Just take it to PMs or I'll tear you apart
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Quote from: Diunx on June 05, 2010, 12:44:05 AMI still can't believe they are actually calling Hollywood people in on this, I thought it was an internet joke or something To be fair, calling in Kevin Costner wasn't such a bad idea since his brother built that sweet machine. I don't really get calling Cameron, unless he too had connections to people with sweet machines (and the only way to contact said people is to go through Cameron).
I still can't believe they are actually calling Hollywood people in on this, I thought it was an internet joke or something
HOUSTON (Reuters) – BP Plc took risky shortcuts in drilling its Macondo well that "increased the danger of a catastrophic well failure," two U.S. lawmakers probing the well's blow-out and the worst U.S. oil spill said on Monday."It appears that BP repeatedly chose risky procedures in order to reduce costs and save time and made minimal efforts to contain the added risk," said Representatives Henry Waxman and Bart Stupak, the top Democrats on the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.BP opted for a well design with few barriers to impede a "kick" of methane gas that surged up the drilling pipe and set off a catastrophic series of explosions in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, and failed to ensure that the drill pipe was adequately sealed with cement to prevent an influx of flammable gas, the lawmakers said.The lawmakers disclosed the details in a letter to BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who is slated to testify before the committee on Thursday. BP declined to comment on the letter."It would be inappropriate to comment on these matters in advance," BP spokesman Toby Odone said in a written comment. "No doubt they will raise these matters during the hearing."The letter presents a potentially damning account of key decisions made by BP drilling officials in the days before the catastrophic explosion of the Deepwater Horizon rig that killed 11 workers and eclipsed the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster as the worst U.S. oil spill.The letter, a synthesis of facts gathered by the Energy and Commerce Committee's investigations panel, portrays BP engineers as under the gun and in a hurry to wrap up drilling operations, which were running more than 40 days late.To drill the well, BP leased the Deepwater Horizon rig from Swiss-based Transocean at a rate of about $500,000 a day, and the drilling delays meant an extra $21 million in leasing fees, lawmakers said.In some cases, BP ignored warnings from contractors like Halliburton Co and their own employees and chose faster and cheaper drilling options, they said.On April 15, five days before the explosion, BP drilling engineer Brian Morel wrote in an email to a BP colleague: "This has been (a) nightmare well which has everyone all over the place."On April 16, BP opted for a minimal number of "centralizers" in the well that were meant to ensure that the casing ran straight to aid the cement in setting properly.Halliburton suggested that BP use 21 centralizers to reduce the potential for gas to flow into the well casing, but BP decided to use only six even though Halliburton warned of a "SEVERE gas flow problem."When informed that extra centralizers were available in Houston and could be flown to the rig the same morning, BP well team leader John Guide responded, "It will take 10 (hours) to install them .... I (am) very concerned about using them."BP drilling engineer Brett Cocales emailed Morel, "But, who cares, it's done, end of story, will probably be fine and we'll get a good cement job.""So Guide is right on the risk/reward equation."Lawmakers said BP had flown a team of engineers from Schlumberger Ltd to the rig to perform a cement bond log to ensure that the cementing job was adequate, but decided not to use their services.BP flew a crew from Schlumberger to the rig on April 18, but told them on the morning of April 20 that their services were not required, lawmakers said. The decision "may have been driven by concerns about expense and time," the lawmakers said.The Schlumberger crew flew off the rig at 11:15 a.m. on April 20.At 9:53 p.m. that evening, the rig exploded, and sank a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico two days later.
BP still isn't listening to Halliburton btw.
No, fuck that. Our government needs a total overhaul before anyone starts drilling again. This shit can't happen again.
I'm in LA, work in the drilling industry, and will be the first to tell you that there are many other wells that might be unsafe. Still, the odds of something like this happening again are very low.
Problem being of course: diminishing production from existing sources + growing global demand + new/renewable sources unable to take up the gap = we're fucked.
Challenger odds? Those would be 1/275. We're fucked.
Quote from: Genghis Cohen on July 15, 2010, 07:40:35 PMChallenger odds? Those would be 1/275. We're fucked. spoiler (click to show/hide)I thought of that after the 'post.' I also doubt there was much willful negligence in the Challenger's case.[close]I do believe in actually enforcing some of the regulations though. This puts me in the minority. :'(
The sad thing is if there is one area where the government can affect change easily it's with engineering standards. Engineers love standards! It makes there lives both easier and more difficult, which is what engineers like.
Quote from: Genghis Cohen on July 15, 2010, 08:09:54 PMThe sad thing is if there is one area where the government can affect change easily it's with engineering standards. Engineers love standards! It makes there lives both easier and more difficult, which is what engineers like. which is why we needed 20 years to retrofit the bay bridge.
Akala, how long until we all die?
Quote from: Great Rumbler on July 18, 2010, 11:32:24 PMSo do you guys think that if it looks like we're on the verge of impending doom that Disney will bump up the release of Tron Legacy?Probably not.
So do you guys think that if it looks like we're on the verge of impending doom that Disney will bump up the release of Tron Legacy?
BP admits 'lobbying UK over Libya prisoner transfer scheme but not Lockerbie bomber'BP is facing fresh scrutiny into whether it was involved in the release of the Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmet al-Megrahi, after the oil giant admitted lobbying the British government over a prisoner agreement with Libya. BP said it pressed for a deal over the controversial prisoner transfer agreement (PTA) amid fears any delays to negotiations would damage its “commercial interests” and disrupt its £900 million offshore drilling operations in the region. But it denied claims that it had been involved in negotiations concerning the release of Megrahi, the Lockerbie bomber freed by Scottish authorities last year.The admission came just hours after Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, pledged to investigate allegations of BP's involvement in his release ahead of its planned new drilling in Libya. It followed a letter from four US senators who had accused the company of having a hand in the release of Megrahi, who was released last year by the Scottish government on "health grounds" and compassionate grounds. Mrs Clinton’s intervention came after the American Democratic senators called for an investigation into BP’s interests in Libya, as they tried to connect the oil group with a deal to free the convicted terrorist. Increasing the pressure on BP, John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said it would hold a hearing on the release of Megrahi on July 29, at which representatives of company would be called to testify. “I opposed Megrahi’s release on medical grounds last year as a travesty and the details that have emerged in recent days in the press have raised new concerns,” said Mr Kerry. In a statement issued on Thursday, the company admitted it had lobbied the British Government over the controversial prisoner deal but denied any involvement in Megrahi’s release. “It is matter of public record that in late 2007 BP told the UK Government that we were concerned about the slow progress that was being made in concluding a prisoner transfer agreement with Libya,” the company said in a statement. “We were aware that this could have a negative impact on UK commercial interests, including the ratification by the Libyan Government of BP's exploration agreement.” But a spokesman added: “The decision to release Mr al-Megrahi in August 2009 was taken by the Scottish Government. “It’s not for BP to comment on the decision of the Scottish Government. “BP was not involved in any discussions with the UK Government or the Scottish Government about the release of Mr al-Megrahi.” Company sources later attempted to play down the statement, saying it was “old news”. A spokesman for David Cameron, the Prime Minister, also denied there was a link between his release and the company. There was “no link between the Scottish executive’s decision to release Megrahi” and BP, the Prime Minister’s spokesman told reporters in London. It was a fresh blow to BP, which is battling to save its reputation after the Gulf of Mexico oil slick while it also faced a series of attacks from US politicians. Frank Lautenberg, a Democratic senator from New Jersey, led calls for an investigation into whether BP helped to secure the early release of Megrahi. “It is shocking to even contemplate that BP is profiting from the release of a terrorist with the blood of 189 Americans on his hands,” Mr Lautenberg wrote in a letter to the Senate foreign relations committee. His colleague Robert Menendez added: "If BP is found to have helped free this mass murderer that would further de-legitimise the Scottish court's decision to grant him compassionate release.” On Thursday, the two Californian senators also joined the calls for BP to face an official investigation. In a letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein wrote: “Commercial interests - oil or otherwise - should never be prioritised over justice for victims of terrorist acts and severe punishment for convicted terrorists”. Last year Jack Straw admitted to The Daily Telegraph that Libyan trade and oil were an "essential part'' of the Government's decision to include the bomber in the PTA. The former Justice Secretary said he was unapologetic about including Abdelbaset al Megrahi in the agreement, citing a multi-million-pound oil deal signed by BP and Libya six weeks later.
UK PM in DC to talk BP with VP. Damn, I just lost my Twitter license.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/scientists-find-evidence_n_664298.html?ref=twitter
