SAVE HUMANITY!
CHANGE YOUR LIFESTYLES!
Gulf of Mexico is a powder keg waiting to explode anytime, engulfing the region in a ball of fire
Gulf of Mexico is a natural asset, a life guarantee, but it’s being stripped of its natural services, turned into an industrial cash cow and bled to oblivion by unscrupulous money men.
It may be painful to live without too much fossil fuels, and the fattest “energy dinosaurs” would suffer most, but the price you pay for continuing on a high-energy path is much dearer—you shall all perish.
Which of the Gulf of Mexico’s Deepwater Wells Would Leak Next?
Located 150 miles (241 kilometers) southeast of New Orleans in Mississippi Canyon Block 778 in a water depth of approximately 6,050 feet (1,844 meters), the Thunder Horse platform is the world’s largest semisubmersible facility. British Petroleum received approval from the Minerals Management Service to debottleneck the topside production facilities to 275,000 barrels of oil and 220 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day. As of March 20, 2009, production was approximately 260,000 barrels of oil and 210.5 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day from seven wells. The Thunder Horse Field is the largest producer in the Gulf of Mexico. (Image courtesy of BP America Inc.). Source: DOI, MMS Report. Mississippi Canyon Block 778 could turn out to be another “Challenger” of deepwater oil production
Why are the Moderators so concerned about additional oil leaks in GOM , after all it’s not as if offshore drilling is a new trick, right?
Here are some stats from the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS), the body [that should be] responsible for offshore drilling regulations and safety enforcement [sic.] Every time the number of deepwater operations is doubled, the probability of “accidents” increases by about 4 folds.
The MMS says since the early 1990’s, leasing, drilling, and production (pumping oil from the well) has moved increasingly into deeper waters.
- As of 2008/09 approximately 7,310 active leases operated in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico (GOM)
- About 4,240 (58%) were in deep water. (The actual numbers vary day to day, figure are approx.)
- In contrast, there were only 5,600 active GOM leases in 1992, and only about 27% or 1,510 of those leases were in deep water.
- In 1992 only 3 rigs drilled in deep water, compared to 31 rigs in 2008, and 77 operated in 2010, of which at least 47 are in commercial production.
- Deepwater oil production rose by 786 percent and gas production increased about 1,067 percent from 1992 to 2007.
- Seven deepwater fields became operational in 2008 including Thunder Horse, the largest daily producer in the GOM.
Gulf of Mexico – Oil and Gas Production. Between 1987 and 2007 pumping oil out of the deepwater fields increased by about 20 folds. Source: MMS. Enhanced by Fire-Earth. Click image to enlarge.
A Chilling Forecast
Based on the frequency of recent oil spills, the rate of rise in drilling deepwater wells and a number of other related factors, Fire-Earth Moderators forecast at least 10 more oil spills could occur between now and December 2011.
Five of the forecast leaks/spills could occur in and around the U.S., with at least one of them in GOM. One or more of the spills could turn out to be cataclysmic. SEE: https://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/fire-earth-forecasts-10-major-oil-spills-to-end-2011/
Recurring Nightmares
Oil spills share two common features with nightmares:
- They keep on recurring.
- They become more frightening each time they recur.
“Energy Security,” Doesn’t Mean Life Security
The pink in the picture are pipelines! Does the underwater jungle of pipelines create perception of energy security or life security? Image source: MMS. Click image to enlarge.
Drill Baby, Drill in Deepwater Gulf
The federal inspectors said they completed examining 30 deepwater drilling rigs that are prospecting for oil in the Gulf of Mexico, but reported no safety problems.
“Throughout our inspections, no deepwater facilities have been shut-in due to safety concerns,” said John Romero, spokesman for Minerals Management Service (MMS), the Department of Interior branch responsible [sic] for offshore drilling safety .
Romero said that his department at MMS will soon begin inspecting 47 deepwater production platforms that are already pumping crude oil commercially.
“These inspections may take up to a month to complete,” he said.
Future is Black, Future is Sticky, Future …
What are the chances that the rigs and oil platforms in GOM continue operating without “safety problems,” for another week, month, or a year?
What happens if an earthquake strikes the region, or an underwater landslide occurs near one or more of the wells?
Do BP, MSS, NOAA or anybody else have any disaster-prevention plans to deal with earthquakes, landslide and other “unexpected” natural hazards?
NO! Of course, not.
Related Links:
— http://edro.wordpress.com/collapsing-cities/
— http://edro.wordpress.com/energy-dinosaurs/
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