom]

I remember seeing images of a dead American floating in the flood waters before GW ever did anything. I don't, however, remember anyone having him up by his nuts.

Do you think GW could have prevented that death?

 

[domtoni]

From my perspective, BHO could have
-picked up the phone immediatly and told Hayward goby assets were at B P disposal to contain the spill
- he should have had regular contact with BP
- he should have responded to Bobby Jentil's request to build the barriers
- refrained from partying with the stars at our expense

BHO would have gained my respect with these actions. Alas he is showing his true Chicago colors.

From an Park Ridgian (Hilary Clintons home town).

 

[domtoni]

Remeber that BHO received more campaign money from BP than any other candidate. Could it be the old Chicago connection fromthe old Standard Oul days when the headquarters were in Chitown?

 

[domtoni]

Just read in the Wash Post that an air valve in the engine room failed to close allowing methane in and the resulting explosion.

 

[Doug S.]

In hindsight, it's easy to blame the president and yes it is incredible that we didn't do much early enough.

I agree that it's easy to want to blame BHO, particularly if one is dissatisfied with him holding the office of the U.S.A., anyway. But, my question is this:

"What would you have wanted him to do?"

Everyone agrees that the government does not have the technology to stop this gushing well, only the oil companies. If the issue is one of lax enforcement, well, then IMHO the previous administration is to blame with all their buddy-buddy antics with the oil companies. BHO inherited a lax legislative package and even the best experts say that the well should never have been started without adequate BOP protection....so, how is BHO to blame for that?

Agreed, he could have had more resources at work skimming and blocking the oil in the water, but in the end it would not have been enough and as we can well see this disaster will just get worse with all the oil in the water now.....there wouldn't be enough booms in the world to protect the entire east Gulf coast and the eastern U.S. coast.

I do agree with BHO about the inadvisability of the current BP PR advertisements....that money could well have been dedicated to the residents of the Gulf Coast who are suffering financially already.

In the end, IMHO this is just another one of those unexpected (and we can debate at length about who SHOULD have expected it) accidents, compounded by inadequate preparation by the BP oil company. BHO's responsibility is not to walk around picking up clumps of oil any more than you and I are responsible to do that....what was really needed was a better HISTORY of oversight by the government, but with the Republican's pro-business/anti-environment attitude, BHO was hamstrung from the start. We're already unhappy with the magnitude, nature, and rapidity of the changes he's making, try to imagine what we would have been doing had he been trying to throttle the oil exploration activities in our onshore/offshore waters!

Sometimes ya just gotta bend over and grin and bear it--it's time for the U.S.A. to do that and do whatever else we can to stop the gushing!

Doug

 

[Keith]

I agree that it's easy to want to blame BHO, particularly if one is dissatisfied with him holding the office of the U.S.A., anyway. But, my question is this:

"What would you have wanted him to do?"



Doug

Simple. Talk to Hayward direct - not through the media. By the way, I hear that BP have stopped selling this T-Shirt..

Probably a good idea eh?

 

[Jac Mac]

You gotta look real close at Keiths pics...

 

[Terry Teadtke]

Looks Like There's Plenty of Blame to Go Around

Interesting read

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/17390/111965

 

[40 Bud]

Al, I think you hit the nail on the head. The accident happened. Why or who is to blame is important for the future but is not now relavent! Containing the mess and stopping the flow are the key issues at the moment!! The government should have been much more responsive to the containment of this spill. They certainly could have been a key to finding out how other such disasters had been contained. They could have been instrumental in getting BP to organize the super tankers to suck up and reprocess the flowing oil until the leak is stopped. So what is holding them up - still??