Dark clouds of smoke and fire emerge as oil burns during a controlled fire in the Gulf of Mexico in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg / U.S. Navy)
IT is the sequel we all hoped would never be made. Still in planning, and we are doubting the directors, producers and crews will be prepared and will perform any better than those who brought bp's deepwater horizon to the explosive climax they pulled off 15 years ago. The fact is there is no good reason, no need for this well. Instead of putting the entire GULF OF MEXICO and the states along the GULF OF MEXICO at risk of another explosion, too many crew deaths, another massive oil spill, economic disruption, environmental degradation and lingering civilian health issues bp should have continued their $6.5-$7 billion planned investment in renewable energy instead of taking $5 billion from it to bring their total oil and gas spending to $10 billion. That decision was driven by corporate greed, especially from elliott investment management from the U.S. and holds 5% of bp. Following the message from Earthjustice are 13 out of dozens of post on this blog covering bp's deepwater horizon disaster, their unpreparedness for the oil spill and their attempts supported by gop / greed over people-republican party tea-baggers to stick American taxpayers with the cleanup bill. To find more just search deepwater horizon on this blog. Please click the link to join in this action from Earthjustice, make a donation if you can and share this with family, friends and coworkers. My e mail to Ms. Bernadette Thomas, Regional Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management: is at the end of this post.
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WHERE ARE THE 'DRILL BABY DRILL' ASSHOLES NOW???Officials Dispatched To Gulf As Oil Spill Worries Grow 29APR10
GOP's false talking point: Jones Act blocks Gulf help 30JUN10 & Keeping Up With the Jones Act 2JUL10
MY E MAIL TO RE: BP Exploration & Production Inc.’s Initial Development Operations Coordination Document (DOCD), Kaskida Project, Keathley Canyon Blocks 292 and 293
Dear Ms. Bernadette Thomas, Regional Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management:
I am writing to urge you to disapprove BP’s proposed Kaskida ultra-deepwater drilling project.
Kaskida, as proposed, poses significant risks to our economy, the marine and coastal environment, and the humans who depend on it.
BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, which caused $17.2 billion worth of damage, dealt significant blows to the regional economy, including eliminating 25,000 jobs in the Gulf. Deepwater Horizon also led to billions of dollars in financial losses including gross regional product, lost labor income, and federal, state and local tax revenues. It was particularly cruel to the Gulf’s tourism and fishing industries, the latter of which suffered an estimated $1.5 billion in lost revenue. Kaskida could repeat Deepwater Horizon’s economic devastation to the Gulf.
With Kaskida, BP is asking to develop oil and gas reserves at even greater depths than where its Deepwater Horizon rig suffered a loss of control incident – an event that killed 11 people and turned into the worst marine oil spill in U.S. history. The Kaskida project proposes to drill wells in waters up to 6,200 feet deep — whereas BP’s well that blew out in 2010 was about 5,000 feet deep. It would also be one of the first development projects in the region to use oil well equipment that needs to be able to handle pressures up to 20,000 pounds per square inch. By comparison, the faulty blowout preventer used in Deepwater Horizon could handle pressures of only 15,000 pounds. s. In its proposal to the government, BP has failed to demonstrate that such a facility can safely operate a high-pressure, high-temperature well like Kaskida. BP has not obtained U.S. certification to operate a high-pressure, high-temperature well and has not pointed to experience drilling these types of wells in other places.
In other words, BP would be pushing ultra-deepwater drilling to extreme depths while relying on still-emerging technologies. This is concerning and highly risky, since the likelihood of well blowouts and uncontrolled oil spills increases exponentially with depth and pressure, and spills from this type of drilling are harder to respond to and contain. In fact, reports have shown that projects like Kaskida are six times more likely to experience an incident due to the extreme pressures and temperatures at such great depths.
In addition to significant oil spill risks, this project would negatively impact already overburdened Gulf communities, sensitive deep-sea ecosystems, and imperiled marine life such as Kemp's ridley sea turtles and the critically endangered Rice's whale, whose population was significantly harmed by Deepwater Horizon.
Past deepwater drilling incidents show us what is at stake, and the Gulf of Mexico cannot handle another catastrophic disaster. Past incidents also show how unprepared these companies like BP are for these catastrophic disasters, how protecting their profit margins are more important than clean up, environmental restoration and healthcare and economic compensation. There was even an attempt by BP and associated companies to leave the American taxpayers financially responsible for their catastrophe in the Gulf. Please deny BP's request for approval of their Kaskida Project.
Kaskida, as proposed, poses significant risks to our economy, the marine and coastal environment, and the humans who depend on it.
BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster, which caused $17.2 billion worth of damage, dealt significant blows to the regional economy, including eliminating 25,000 jobs in the Gulf. Deepwater Horizon also led to billions of dollars in financial losses including gross regional product, lost labor income, and federal, state and local tax revenues. It was particularly cruel to the Gulf’s tourism and fishing industries, the latter of which suffered an estimated $1.5 billion in lost revenue. Kaskida could repeat Deepwater Horizon’s economic devastation to the Gulf.
With Kaskida, BP is asking to develop oil and gas reserves at even greater depths than where its Deepwater Horizon rig suffered a loss of control incident – an event that killed 11 people and turned into the worst marine oil spill in U.S. history. The Kaskida project proposes to drill wells in waters up to 6,200 feet deep — whereas BP’s well that blew out in 2010 was about 5,000 feet deep. It would also be one of the first development projects in the region to use oil well equipment that needs to be able to handle pressures up to 20,000 pounds per square inch. By comparison, the faulty blowout preventer used in Deepwater Horizon could handle pressures of only 15,000 pounds. s. In its proposal to the government, BP has failed to demonstrate that such a facility can safely operate a high-pressure, high-temperature well like Kaskida. BP has not obtained U.S. certification to operate a high-pressure, high-temperature well and has not pointed to experience drilling these types of wells in other places.
In other words, BP would be pushing ultra-deepwater drilling to extreme depths while relying on still-emerging technologies. This is concerning and highly risky, since the likelihood of well blowouts and uncontrolled oil spills increases exponentially with depth and pressure, and spills from this type of drilling are harder to respond to and contain. In fact, reports have shown that projects like Kaskida are six times more likely to experience an incident due to the extreme pressures and temperatures at such great depths.
In addition to significant oil spill risks, this project would negatively impact already overburdened Gulf communities, sensitive deep-sea ecosystems, and imperiled marine life such as Kemp's ridley sea turtles and the critically endangered Rice's whale, whose population was significantly harmed by Deepwater Horizon.
Past deepwater drilling incidents show us what is at stake, and the Gulf of Mexico cannot handle another catastrophic disaster. Past incidents also show how unprepared these companies like BP are for these catastrophic disasters, how protecting their profit margins are more important than clean up, environmental restoration and healthcare and economic compensation. There was even an attempt by BP and associated companies to leave the American taxpayers financially responsible for their catastrophe in the Gulf. Please deny BP's request for approval of their Kaskida Project.
