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McCain Lies Again About Oil Rigs Surviving Hurricane Katrina
thinkprogress.org — Yesterday, Nancy Pfotenhauer, McCain ’s senior policy adviser, claimed that she had been “misinformed” when she falsely stated that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita “did not spill a drop of oil.” Today, McCain made another “misinformed” argument, claiming that oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico “have survived, very successfully, the impacts of hurricanes”
MakiMaki- 1135 diggs
- digg it
- imover, on 07/19/2008, -5/+11What is so difficult for all of these political idiots to get some good writers and stick to the scripts, it is not like the writers union is on strike again.
- moxley, on 07/19/2008, -1/+6That would be because they are not interested in telling the truth....They are interested in manipulating situations and perceptions to the advantage of their candidate...And if that involves lying, stealing, that's alol fine by them..The worst sin in their book is to get caught.
- akula89, on 07/19/2008, -1/+3it's like gambling, the bigger the lie the bigger the potential payoff if no one notices or the media doesn't pursue it, but obviously it can backfire big time.
- moxley, on 07/19/2008, -1/+6That would be because they are not interested in telling the truth....They are interested in manipulating situations and perceptions to the advantage of their candidate...And if that involves lying, stealing, that's alol fine by them..The worst sin in their book is to get caught.
- MorganMghee, on 07/19/2008, -7/+14Because, despite doing poorly in school and the numerous other things he said he knew about and didn't, he still thinks he is smarter than everyone else. Which would be alright I suppose, if he were, it happens. But, turns out, he's not. And he still doesn't seem to believe we can hear and see him. Dangerous.
- JoeVet, on 07/19/2008, -1/+8The choice is rather simple for the American people. Do you want some one who finished last in War college or some one who finished first in law school. Personally, I will choose the smart one.
- MorganMghee, on 07/19/2008, -1/+1I'd pick first from lawschool over first in war school too. There's a whole military filled with those, and they rather like to be the ones to give advice.
- JoeVet, on 07/19/2008, -1/+8The choice is rather simple for the American people. Do you want some one who finished last in War college or some one who finished first in law school. Personally, I will choose the smart one.
- ILoveBoobies, on 07/19/2008, -3/+19I can't wait for the time when technology will be able to call out politicians ***** in real-time.
- Zuranaken, on 07/19/2008, -1/+7Imagine having augmented reality and seeing a little box appear over a politician that blinks "liar" or "*****" as the politician speaks =D
- angryfirelord, on 07/19/2008, -8/+4But McCain wasn't lying. As you see from the sources posted by comments below, only 119 out of the 2900 affected rigs were damaged and not one of them leaked oil. So what you call a lie, I call a truth.
- spacecheese, on 07/19/2008, -4/+16Wrong. ... FACTS- 113 platforms totally destroyed (during Katrina), and - more importantly - 457 pipelines damaged, 101 of those major lines with 10" or larger diameter. At least 741,000 gallons were spilled from 124 reported sources (the Coast Guard calls anything over 100,000 gallons a "major" spill)
I call that a leak. - EffZee, on 07/19/2008, -1/+4http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Ka ...
The damage impact starts on page 29.
As much as I hate doing it, I have to give some credit to the oil companies for shutting in as many pipeline as they did, the environmental damage could have been a lot worse.
- dood, on 07/19/2008, -1/+8That would be a great job for journalists and reporters, if they had the guts.
- moxley, on 07/19/2008, -1/+4You think that will be allowed?
That right there is one of the reasons elements of the corporate/government sector are so anti-net neutrality and are "co concerned about the children" online seeing porn or whatever....They could really give a ***** about any of their stated intentions when it comes to "making the internet safer."
What they really want to do is control the net, so that any pesky information which they don't want people to know can be convoluted or destroyed...and so that they have control of things the same way that they currently have control of the airwaves and mainstream media..
They know that due to the distributed nature of the net it is pretty much impossible to do this, so they are trying to scare people into putting the chains on themselves...Just like they have done with the big bad terrorists and the bogus "war on terror" which has torn our constitutional protections to shreds.
- Zuranaken, on 07/19/2008, -1/+7Imagine having augmented reality and seeing a little box appear over a politician that blinks "liar" or "*****" as the politician speaks =D
- tkstock, on 07/19/2008, -4/+11Just some more "misinformation" for you:
"But Norton also stressed that only one of the damaged platforms was built after federal construction standards were tightened in 1988. The ones that were destroyed were nearing the end of their lives.
"Despite such intense winds and powerful waves offshore, we experienced no loss of life or significant spills from any offshore well on the outer continental shelf," Norton added
http://www.terradaily.com/news/energy-tech-05zzzzz ...- bongo, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1The Thinkprogress article didn't mention anything about how much oil was actually spilled, it just showed some pictures of beat-up platforms. That would be the only metric I really care about in evaluating the damage the platforms took on. It was a shoddy article.
But what do the oil companies qualify a "significant spill" as? That's not clear either.- MorganMghee, on 07/19/2008, -0/+2http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Ka ...
There ya go, giver a read.
- MorganMghee, on 07/19/2008, -0/+2http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Ka ...
- bongo, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1The Thinkprogress article didn't mention anything about how much oil was actually spilled, it just showed some pictures of beat-up platforms. That would be the only metric I really care about in evaluating the damage the platforms took on. It was a shoddy article.
- xeocube, on 07/19/2008, -4/+14The actual report:
http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Ka ...
From the ExecSummary:
"DNV evaluated the available failure reports and industry practices and has concluded that the vast majority of GOM offshore pipelines performed well during the passage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Public and personnel safety experience with respect to the offshore pipeline operations has been excellent."
"The most significant impacts appear to have been the disruption of the oil and gas supply, and financial losses from the oil and gas infrastructure damage. While these are not desirable outcomes, the overall goal of prioritizing protection of life and the environment is clear in the demonstrated performance of the industry, meeting two of the major goals of the MMS for personal and environmental safety."
"The majority of the 542 reported pipeline damages studied by DNV occurred at or near platform interfaces, or as a result of impact by an outside force other than the hurricane, such as platform failures, riser damages or anchor dragging. The remaining pipeline damages were primarily due to loss of cover and movement of pipelines that are near shore and in shallow water."- dk911, on 07/19/2008, -8/+5Alas, even with this information, the left (i.e. Think Progress and their constituency) will ignore the report and focus solely on what they think an "oil rig" is and what the pictures show them. It doesn't matter if McCain was correct. I guess he should have been more specific about what he meant. Maybe cited the government report?
- WalkAroundMe, on 07/19/2008, -2/+9"This report addresses 542 damage reports that were known at the time of the award of this
project to DNV. However, at the time of the final DNV report presentation, the number of
pipeline damage reports received by the MMS had exceeded 600 and are expected to continue to
increase over time as more damages are found and reported." OOPS, missed this...
And one should also include the fact that the hurricanes did not impact all 2900 rigs since they are scattered throughout the gulf and the paths of each storm were narrow in comparison. The damage to rigs actually hit by the storm center was what should be considered and those rigs failed in withstanding the force of these types of storms. If you were to put every rig to the test, the results would be similar -- the rigs, if hit directly, will with great certainty be unable to maintain there location and break their connections with both the drilling bore and the shore connection. And regardless of what anyone tells you, they will leak.
"There are MANY production platforms missing (as in not visible from the air). This means they have been totally lost. I am talking about 10's of platforms, not single digit numbers. Each platform can have from 4 to 100+ wells on it. Most larger ones have 20-30 wells in this area, with numerous caisson wells. They are on their sides, on the bottom of the gulf - they will likely be left as reef material, provided we can get permission. MMS regulations require us to plug each of the wells that were on these platforms - HUGE cost now, as the platforms are gone... Hopefully, MMS will grant `abandon in place' status for these wiped out structures.
We also set individual wells as satellites and pipe them back to existing platforms. These stand-alone wells are called caisson wells. 90% of those in the storm path are bent over, rendering them a total loss, We would have to remove the existing bent structure and drill a new well, as bent pipe is basically unusable.
We utilize platforms as gathering hubs. We pipe the raw oil/water to them and then send it on for separation, or separate it there and send finished oil on. Damage to a hub means everything going to the hub is offline indefinitely. There are +/- 15 HUBS missing. MISSING!! As in we cannot find them from the air.
Thus even if the wells feeding the hub are ok, we have nowhere to pump the oil to...
The jackup drilling rigs appear to be in various stages of damage, but most rode the storm out with minimal problems. However, each of them has shifted position.
When we jack the rig up, it is carefully positioned directly over the well slot where we are working. The derrick has rails that allow us to slide it in 4 directions to get the derrick directly over the well or slot. If the rig moves (right/left, or from level to uneven), it has to be jacked back down to the waterline and repositioned with tugboats, then jacked back up. After it is back up and level, the derrick is slid on the 2 sets of rails, and bolted into position over the well or slot again.
Thus we have to reset each of the drilling rigs, which requires getting OUT of the well, tugboats and a move, then getting back into the well. The open hole we have drilled (what is not enclosed in cemented casing) is likely to be lost, and if the wellhead or the casing is bent, then the well will have to be redrilled. This is an exploration setback of at least a month, but we don't yet know the boat situation.
Boats are usually brought into harbor to weather storms. We do not have a boat count yet, but from the initial reports, we may have lost or grounded 30% of the Gulf of Mexico fleet. This means everything will cost more, take longer - repairs, repositioning, everything.
In short, the Gulf area hit by the storm is basically in about the same shape as Biloxi. The damage numbers you have gotten from the government and analysts are, in my opinion, much too low. We are looking at YEARS to return to the production levels we had prior to the storm. The eastern Gulf of Mexico is primarily oil production...
Loss of the MARS platform alone cost us 95,000 barrels a day for a year or maybe more.
YEARS, people. I know what this means - hope everyone else gets it too...
Click here to go to an image of a destroyed rig."
http://www.theoildrum.com/story/2005/8/31/83553/89 ... - HappyScrappy, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1Saying this report exonerates McCain is stretching a bit. The anchor drags, riser failures and damage was all due to the hurricane, as the hurricane cause the forces that dragged the anchors, which shifted and broke risers and broke loose all the flotsam and drove it around the gulf with great force.
- hokie47, on 07/19/2008, -21/+12Some may have been damaged but none of them leaked any oil.
- dk911, on 07/19/2008, -16/+7You see... even though you speak the truth, you will be dugg down because it doesn't fit the left's talking points. You gotta give the left one thing: They stick to their scripted lives.
- m3th0dm4n, on 07/19/2008, -2/+7You retards wouldn't know truth if it was shoved down your throat.
- Apokalyps2547, on 07/19/2008, -5/+18Katrina spills AS SEEN FROM SPACE:
http://skytruth.mediatools.org/node/19981
How on earth did you think no oil leaked?- chinaman1212, on 07/19/2008, -12/+3No show me someone that can Analise those pictures. yeah they look like oil spills, but there is a mountain on Mars that looks like a face.
- axcess99, on 07/19/2008, -1/+9" At least 741,000 gallons were spilled from 124 reported sources (the Coast Guard calls anything over 100,000 gallons a "major" spill)"
If you want to argue that these were because of anchor dragging and drifting rigs with broken moorings etc and not because of Katrina & Rita (which is what pushed the water and rigs and ships with anchors around), then you should also claim that no one dies from earthquakes because they actually die from buildings collapsing and things crushing them. - BohicaTwentyTwo, on 07/21/2008, -0/+2"We interpret these slicks to be very thin (possibly monomolecular), not representing large volumes of oil but revealing persistent leakage from these facilities."
- dk911, on 07/19/2008, -16/+7You see... even though you speak the truth, you will be dugg down because it doesn't fit the left's talking points. You gotta give the left one thing: They stick to their scripted lives.
- DivisibleByZero, on 07/19/2008, -8/+10Lets cite an integer and act like it's big without anything to compare it to...
From the linked article: "The U.S. Minerals Management Service reported that the hurricanes totally destroyed 113 offshore oil platforms."
From shortly after Rita: "We had altogether, with both of the hurricanes, about 2,900 platforms that were in the path of the hurricanes" http://www.terradaily.com/news/energy-tech-05zzzzz ...
113 out of 2900 ain't bad
"Norton also stressed that only one of the damaged platforms was built after federal construction standards were tightened in 1988"
So McCain's right. The new design can withstand a hurricane. The old design couldn't, and mostly doesn't exist anymore.
There is, of course, a difference between platforms and rigs. I can't find info on the total number of rigs compared to how many of them were destroyed, so McCain may have still been incorrect since he was referring to rigs. But even in that case, the number of damaged platforms had no place in ThinkProgress's article.- bongo, on 07/19/2008, -1/+4Nearly 4% of oil rigs not surviving a hurricane doesn't sound all that great to me. 113 IS a large number of rigs to be destroyed.
- MorganMghee, on 07/20/2008, -0/+2And if you'll read further up the replies, you'll find that not all of the 2900 you list were impacted by the hurricanes so using that number is inflamatory.
- geauxtig3rs, on 07/19/2008, -9/+9TADA!!! I have split a hair!!! Let's take a look at the facts shall we. I will agree that 109 platforms were damaged and/or destroyed. That is inevitable in a hurricane, however when 2900 platforms were directly impacted by the hurricanes, that means that not quite 4% were affected. So obviously, oil platforms have survived hurricanes.
Think progress is getting ever closer to my list of sites to automatically ignore.- EffZee, on 07/19/2008, -1/+3Check the report it's been linked a few times at least. It was 1000 platforms exposed, 47 destroyed and 20 damaged.
- geauxtig3rs, on 07/19/2008, -1/+1Ok......6.7% actually incurred any damage at all. Calling that total failure is like saying that all Americans have major depressive disorders (6.7% do)
- HappyScrappy, on 07/19/2008, -1/+3geaux:
The 2900 platforms are spread across the gulf. Considering that most of the gulf didn't even see hurricane-force winds, 6.7% is a lot. If you measure the damage relative to the percentage of platforms hit by hurricane-force winds, it's a lot higher.
Either way, McCain was way off. Apparently hurricanes do damage oil rigs and cause environmental damage (minor or major).
- EffZee, on 07/19/2008, -1/+3Check the report it's been linked a few times at least. It was 1000 platforms exposed, 47 destroyed and 20 damaged.
- bclinton, on 07/19/2008, -21/+7Has Obama ever lied?
How about going to a goobs church for over 20 years and telling us that he was never there when the preacher said GD America. Does he think we believe that even if he wasn't there someone didn't tell him the goob said it? Does he think we are morons? Well maybe the mass liberal stupid fck Digg users are but what about the rest of the voting public?- feckineejit, on 07/19/2008, -2/+6so your pastor expressing frustration with your country that has repeatedly lied to you and ***** you over equates to heresy now? I think you conservatives will use anything in your political smear games.
- bclinton, on 07/19/2008, -4/+2The funny thing about it is you probably believe the pastor to be in the right. Put a turban on you and the pastor and ship you over seas.
Oh ya, how was he fcked over? Can you be more specific? He said these things right after 9/11. I cant think of a more appropriate time can you? A group of your fellow Muslims fly planes into our buildings and kill thousands and you and your preacher blame the US. Seems fair.....
- bclinton, on 07/19/2008, -4/+2The funny thing about it is you probably believe the pastor to be in the right. Put a turban on you and the pastor and ship you over seas.
- MtheoryX, on 07/19/2008, -1/+3"Does he think we are morons?"
I don't know; however, I certainly think you are a moron, if it makes you feel any better.
- feckineejit, on 07/19/2008, -2/+6so your pastor expressing frustration with your country that has repeatedly lied to you and ***** you over equates to heresy now? I think you conservatives will use anything in your political smear games.
- badnewshotel, on 07/19/2008, -19/+14"Thinkprogress.org" should be renamed to "StupidLoadOfCrap.net"
- feckineejit, on 07/19/2008, -5/+6you should be renamed dumbasshotel.
- badnewshotel, on 07/19/2008, -2/+1This coming from a 33 year old call center rep? Please, loser, go home.
- feckineejit, on 07/19/2008, -5/+6you should be renamed dumbasshotel.
- InorganicMatter, on 07/19/2008, -4/+8Ridiculous.
We do work in the refineries in the Texas City / Galveston area that Rita was supposed to hit. Everything got shut down for a week. Our business almost went under, because you can't just flip the "on" switch of these plants and let all the contractors back in. Some of these things have been running for upwards of 50 years, and can't be turned on/off without serious consequences. It was probably a month after Rita before everything resumed normal refining operation.
It may not have directly affected oil rigs, but it sure indirectly did.- geauxtig3rs, on 07/19/2008, -5/+4This dispute is about destruction, therefore your comment is in the wrong place.
- spacecheese, on 07/19/2008, -1/+1vc
- MtheoryX, on 07/19/2008, -0/+1Viet Cong? Are they the one's who caused the hurricanes?
- nastronomical, on 07/19/2008, -5/+7@@@ REPOST@@@
The actual report:
http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/581/44814183_MMS_Ka ...
From the ExecSummary:
"DNV evaluated the available failure reports and industry practices and has concluded that the vast majority of GOM offshore pipelines performed well during the passage of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Public and personnel safety experience with respect to the offshore pipeline operations has been excellent."
"The most significant impacts appear to have been the disruption of the oil and gas supply, and financial losses from the oil and gas infrastructure damage. While these are not desirable outcomes, the overall goal of prioritizing protection of life and the environment is clear in the demonstrated performance of the industry, meeting two of the major goals of the MMS for personal and environmental safety."
"The majority of the 542 reported pipeline damages studied by DNV occurred at or near platform interfaces, or as a result of impact by an outside force other than the hurricane, such as platform failures, riser damages or anchor dragging. The remaining pipeline damages were primarily due to loss of cover and movement of pipelines that are near shore and in shallow water."- axcess99, on 07/19/2008, -0/+4and what do you think caused the "platform failures, riser damages or anchor dragging"? Must be something unusual happening at that time, otherwise these failure, damage, and dragging events would be happening on a regular basis. Hmm... what unusual and pervasive force was sweeping the area while Katrina was passing over.
- IconoclastStill, on 07/20/2008, -1/+3Please . . . don't confuse the lefties with facts.
- bonlebon, on 07/19/2008, -0/+2The Radarsat is a radar satellite not an image one.
From wikipedia:
"RADARSAT-1 uses a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor to image the Earth at a single microwave frequency of 5.3 GHz, in the C band (wavelength of 5.6 cm). Unlike optical satellites that sense reflected sunlight, SAR systems transmit microwave energy towards the surface and record the reflections (pay attention to this word). Thus, RADARSAT-1 can image the Earth, day or night, in any atmospheric condition, such as cloud cover, rain, snow, dust or haze."
The technology behind the processing of radar signals could provide the republicans with the resources to refute such photos. - ktorbeck, on 07/19/2008, -11/+2WARNING!!! LINKS TO HATE SITE!!!
- CHANNELOCK, on 07/19/2008, -0/+2I don't know oil but isn't their a gadget on the Ocean floor when the pressure drops from broken pipes on the surface the valve on the seabed shuts down the flow of Oil?
A complete Oil rig can topple over but the pipes break off at the seabed and the valve shuts down,kinda like a toilet supply line that they have newly designed to prevent flooding when thiers a water pressure drop.- tobikow, on 07/19/2008, -0/+3My brother in law works as a deep sea diver who repairs oil rigs, and he said that they are all evacutaed by helicopter before the storm hits. it would make sense if the simply shut off such a valve before leaving.
- MorganMghee, on 07/20/2008, -0/+1As explained above, you cannot simply cut the switch and have it stop. Like an aircraft carrier hangin a left (takes hours and a few miles). The MMS link found in these comments give an idea of how much leaked and I'm sure many of the systems had been shut.
- CHANNELOCK, on 07/20/2008, -0/+0I'm sure their most be a fail safe valve that's activated by pressure extremes and not manually.If the rig explodes above how could the oil pipe valves be closed,the safest valve must be close to the seabed and that most be activated by oil pressure
- hawkeye17, on 07/19/2008, -8/+7"Repeat a lie often enough and people will beging to believe it's true" Goebbels.
- saisumimen, on 07/19/2008, -3/+3"As an Internet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."
-Internet
- saisumimen, on 07/19/2008, -3/+3"As an Internet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."
- deanznutz, on 07/19/2008, -0/+6Many live in a bubble and aren't seekers of truth. That behavior may be slightly tolerable for the masses but not from our representatives - especially not from someone who is campaigning to run our country. Not knowing that there were massive damages to oil rigs caused by hurricanes is simply inexcusable. It's not like he doesn't have access to the best information. Come on, we aren't asking you be the smartest person but you do need to be able to make original articulate and informed decisions. And he is fit to be President because???
- dildoolielly, on 07/19/2008, -3/+9This is the best the GOP has? This guy is dumber than Bush, wait a sec, ok, yeah he is as dumb as Bush!
In the Naval Academy McCain finished 5th from THE BOTTOM of his class of nearly 900. Clearly he's not too bright. He still can't tell the difference between Sunni and Shi'ite. And for God's sake, he doesn't know how to use a computer!!! His father the admiral helped him pass in the Academy, but he couldn't help him become an admiral. I can see why he doesn't want his full Naval record to see the light of day.
This ***** relies heavily on his military background to aid his campaign but, why does he refuses to release his military records?! A man who hides his history, is not destined to be a leader that can be trusted.
He also left his crippled wife who waited loyally for him, while raising his children. He cheated on her and then married a billionaire 18 years his junior.
I love that the internet, and specifically digg, is exposing this melting, reptilian lunatic for who he really is. he's on par with your favorite senile grandpa who says wacky, ignorant ***** that you brush aside because deep in your heart you know that the sane people are gonna win the country back this november. - Apocrypha, on 07/19/2008, -2/+4They why the hell do oil prices go up every time a hurricane hits the gulf if the rigs are so damn sturdy? ***** moron McCain. Just shut your ***** mouth. Nothing but ignorant, senile, addled ***** ever comes out of it anyway.
- thedaylights, on 07/19/2008, -1/+4OIL RIG = Oxidation Is Loss (of electrons), Reduction Is Gain (of electrons)
- drgooch, on 07/19/2008, -4/+4drill everywhere you liberal lefty nut cases.... oh no, a precious flower... oh no...
- firejack007, on 07/19/2008, -4/+2You liberals still don't get it. Where's the oil slicks along the coast? Where's the problem? If anything this is proof that you can have oil rigs hit by hurricanes without any major effect. It's interesting that one of the worst oil disasters of the century was caused by Saddam Hussain but you didn't want to do anything to him.
- Wartyboskfapped, on 07/19/2008, -2/+3The guy didn't lie - he just doesn't know what the ***** he's talking about.
- WalkAroundMe, on 07/19/2008, -1/+4It is sad that there are those who feel they must defend the stupidity of their constituents regardless of their moronic behavior and ineptitude. It is even more appalling to have to listen to these midget minds minimize the economical and environmental cost of such events by adding their own special brand of ignorance. And it is almost unholy and unthinkable that these idiots are running for leadership of our great country.
- Swift2, on 07/19/2008, -1/+3I'm glad to see the Democrats have struck back by using the Republican tactic: taking a long time in the electoral process to step on the other guy's toes, with the idea of defining the opponent. It's something that works even if you lie, as was the case with Gore and Kerry. Even more powerfully, when what you're punching them with is the truth. No, it's not true there were no oil spills resulting from Katrina. Why do they say so? Because they've decided that what they'll do about oil is drill anywhere and everywhere it may be; in the Grand Canyon if need be, just so they can plant their adult-onset diabetes-laden obese asses in a Lincoln Navigator.
- PubeStache, on 07/19/2008, -1/+4John McCain doesn't know if he's coming or going.
- charm803, on 07/19/2008, -1/+1I don't think he lied.
I think he just honestly believes that they survived.
Senile much? Misinformed? I dunno. - ralph12c41, on 07/19/2008, -2/+2DRILL DRILL....DRILL!!!!! Deal with it lefty nut jobs!
- WalkAroundMe, on 07/20/2008, -1/+2If you truly wish to be informed about the ***** existing in the gas and oil fields of the Gulf of Mexico, my dear righties, get your sorry asses down there and take a boat excursion throughout the gulf -- it's a ***** -- there are over 6000 (the 2900 referred to are only the active rigs -- more you didn't know about my little dumlings) towers strewn about those waters and the floor is a riot of gas and oil piping, half-covered, half-anchored, and fundamentally half-asseddly maintained -- most of this metal is now permanently abandoned and dedicated as 'reef components', solely because it is too costly to clean up -- these rich ***** love our ecology, don't they?.
Does this stuff leak? Around the clock and ten fold when these systems are interrupted by forces like a hurricane which, as we all know, annually frequent these waters.
Yes all you oily friends, there are 'in bore valves' that secure the well head should there be an unacceptably high rate of spillage, but it is far from instantaneous and the gas and oil loss, when compounded by the sheer numbers of these well-heads, well (pun intended), there's no 'finding Nemo'.
So what do we end up with?
Our great oil providers have graciously bequeathed us miles of tangled, sunken piping and pump stations -- many blown miles from the station -- all loosing the fluids that filed their miles and miles of now useless plumbing -- for ever. Sure, eventually we may see some beautiful images of how nature reclaims this *****, but in the interim, these derelict monstrosities leach their fluids into a once pristine sea.
Don't kid yourself, it's an ugly mess these arrogant bastards have created, just to keep your sorry ass in your ***** Camaro, and there fat asses sitting right on top of you. - LoneRanger85, on 07/20/2008, -3/+2I don't see any oil slicks in those pictures. Where are the stories about the cleanups? http://www.terradaily.com/news/energy-tech-05zzzzz ... I guess none of you have Internet connections, so you can't research this stuff yourself.
- chase001, on 07/20/2008, -1/+1How is this insane addled old man even running for President?
- phuntimes, on 07/20/2008, -0/+0For an INFORMED opinion, read and understand the details in the 106 page report.
- WalkAroundMe, on 07/20/2008, -0/+1 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Caused 124 Offshore Spills For A Total Of 743,700 Gallons. 554,400 gallons were crude oil and condensate from platforms, rigs and pipelines, and 189,000 gallons were refined products from platforms and rigs. [MMS, 1/22/07]
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Caused Six Offshore Spills Of 42,000 Gallons Or Greater. The largest of these was 152,250 gallons, well over the 100,000 gallon threshhold considered a “major spill.” [MMS, 5/1/06] - WalkAroundMe, on 07/20/2008, -1/+2A Houston Chronicle review of data from the National Response Center shows that the two storms caused at least 595 spills, incidents that released untold amounts of oil, natural gas and other chemicals into the air, onto land and into the water.
The quantity and cumulative magnitude of the 595 spills, which were spread across four states and struck offshore and inland, rank these two hurricanes among the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. Some have even compared the total amount of oil released — estimated at 9 million gallons — to the tragedy of Exxon Valdez.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3457319 ...- BohicaTwentyTwo, on 07/21/2008, -0/+2Those spills were not from offshore oil rigs, but from land based storage facilities:
"The largest oil spill of both hurricanes occurred at Bass Enterprises Production Co.'s Cox Bay facility in Plaquemines Parish, where oil is stored. The two storage tanks on the property were half-full, with 45,000 barrels of Louisiana sweet crude, as Katrina bore down on the coast. That's 15,000 barrels more than the company's hurricane-preparedness plan calls for, and a level that for 50 years has kept tanks from moving."
- BohicaTwentyTwo, on 07/21/2008, -0/+2Those spills were not from offshore oil rigs, but from land based storage facilities:
- rybiideeg, on 07/20/2008, -0/+0hurricane katrina and rita -- in gulf of mexico -- right no drop of oil
in california -- no oil drilling -- i think now anyway -- off the coast
and no hurricane or typhoons
only a lot of earthquake trimmors -- you can only find the survey if you really look really hard in the net - jepizacar, on 08/18/2008, -0/+1nice resource....
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