The oil well spewing crude into the Gulf of Mexico didn’t have a remote-control shut-off switch used in two other major oil-producing nations as last-resort protection against underwater spills.
The lack of the device, called an acoustic switch, could amplify concerns over the environmental impact of offshore drilling after the explosion and sinking of the Deepwater Horizon rig last week.
The accident has led to one of the largest ever oil spills in U.S. water and the loss of 11 lives…
U.S. regulators don’t mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon, hired by oil giant BP PLC, didn’t have one. With the remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated…
Nevertheless, regulators in two major oil-producing countries, Norway and Brazil, in effect require them. Norway has had acoustic triggers on almost every offshore rig since 1993.
The U.S. considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn’t needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well.
Golly. Does that infer the Oil Patch Boys bought enough politicians and bureaucrats to stop regulation.
An acoustic trigger costs about $500,000, industry officials said. The Deepwater Horizon had a replacement cost of about $560 million, and BP says it is spending $6 million a day to battle the oil spill…
This post is from Dvorak Uncensored.
13 comments:
Another little diddy,
Halliburton also was the cementer on a well that suffered a big blowout last August in the Timor Sea, off Australia. The rig there caught fire and a well leaked tens of thousands of barrels of oil over 10 weeks before it was shut down. The investigation is continuing…
Halliburton damn it! It just sickens me there is almost zero control or real concern for the environment. This is going to be bad and that ass Palin is still saying it happens, drill baby drill. This is going to be horrendous maybe the worst in history but in the end it may have a good effect in waking people up and the next election.
Thank You on this posting Mr.Tim, I think we all know what's going on here by now, and sure alot more will come out of tis. It's sad, but you never seem to get action on much unless you pay with dozen's of lives.
To make matters worse, they hired Halliburton to do the cementing. While it is not let definitive, several experts think it was the cementing that caused it.
Jim
Halliburton couldn't even put showers in correctly. How many soldiers were killed trying to shower. Of course when one thinks of Hallibuton one also has to think of Cheney. As it turns out Cheney was also responsible for not approving the auto shut off for the well.
RC
I want Jail time for these bastards.
If Cheney was indeed behind not approving the safety shut off,lock him up.
Later
Tom
They have a track record of failures from the cement process. Recently in Australia. So if I were a betting man...
Tim this really peeves me. I just heard Halliburton is being investigated for this too. They were doing the cementing operation and had a crew on site when this happened. Of course they did nothing wrong. Yeah!
Jim
Want to get real pissed off?
It appears Cheney had something to do with not funding the Safety Switch or auto shut off on this Rig. Not Gospel yet But I have two different sources so far. I don't really run with it until I get three.
None of these mother fucker's do jail time on shit, and when they do, they get "fed" time or some protective custody shit. Mother fucker's should have to do time like the rest of us, but a slim chance any of them ever will do a day of hard time in the field's or on the unit. Plus the more money you have when your doing time, the more you have, you can buy anything you want.
True about those military shower's, you dont hear much about that .... soldier's were getting fried left and right in them thing's! When we first thrust our troop's into this "manufactured" corporate war, they took long to just get them equipped correctly, just like them non armoured Humvee's they would have them travel in. I am waiting for folk's to investigate that goddamn war, that was another crock of shit, believe me. Do you know that they ahd at one time $12 billion cash shrinkwrapped (and that is just one instance), that they have no idea where it went? .... no invoice's, no trace, and only week's before, contractor's posed in picture's with it when it first arrived. I'll tell ya what the fuck happened .... they stole it, is what happened, they had more racket's going on than folk's can imagine, they were running off a surplus that was left over when Clinton left office, Cheney is the mastermind of this shit, cause Bush is too dumb to pull off shit this grand, I would bet my paycheck on it Guy! I will shut the fuck up now.
RC
Actually I enjoyed your Rant, cause that's the way I'm feeling too. Sometimes Man I swear,I'd like about 5 minutes alone with Cheney in a sound proof room. I think I'd get the truth if you know what I mean..
Later My friend
PS Are you Resting up?
Not installing the fallback cap mechanism is criminal. Someone needs to go room with Bubba for the rest of his life.
Jolly
Ahhh that's the name of the thing that was missing? Thank you.
It makes me sick,what they will do in the name of profit.
BTW That dog is great..
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