New Norway Deep Sea Drilling Halted - Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster May Have Been Prevented in Deepsea Well
65New Norway Deep Sea Drilling Halted, Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster May Have Been Prevented
The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico continues to have ramifications for the oil industry. American President Obama has declared a six-month moratorium on more exploratory drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Today Norway’s Oil and Energy Minister Terje Riis-Johansen said that new deep-water drilling areas licenses have been halted. He said Norway would at this time wait until a U.S. investigation on the cause of the rigs explosion until issuing new deep-sea licenses. This is significant given that Norway pioneered offshore oil drilling.
This is a follow up on reports that Norwegian technology could have prevented the BP Horizon oil disaster. The newer Norwegian rigs operate with a remote safety technology known as acoustic control. The Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded to cause the biggest American oil spill in history was not fitted with the device. Other older Transocean rigs are not fitted with the device either. The leading manufacture of the acoustic control is Kongsberg Maritime AS. While this is speculation whether it would have averted the disaster it ads fuel to the negligence claims. Either way continued drilling would no doubt require all safety measures made available and be operational for deep sea drilling.
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Norway Technology could have Prevented BP Horizon Oil Disaster
There have been reports out that Norwegian technology could have averted the BP Horizon oil disaster. Other than the older rigs Norwegian rigs utilize remote control technology known as acoustic control. They enable a well to be closed remotely to depths of around 13,000 feet. Norwegian company Kongsberg Maritime AS is the world’s largest manufacturer of acoustic controls. The Deepwater rig that exploded did not have such acoustic controls in place. You can read the translated article from Nettavisen here.
Norwegians have understandably been concerned about rigs operated by Transocean in Norway’s waters. Transocean operated the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. Applications to drill near the Lofoten and Vesteraalen Islands have been under review. The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate has downgraded estimates of the amount of oil and gas near the Islands to only 1.3 million barrels from 2 million barrels,
The downgraded reserves and the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have forced environmentalists like Rasmus Hansson to beg the question of rationality. “The amount of oil in Lofoten and Vesteraalen indicated today means that we would only prolong Norway’s oil era by a year or half a year. The question is: is it really worth it?” Hansson is the Secretary General of the World Wildlife Fund in Norway. Source: Arcticforeignpolicyblog
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Norwegian Deep Water Drilling Licenses
Further on the new deep water drilling licenses Riis-Johansen said 'we are now working on the 21st licensing round. It will be conducted in light of what we have experienced in the Gulf of Mexico,'
'It is not appropriate for me to allow drilling in any new licenses in deep-water areas until we have good knowledge of what has happened with the Deepwater Horizon rig (operated by BP) and what this means for our regulations,' he added.
I would suggest at the very least Norway will push for implementation of safety measures such as the acoustic controls. Norwegians are asking themselves is it all worth it. Particularly in areas like the Lofoten and Vesteraalen Islands where the reserves are not substantial. We have seen oyster reefs threatened, Gulf fishing halted at Gulf coast bird life besieged with the Gulf of Mexico spill. At what point will Americans ask is it all worth it?
Comments on New Norway Deep Sea Drilling Halted, Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster May Have Been Prevented Loading...
Drbj - I don't think it is too expensive as all the newer Norwegian rigs have it. I would say BP would have rigs in the North Sea using it. The older rigs didn't like the Horizon Transocean. It makes sense. I am no expert obviously but it may have had an impact on the warning of the rig that preempted the explosion.
It's kind of like searching for the most effective birth control device: abstinance. But at least it would help to use what devices ARE available. I honestly think BP should be held accountable - as well as the many other oil companies whose deep water drilling is probably using antiquated means. Here's the thing: the banks overloaned and got in trouble. The government stepped in. The people rose up in protest at the government's involvement, yelling about free enterprise and minimum government control. If these humongous companies are big enough to drill hundreds of wells under our planet's global water system (and they ARE all connected) - which government should patrol? - Or shouldn't the free-enterprise companies have the integrity and DESIRE to do their stuff in the best interest of the planet? Am I from another galaxy? This seems terribly childish, letting these unstoppable glitches happen without pre-ventative and restorative technologies in place BEFORE the tragedies happen!!!
Billy, BP keeps catching the brunt of all this, fair? They leased the rig,so the owner who leased them the rig ought to carry a load here as well. I realize BP is in the business and should be up on technology, as should all in partnership on this endeavor. Looks like they are headed for the deepest pocket. While Barry is taking serious time to figure out "who's ass to kick". That was the highlight of my day, reading that tid bit, as their are 3 viable plans to get a hold on this mess and no one wants to listen to these folks. Barry is waiting for a plan he can claim? You think?, 50
Nellieanna I actually think it is pretty cut and dried with oil on a few of these issues. Firstly which ever country it is in the water zone of that country has legal jurisdiction and therefore has responsibility - after all they are paid royalties accordingly. You can't have your cake and eat it to and that is what the Government has tried to do here. they have done a hell of a good job. Now Tony Hayward is the number villian in America - please.
What is interesting in Norway that acoustic control is not mandatory by law but all new rigs have them there - those that don't are you guessed it Transocean. All we hear is BP BP BP - surely the drill operator should have responsibility here - somewhat - oh they don't have the same amount of money - of course Notice in Norway they chose to put on the extra device.
As for as abstaining there haven't been incidents on the new rigs with the acoustic control - I am not saying drill I think the issues raised in Norway are sound over the pristine islands for example.
The problem we have is the worship of cash - the subprime crisis is the greatest fraud on this planet - it is a disgrace that these people destroyed the world and got bailed out by he US Government. These people still take bonus and charge higher fees from our money. Just think if some of that money went to proper environmental oversight - protection schemes etc etc. They bailed out their buddies at the banks and the Fed's stakeholders - it is really that simple - that is another story so not to get off track.
Anyway at least we have a device we know should have been used and may have worked! With all the billions these people make - the oil companies and governments thought axes you just would have thought they would have the latest.
Time for a little shared responsibility here.
50 - yes it isn't all BP that's for - I would have thought the operator has a bit of share here and the environmental oversight - where was the checks??? See my reply to Nellieanna on all that.
As far as Barry (like that one) goes you are right - it still is all about politics - this from a guy who was supposedly not about politics. This is a great opportunity to maketh the man for him - lets hope he chooses that path. The Gulf Coast people and animals surely could do with no more procrastination. When I read stories like this in Norway in my research to me it just underscores how ass up we have become.
Nice Hub and good information on the acoustic control. I haven't been following the story too closely but I've not read or heard about the device.
Thanks for your feedback Don.
I keep asking the "drill,baby,drill" idiots that "is it worth it" question. No matter what rosy projections you fool yourself into believing, we are going to run out of oil. What difference dies it make if you think that is 10 years away or 100? Whatever, we need to move off it now no matter what the cost.
We will need oil for airplane fuel and for many other places where it cannot be replaced. We need to stop squandering it in autos and other places where it can.
Dwindling oil will lead to horrible wars and for what? So that a lucky few can go on polluting a ravaged planet?
I am sick to death over the stupidity of all this,
Pcunix you make some very good points. It is interesting the way Norway plans for the future after oil - they are one of the biggest oil producers on the planet and they plan for the end of oil. They have their fund, they have alternative energy, they are the safest drillers etc. They look after their fishermen etc - it is like a lesson of what we could be. We definitely need to use our oil very carefully and use alternative fuels where we can.
Isn’t hindsight wonderful ? If all those shouting “I knew something like this was going to happen sooner or later,” or “It’s all about Corporate Greed...” There are enough of you now to take up a sponge and bucket encircle the oil slick and soak it up, it would be better than sitting around tut tutting, wringing your hands and saying “I told you so !”
I wonder if you are the same people who shout and complain when fuel prices rise or the cost of transport goes up and the cost of living rises. The expression “Cake and Eating it,” springs to mind.
Yes what happened is a disaster and possibly when ALL the facts come to light it might prove to have been preventable. Oh yes; just to make you feel really good it will undoubtedly happen again, tapping into natural resources is a risky business and every now and again they get it wrong. But nobody comments upon anything when all goes well.
I said in a earlier response on this subject, now is not the time for recrimination, now is the time for solidarity, get behind all those who are busting a Gut trying to plug that wild well and those who are trying to minimise the environmental damage and the ones who will spend months if not years cleaning up the mess.
Hands up all those in support of President Obama’s declaration of six-month moratorium on more exploratory drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, write yourself a yellow Postit Note and stick it somewhere where you can see and read before you bounce up and down in your Pram when your fuel costs go through the roof when the OPEC countries turn the supplies down and jack the prices up. Then will he still be your Hero ?
I spent twenty Five years working in the Oil and Gas business, it’s a dangerous world, Shit happens, twelve men died in that Gulf explosion, may be history will conclude they are among the ones who caused it or more likely died trying to prevent it.
I worked in the North Sea where we lost One Hundred and Forty Seven work colleagues when the Piper Alpha was destroyed in a horrendous explosion.
Then as now the press and TV media were asking damn fool questions and looking for someone to blame before we had buried our dead and put the fires out.
You don’t hear Oilmen crying in their beer or asking, “Why Us,” No they are just out there trying to do their job and bring thing under control.
Unfortunate as it sounds things like this are part of the price we have to pay for the life style we have created for ourselves. Until we are prepared to change and go back to a community based live style of a hundred years ago, stay at home to live and work then very little will change.
Thank you for providing this educational Hub. I learned much from it and I'm glad I read it. The disaster is shocking to me. I never thought they would drill anyplace if they had no surefire way to plug a leak. We must get off of oil. We surely need a massive buildup of nuclear power plants.
BP is accountable for drilling off shore. We are accountable for using gas. Guess what people unless you ride a bike every where you go it is your fault to. We all need to own up to this and admit the part we played. I drive to work every day, I drive to places for recreation, sometimes I just drive to drive. So I admit I am at fault. I also use plastic products which are petroleum based so it is more my fault. So even if you ride a bike, if it has rubber tiers you are still a little to blame.
I am not trying to be facetious here I just want us all to know where we stand in the scheme of things. Supply would not be and issue if not for demand.
No, Martin, I will NOT be complaining about increased costs if they come because we have finally realized we need to move to alternatives.
If Big Oil had to pay taxes that represented the true cost of oil, solar and wind would already be cheaper alternatives. The true cost of air and water pollution isn't even known, but we are beginning to see that it may be a far higher price than we can afford to pay.
But again: no matter what you believe about all that, it it inescapable that we WILL run out of oil and that we WILL need it for airplanes and other uses. We need to move away from oil wherever we can, and if that costs more now, it will cost us much less dearly later.
pcunix,
You are right we should move away from oil for a lot more reasons than you list here. But to stay on topic if you check it out you may find that the biggest reserchers and investors in alternative fuel sources are the Oil companies !
Merlin very insightful comments. I think the point is it isn't all about blaming BP as the horde wants to blame anyone but them, The administration wants to blame anyone but them. You are right oil is dangerous, coal is dangerous and no one ever thanks them. Yet the whining is loud when there is no electricity etc Maybe the sheer danger should account for the costa of our lifestyle. As I said be careful what you asked for.
Merlin the day people stop and actually think about their part in using natural resources for the lifestyle would actually mean they have to think outside of their entitlement package - you know that is a long way from happening. Even with all these bailouts and bubble bursts and umpteen disasters they don't think that way.
James thanks for your comments. The concern I have with Nuclear is the waste and accident element. After seeing the best engineers around struggling to stop this leak and the ineptitude of the EPA I shudder to think how our government would respond to a disaster. I know France runs on it but I think of Cherynoble and the horrors. If I had faith in the Government then no worries but I don't. I will take an oil spill over a radiation leak anytime. My judgement is out on this one for now.
I can answer that one for you, Billy, because the Cheney oil cabal made some sweetheart deals with the oil companies while he was in office which waived BP's need to take more precautions. A $500,000 piece of equipment could have turned the danged thing off, but BP got the lease on the cheap and was not required to install it. They are not allowed to skip the precautions they did offshore our country when they drill near the UK or most other sensible nations. The right wing is also to blame; not only did their reduction of regulations lead up to this mess, they continue to coddle and protect poor little big oil. As for the conservation,I think every time before I use electricity or gas and decide whether or not I really need it. I'm not afraid of going hot or cold. I don't run the air conditioner in the summer here in Texas. I recycle everything I can. In the meantime, casinos, palacial homes, shopping malls, etc. burn fuel like it will last forever. And blame should be assessed so that this type of thing will never happen again.
John thanks for your comments. Good points - along the lines of those in glass houses....
Pcunix some good points. though I understand oil companies do pay their share of tax and take all the risks when they explore etc with many dry holes. When oil was 9 dollars a barrel there was no concern for them. We have extremes in opinion with big oil. Our western life is dependent on them. We need to change this I think Bush even said that - but what has happened - consumption is only down from the recession industrially, not in line with other necessities - oil is still counted as a necessity. Also on oil running out - many scientists are of the belief it isn't and is affectively being regenerated faster than thought. I guess I should research that.
Merlin and Pcunix that is great the biggest investors are the oil companies and second is long way off. However that little tidbit doesn't sell papers or suit political intentions.
Chasing cars thanks for your input. Actually Norway doesn't make the use of the Acoustic control mandatory but the companies choose to up there. Makes rational financial sense. I also notice that the only rigs that don't have them there are the old ones - like Transocean. The same Transocean here with Horizon Deepwater. So I wonder how much they had to do with this given they operated the rig? Obviously no one envisaged what happened happening. I think you find both political parties at the end of the day have given oil companies different things - it is America after all :)
The answer is as you say personal responsibility for your own beliefs- cut back on the demand factor. Without demand there isn't he push on supply.
I hope that BP will learn from this tragedy and do better in the future. Thank you for your most informative Hub!
Thanks HappyHer - you would think BP and the whole industry and government would learn from this problem.
In light of the disaster-in-progress and the billions it'll cost to clean it up in addition to paying the claims who've been ruined by it, of course a half million for a device that could've prevented the mess in the first place seems like pocket change.
Before the rig blew up, however, a half mil NOT spent on that device was a half mil that could stay in the corporate coffers.
Deepwater was not BP/Transocean's only rig remember. Multiply a half mil by the number of rigs in operation and we're talking serious money. Why spend it on something that might never be needed? Better to dole it out in the form of dividends to stockholders instead.
Odd that rigs in Norwegian waters aren't *required* to have blow-out preventers, but companies install them anyway. Perhaps they recognize that, unlike the U.S., Norway has broken its addiction to oil and is only allowing them to keep drilling as a gesture of good will?
JamaGenee I think you said it perfectly there - thanks for commenting.
There are foibles in all of us. There are even Physics Foibles. Entropy is one of them.
Inside a warm damp cave, completely sealed off from the outside world, will life survive?
Answer: No life forms could flourish indefinitely.
In an isolated system, entropy always increases. Life tries to push entropy in the opposite direction. When life is created, entropy decreases in the cave but nature demands a greater entropy increase offset.
The cave, being sealed, would mean that entropy would reach its max, thus energy necessary to sustain and generate new life would be unavailable.
Maybe we should learn a lesson from this. Available energy is mandatory. Wealth may equate to available energy. If you want to live in a nation that is prospering, make sure that its available energy supply is abundant. Don’t overuse it. Protect the environment.
The oil spill should not be used as a political football!!
Melvin thank you for the very insightful reflection and yes you use energy as a political football and there is a price to pay and we are paying it and the price just got richer.
There are no easy answers. For those who think nuclear energy is the answer...just look at Japan now after the earthquake and tsunami! Everything has its risks. About the safest form of energy producing means available is solar and wind from what I can determine until some smart people come up with other ideas of safe energy alternatives. In the meantime, hopefully the best safety measures will be utilized by all people doing business in the world revolving around sources of energy production.
Peggy there certainly are no easy answers - the mnore we get away from nature the more dangerous we seem to stray such as Fukushima. The profit motive gets in the way and that starts with the individual expecting everything for nothing. Let us hope Japan can get past this with as minimal damage as possible and any future energy drilling or otherwise is done with a full plan ahead of the event
drbj Level 8 Commenter 23 months ago
Billy - I am fuming. There is a device called an acoustic control that might have prevented this oil spill mess? Why wouldn't BP and others use it? Is it a well-kept secret? It couldn't be that it was too expensive - what cost could compare with the cost of cleaning up this mess? Which may take years to control but not eliminate.
Thanks for giving me the platform (appropriate?) to rant.