Oil spill specialists and the U.S. Coast Guard are working to contain an 11,000 barrel* spill in southeast Texas near Port Arthur. The inbound tanker, the Eagle Otome, flying a Malaysian flag, was struck by a barge. More details below the fold. We have to import oil in boats because 1) many Americans are averse to exploring for it domestically, and 2) regardless of our | Read More »
Accidents do happen. As hard as the oil tries to contain its product, there is no foolproof way to move the stuff around. Most oil is moved ashore from offshore platforms in pipelines. Today, a major twenty-inch diameter pipeline spilled 1,400 barrels into the marine environment. The salient points: The news media likes to report spills with larger numbers, so they usually use gallons (42 | Read More »
AP Investigation: Hurricane Ike’s environmental damage apparent as pipelines, oil rigs hit Ike’s toll on wildlife is still unfolding. Only a few pelicans and osprey turned up oiled, but the storm upended nature. Winds blew more than 1,000 baby squirrels from their nests. The storm’s surge pushed saltwater into freshwater marshes and bayous, killing grasses where cattle graze and displacing alligators. Flooding also stranded cows. | Read More »
Deroy Murdock gets it mostly right in National Review Online: Santa Barbara [the catastrophic 1969 oil spill] accelerated oil companies’ efforts to prevent such disasters. Beyond compliance with 17 major permits and 90 different federal regulations, offshore operators frequently conduct accident training and safety exercises. Sensors and other instruments now help platform personnel monitor and handle temperatures and pressures of subsea oil, even as drill | Read More »
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