Moving America’s Oil [One Way or Another]

 Breached pipeline spills about 50,000 gallons of oil into Yellowstone River

An oil pipeline breach has spilled about 50,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River about 9 miles upriver from Glendive, Montana, said state officials.

Some of the oil did enter the water, said a spokesman for Gov. Bullock.

Bridger Pipeline Co. said that they have shut down the 12-inch-wide pipeline, calling the breach an “unfortunate incident.”

The incident was a Déjà vu of 2011 ExxonMobil 12-inch Silvertip pipeline rupture breach near Laurel, when more than 60,000 gallons of oil contaminated an 85-mile stretch of riverbank.

BP Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

Judge Carl Barbier ruled Thursday that the fines for the 2010 BP massive oil spill were excessive, imposing a maximum ceiling of $13.7 billion, significantly lower than the $18 billion fine sought by prosecutors.

Related Links

• ExxonMobil pipeline leak into Yellowstone River forces evacuations Posted on July 3, 2011
• Exxon Pays Peanuts to the Monkeys Posted on August 14, 2009
• Exxon Mobile Court Orders Only Fraction of Damages Posted on June 16, 2009

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – October 12, 2013

Pipeline leak in North Dakota likely due to corrosion

The 20,600-barrel leak on Tesoro Logistics LP pipeline in North Dakota was probably caused by corrosion on the 20-year-old pipeline, state regulators said.

A farmer discovered oil gushing out of the six-inch pipeline, which carries oil from the Bakken shale play to the Stampede rail facility near Columbus, North Dakota, on September 29, said a report.

“This is the largest oil spill in the state since it became a major U.S. producer. It is the biggest oil leak on U.S. land since March, when an Exxon Mobil pipeline spilled 5,000 to 7,000 barrels of heavy Canadian crude in Mayflower, Arkansas.”

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Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Iraq Bloodbath

October casualties in the ongoing Iraqi violence so far stands at 381 civilians killed, and about 1,000 others wounded.

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Majority of U.S. Citizens say: “The hell with the Congress!”

Six in ten Americans say they would replace every single member of the U.S. Congress if they could, according to a new poll by NBC News and Wall Street Journal.

As for the state of U.S. economy over the next 12 months, 42 percent of the people believe it will get worse, while only 17 percent are optimistic, and 38 percent see no change.

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Conflicts of interest in the Syria debate

22 media commentators, and seven think tanks that participated in the media debate on whether the US should bomb Syria, had major  conflicts of interest, says Public Accountability Initiative.

The most egregious example cited is Stephen Hadley, former national security adviser to George W. Bush. “Hadley argued strenuously for military intervention in appearances on CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and Bloomberg TV, and authored a Washington Post op-ed headlined ‘To stop Iran, Obama must enforce red lines with Assad.'”

“In each case, Hadley’s audience was not informed that he serves as a director of Raytheon, the weapons manufacturer that makes the Tomahawk cruise missiles that were widely cited as a weapon of choice in a potential strike against Syria. Hadley earns $128,500 in annual cash compensation from the company and chairs its public affairs committee. He also owns 11,477 shares of Raytheon stock, which traded at all-time highs during the Syria debate ($77.65 on August 23, making Hadley’s share’s worth $891,189).” The report said.

Hadley was presented to the audience as an experienced, independent national security expert, said the report. Read more…

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Soon Willie Soon

Willie Soon, a U.S. climate change skeptic, who also denies mercury health risks, is a Big Oil pawn: Greenpeace

Soon, an astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, has received funding from:

• NASA
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Big Oil and Big Coal
• American Petroleum Institute
• Koch Industries

“Last year, the foundation of Charles Koch, chairman and CEO of privately held Koch Industries, gave Soon $65,000 to study how variations in the Sun are related to climate change,” a report said.

“Soon also got $131,000 from oil major Exxon Mobil Corp in 2007 and 2008 received grants to study the Sun’s role in climate change and global warming in the Arctic, Greenpeace said.”

FIRE-EARTH is receiving dozens of comments from at least four different sources that are forcefully demanding a debate on the Sun’s role in climate change and global warming.

Needless to say, those comments are invariably deleted.

Who’s Willie Soon [Sourced from wikipedia]

Willie Wei-Hock Soon (born 1966 in Malaysia) is an astrophysicist at the Solar and Stellar Physics Division of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Soon has testified before Congress on the issue of climate change He is known for his views that most global warming is caused by solar variation.

He is chief science adviser to the Science and Public Policy Institute, a think tank which disputes the belief that global warming is anthropogenic.Soon is also associated with the George C. Marshall Institute, where he co-authored Lessons and Limits of Climate History: Was 20th Century Climate Unusual? with Sallie Baliunas. The pair have also written for the Fraser Institute of Canada regarding Sun-climate connections.

One of their publications was the center of political controversy, and editors resigned from the journal which published the paper.Soon and Baliunas have also been criticised because their research budget was funded in part by the American Petroleum Institute, a trade association. Another paper coauthored by Soon started a heated debate with polar bear experts.

In 2004 Soon was awarded the “Petr Beckmann Award for courage and achievement in the defense of scientific truth” by Doctors for Disaster Preparedness. (!!)

DDP is unconvinced of the role of CFCs in ozone depletion, the role of greenhouse gases in global warming, and in the utility of renewable energy sources. [Sourced from wikipedia]

Related Links

• Soon and Baliunas controversy

Chevron-BP Pipeline leaks Oil into Louisiana Wildlife Refuge

Serial No  1,544 If any posts are blocked in your area, please drop us a line.

Another Year of Oil Spills in Our Fragile Ecosystems

Chevron, BP, Exxon Mobil Corp and all other oil companies are leaving too many indelible footprints on our planet

Raccoon photographed in the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana probably wondering  whether to wash hands in the water.

A Chevron pipeline leaked at least 18,000 gallons (68,100 liters) of crude oil into the Delta National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana, the U.S. Coast Guard said, Reuters reported.

The exact environmental impact of the leak has not yet been determined, said a spokesman for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife.

The leak discharged into a canal about 16km (10 miles) southeast of Venice, Louisiana, a Coast Guard news release said.

“A barge working for Exxon Mobil Corp was driving long pipes called ‘spuds’ to anchor the barge in place, and one may have hit the pipeline operated by Chevron, a Coast Guard spokesman said.” The report said.

Cypress Pipe Line Co, a joint venture between Chevron and BP Plc own the the pipeline, which is operated by Chevron Pipe Line Co., a Chevron subsidiary.

The Delta National Wildlife Refuge is located 16km (10 miles) southeast of Venice, Louisiana along the Mississippi River. The 19,000-ha (48,000 acre) originally designated as a sanctuary and habitat to wintering waterfowl, is marshland near the mouth of the Mississippi River southeast of New Orleans. Accessible  by boat only, the refuge now provides habitat for alligator, brown pelican migrating birds, raccoons and other animals.

Related Links

• Disasters Caused by Oil and gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Land, Water and Air Pollution

Texas waterway polluted after tanker collision

Massive Oil Spill in Texas, Residents Scurry to Shelter

A tanker sustained a large hole the size of a billboard on Saturday after it collided with a barge in Port Arthur, Texas, releasing  a very large amount of  crude oil into the water, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The Eagle Otome  collided with a barge in Port Arthur, Texas. Handout photograph taken and released on January 23, 2010. The Coast Guard initial estimate of the spilled oil is about 450,000 gallons. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters.

“The tanker was carrying crude oil to Exxon Mobil Corp’s refinery in Beaumont, Texas, located north of Port Arthur. The waterway, through which tankers carry oil to four refineries in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas, remained shut on Saturday night.” Reuters reported.

The collision tore a large hole measuring about 4.5 meter-by-2.5-meter (15 by 8 ft) in the side of the 250-meter (810-foot) tanker Eagle Otome, the Coast Guard said. No injuries were reported as a result of the crash, Reuters reported .

About half a million gallons of spilled crude oil released hydrogen sulfide into the air prompting port authorities to issue warnings recommending nearby residents to stay indoors.

A dozen or so people reportedly scurried to a shelter; however, the vapors quickly dissipated, according to the police chief, the report said.

The Eagle Otome  collided with a barge in Port Arthur, Texas. Handout photograph taken and released on January 23, 2010.  Credit: U.S. Coast Guard/Handout via Reuters. Click image to enlarge.

Port Arther sustained severe damage after hurricane Rita made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane on September 23 between Sabine Pass, Texas, and Johnsons Bayou, Louisiana.Credit: Bob McMillan/ FEMA Photo (Date: September 28, 2005)

Related Links:

• Oil Spill Disasters

King of the Oil Beasts: In Petroleum We trust!

Will a single company have a monopoly on 80 percent of “economically recoverable” global oil reserves?

Will the price of a barrel of oil exceed $240, or even $4,000?

Will the current monetary system be of no value soon?

In Petroleum We Trust (Gas coupon printed in 1973 oil crisis)

See Main Entry:

In Petroleum We Trust!

Related Links:

• On The Way To Armageddon: Could We Make A Detour?

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