Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 2,741 Location: on a hill in the hollow
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There was a very interesting article from the Associated Press, on the FOX News. What we are witnessing today, may be a certainty tomorrow... but it will be worse!http://www.foxnews.com/u...bandoned-oil-gas-wells/
27,000 Wells Abandoned, Unchecked in GulfPublished July 07, 2010
| Associated PressMore than 27,000 abandoned oil and gas wells lurk in the hard rock beneath the Gulf of Mexico, an environmental minefield that has been ignored for decades. No one -- not industry, not government -- is checking to see if they are leaking, an Associated Press investigation shows. The oldest of these wells were abandoned in the late 1940s, raising the prospect that many deteriorating sealing jobs are already failing. The AP investigation uncovered particular concern with 3,500 of the neglected wells -- those characterized in federal government records as "temporarily abandoned."Regulations for temporarily abandoned wells require oil companies to present plans to reuse or permanently plug such wells within a year, but the AP found that the rule is routinely circumvented, and that more than 1,000 wells have lingered in that unfinished condition for more than a decade. About three-quarters of temporarily abandoned wells have been left in that status for more than a year, and many since the 1950s and 1960s -- even though sealing procedures for temporary abandonment are not as stringent as those for permanent closures. As a forceful reminder of the potential harm, the well beneath BP's Deepwater Horizon rig was being sealed with cement for temporary abandonment when it blew April 20, leading to one of the worst environmental disasters in the nation's history. BP alone has abandoned about 600 wells in the Gulf, according to government data. Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 2,741 Location: on a hill in the hollow
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Personally, I find these latest facts very disturbing on two levels. First, and obviously foremost at this time, is the fact that BP has "abandoned about 600 wells in the Gulf!" This should be a shocking wake up call for all of us. With 27,000 capped wells in the Gulf, even if one 10th of 1% of those wells fail we could have TWENTY-SEVEN of these things spewing and at least one other BP well ready to blow!
While the Big Oil connection was obvious in the Bush43 years, it appears Federal Regulators have been in bed with Big Oil no matter what party leads this nation. This is simply a huge accident waiting to happen and We, The People, are just beginning to see the tip of the iceberg waiting to rip open.
I'm sorry for the heartache of the Gulf coast residents, but this is a concern for the entire nation and, indeed, the entire world. We have seen this one well blowout create a 500 mile wide oil slick. It continues to flow at the rate of millions of gallons a day and will do so for many more days even under the best of circumstances. The Gulf region is rich in sea life and holds a vital spot in the food chain. If this event can be repeated, it must be examined and reevaluated if it takes six days or six months or, God forbid, six years.Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 2,741 Location: on a hill in the hollow
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The second problem I have with this situation is also vital, but not quite so eminently hazardous as the current situation. This blowout happened on a well "being sealed with cement for temporary abandonment when it blew." My question is why and how many other wells with huge amounts of commercially useful crude has BP sealed? Then that begs the question, how many wells in total from all drillers can produce this huge amount of oil and yet, have been sealed off?
Just think about it a minute... the current blowout is spewing tens of thousands of barrels of crude every day and, uncapped, it has enough oil reserve to do this for at least THREE YEARS! With the "Drill Baby Drill" crowd and the supposed LACK of oil in US reach, why are these wells sealed in the first place?!
Unfortunately, that question is answered in the column... "It would cost the industry at least $3 billion to permanently plug the 10,500 now-active wells and the 3,500 temporarily abandoned ones in the Gulf" and "Some owners temporarily abandon wells to await a rise in oil prices."
Basically it all comes down to "the root of all evil" and has nothing to do with availability or even drilling costs... remember, these wells are already drilled.Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 1/4/2010 Posts: 2,741 Location: on a hill in the hollow
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Philosophically, ethically and morally... I guess I must be a socialist at heart in that I generally favor The Government having a handle on life's essential things over a profit driven, free enterprise, who cares about tomorrow when I'm living for today, Corporate Mind. Life essential items must not be held captive to "what the market can bear" and still give me a handsome Golden Parachute, method of pricing. This does not necessarily require total control by The Government, just reasonable regulations that will allow a business to comfortably grow and still prevent them from being able to cause the collapse of our System at a whim.
We have had the banks "too big to allow to fail" created by lax regulation and enforcement of what regulation there is... we are held captive to the whims and profit margins of speculators, captive to insurance profit margins, to doctors that want a bigger yacht and the drug companies CEO that need another mansion. We have pet food, baby formula and milk products contaminated with melamine, cadmium and lead in our children's toys, lettuce and tomatoes contaminated with E-coli, tens of thousands of pounds of contaminated meat recalled after it has been shipped nation wide, bird flu from China and Mad Cow from the UK.
Think about it... how many of the things you cannot do without are manufactured from or use petroleum products? You need money to survive, you need a job to make money or be lucky enough to own a business to suit your life needs. If you work for others, you have no say in WHERE you will work... if it is far from where you live, you MUST have reliable transportation. Unless you own a horse and a farm to graze it, you absolutely MUST use crude oil products just to get to work. Even if you simply choose to pedal into work, show me ANY bicycle today that is made WITHOUT containing or using petroleum products in its production! Even if you could find one, chances are you will be pedaling in a roadway paved with petroleum.
Petroleum and a modern Western lifestyle are symbiotic... each requires the other to exist. This leaves us with VERY few "choices" for our future if we are to continue THIS lifestyle. Virtually EVERYTHING that is made from petroleum CAN be made using other, more natural and renewable substances. If our lifestyle is to survive, we will be required to make a change from limited petroleum products in the hands of the ultra rich few and diversify by returning to our parents and grandparents lifestyles. In order to survive and provide for a secure future of our kids and their kids, we need to return to a less centralized supply of common essential items like food, fuel and even jobs. The Government must do more to insure regulations are in place and enforced since it has been fairly well proven that Big Business will not self regulate or concern themselves with the general well being of The People and the Planet otherwise.
If you think its a simple thing to distance yourself from petroleum... think again! http://www.ranken-energy...%20from%20Petroleum.htm
A partial list of products made from Petroleum (144 of 6000 items) One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like: Solvents, Diesel fuel, Motor Oil, Bearing Grease, Ink, Floor Wax, Ballpoint Pens, Football Cleats, Upholstery, Sweaters, Boats, Insecticides, Bicycle Tires, Sports Car Bodies, Nail Polish, Fishing lures, Dresses, Tires, Golf Bags, Perfumes, Cassettes, Dishwasher parts, Tool Boxes, Shoe Polish, Motorcycle Helmet, Caulking, Petroleum Jelly, Transparent Tape, CD Player, Faucet Washers, Antiseptics, Clothesline, Curtains, Food Preservatives, Basketballs, Soap, Vitamin Capsules, Antihistamines, Purses, Shoes, Dashboards, Cortisone, Deodorant, Footballs, Putty, Dyes, Panty Hose, Refrigerant, Percolators, Life Jackets, Rubbing Alcohol, Linings, Skis, TV Cabinets, Shag Rugs, Electricians Tape, Tool Racks, Car Battery Cases, Epoxy, Paint, Mops, Slacks, Insect Repellent, Oil Filters, Umbrellas, Yarn, Fertilizers, Hair Coloring, Roofing, Toilet Seats, Fishing Rods, Lipstick, Denture Adhesive, Linoleum, Ice Cube Trays, Synthetic Rubber, Speakers, Plastic Wood, Electric Blankets, Glycerin, Tennis Rackets, Rubber, Cement, Fishing Boots, Dice, Nylon Rope, Candles, Trash Bags, House Paint, Water Pipes, Hand Lotion, Roller Skates, Surf Boards, Shampoo, Wheels, Paint Rollers, Shower Curtains, Guitar Strings, Luggage, Aspirin, Safety Glasses, Antifreeze, Football Helmets, Awnings, Eyeglasses, Clothes, Toothbrushes, Ice Chests, Footballs, Combs, CD's & DVD's, Paint Brushes, Detergents, Vaporizers, Balloons, Sun Glasses, Tents, Heart Valves, Crayons, Parachutes, Telephones, Enamel, Pillows, Dishes, Cameras, Anesthetics, Artificial Turf, Artificial limbs, Bandages, Dentures, Model Cars, Folding Doors, Hair Curlers, Cold cream, Movie film, Soft Contact lenses, Drinking Cups, Fan Belts, Car Enamel, Shaving Cream, Ammonia, Refrigerators, Golf Balls, Toothpaste & Gasoline Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But, as shown here petroleum is not just used for fuel. Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience.
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