Sierra Club: Email – Oil Spill Commission Releases Full Report on BP Disaster

Posted on January 14, 2011 by admin

1295014513 34 Sierra Club: Email Oil Spill Commission Releases Full Report on BP Disaster

Contacts: Maggie Kao (202) 675-2384 or Kristina Johnson (415) 977-5619

January 11, 2011Contacts: Maggie Kao (202) 675-2384 or Kristina Johnson (415) 977-5619

Oil Spill Commission Releases full Report on BP Disaster

Safety Problems Part of Industry Culture; More Oversight Needed

Washington, D.C. – Today, the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling released its full report on the BP disaster in the Gulf calling for widespread reform of the offshore drilling industry, including better safety regulations and more stringent enforcement by federal agencies.

Statement of Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune

“We commend the oil spill commission for its thorough and thoughtful examination of the worst environmental disaster in our nation’s history. This report is very timely, following a severe Alaskan pipeline leak this past week that reinforced the need for us to take a hard look at safety standards and our nation’s addiction to oil.

Following today’s report, our friends in the Gulf Coast will find little solace knowing that this tragedy could have been prevented. The commission found that the problems leading to the disaster are not unique to BP, but are pervasive within the oil industry. unfortunately, preventable explosions like the one that sparked the BP disaster happen all too frequently. According to the report, fatalities on U.S. offshore rigs are much higher than others in the world, yet reported accidents and injuries are lower than most. This signals a systemic problem among these companies.

Sadly, industry-wide disregard for the health and safety of their workers and coastal communities persists.

The commission has laid out important steps that will inform recovery and restoration efforts along the Gulf Coast, improve oversight of the offshore drilling industry, ensure that oil companies like BP are held accountable to pay the full cost of restoration, redirect funds to rebuild the Gulf Coast ecosystem, provide more funding for enforcement of critical regulations and clean up in the communities when future disasters occur.

We need to make sure that the federal government follows through on the commission’s recommendations to protect workers and coastal communities from future oil disasters, and that agencies, like the Interior Department have the resources they need to enforce new safety rules.

If we hope to reduce the number of oil spills, we will need to fully fund oversight and enforcement of offshore drilling, and the oil companies that profit from use of our shared public waters and lands should be at least partly responsible for funding these efforts. The Sierra Club is committed to making sure these recommendations are implemented.

But the only real way to make sure we don’t see another drilling disaster is to start reducing our dependence on oil now. We already have efficiency technology and clean energy solutions that will help move our nation beyond oil and make offshore drilling unnecessary.”

The Sierra Club is pleased that the commission’s report also includes several recommendations that have been priority elements of the Club’s disaster response agenda, specifically:

Ensuring that 80 percent of the anticipated clean Water Act penalties BP will pay are directed toward ecological restoration in the affected Gulf states;
Creating a Public Advisory Council to oversee how funds directed to the Gulf are used and to ensure sound science directs restoration projects;
Establishing a Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council, which would improve accountability and restore the public’s trust in recovery efforts and ideally be modeled after the Council created following the Exxon Valdez disaster;
Requiring higher-caliber emergency response plans for offshore drilling operations to protect the environment and worker safety; and
Making sure sound science informs decision-making about future offshore leasing efforts by suggesting a chief scientist position be created within the Interior Department to oversee leasing decisions.

Sierra Club: Email – Oil Spill Commission Releases Full Report on BP Disaster

Halliburton’s Legal Fate in Gulf Spill Still Uncertain

Posted on January 14, 2011 by admin

1295003725 81 Halliburtons Legal Fate in Gulf Spill Still Uncertain

The Justice Department named nine defendants, including BP PLC and Transocean Ltd., when it filed its lawsuit in the Eastern District of Louisiana, but Halliburton, which played a major role in the Deepwater Horizon drilling operation, was conspicuous by its absence (Greenwire, Dec. 15, 2010).

The government is expected to announce criminal charges relating to the spill at some point, but so far, the focus has been on civil enforcement under such statutes as the clean Water Act and the Oil Pollution Act. all the parties involved are also named as defendants in hundreds of private lawsuits filed by individuals and businesses affected by the spill.

The report from the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling found that Halliburton, along with BP and Transocean, were all guilty of “errors and misjudgments” in relation to the April 20 explosion and resulting spill (Greenwire, Jan 11).

A key example of Halliburton’s role was highlighted in the report’s fourth chapter, which focuses on the use of cement when drilling the well, which BP subcontracted out to the firm.

One of the report’s findings is that Halliburton had conducted tests in February 2010, two months before the disaster, that indicated the foam cement slurry used on the well was unstable.

The tests “should have prompted the company to reconsider its slurry design,” the report says.

In highlighting “root causes” of the subsequent explosion and spill, the commission refers to “insufficient controls in place” at Halliburton that would have ensured that “test results were vetted rigorously.”

“On the cement, they did the test, but they didn’t communicate the result of that test,” commission member Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in an interview. “There were some real communication gaps, a lot of management errors, a lot of lack of information offshore and onshore, and among contractors.”

Wyn Hornbuckle, a Justice Department spokesman, declined to comment on the government’s plans in relation to Halliburton, noting that the release of the commission’s report would not directly affect the government’s investigation.

“The Justice Department’s investigation is ongoing, and we continue to examine all relevant facts and evidence as to what caused the spill and all parties that may be responsible,” he said.

At issue: liability under Oil Pollution Act

Lawyers familiar with the various lawsuits filed over the oil spill say Halliburton may have initially been omitted from the government complaint because of uncertainty over whether it could be held liable under the Oil Pollution Act, which imposes stiff penalties for spills but only on parties defined as “owners or operators.” as a subcontractor, Halliburton could argue that its conduct is not covered by the law.

Brendan Cummings, senior counsel at the Center for Biological Diversity, which has filed its own lawsuit over the spill, conceded that government lawyers may be concerned on that point, but he thinks it is still possible that Halliburton could be deemed an “owner or operator” under the Oil Pollution Act.

“One could argue that their involvement in the cementing rises to that level, so it is not out of the question that the government would add them as a defendant under the existing claims,” Cummings added.

The Oil Pollution Act also imposes “joint and several liability” on those who are responsible for a spill, meaning no single entity foots the bill, which could work against Halliburton, noted Rena Steinzor, an environmental law professor at the University of Maryland School of Law.

Aside from the Oil Pollution Act and clean Water Act, the government could look to other statutes with damages provisions, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, legal experts noted.

Under all three, the damages would be significantly less than what is available under the Oil Pollution Act.

Cummings suggested that Halliburton could also face common law claims “if the government chooses to enter that realm.”

Ultimately, Halliburton’s toughest fight could be with BP, several lawyers speculated.

The report’s clear statement that blame should be distributed among the three companies potentially bolsters BP’s legal position because, for example, it could make the argument that it was Halliburton’s gross negligence, not its own, that led to the explosion, Steinzor said.

That could lead to BP suing Halliburton and could also implicate the indemnification agreement between the two firms signed when Halliburton agreed to work on the well.

Patti Goldman, vice president for litigation at Earthjustice, speculated that all the companies involved in the litigation could end up at each other’s throats.

“I would expect more infighting among the various entities who are potentially liable,” Goldman said.

Halliburton declined to comment on what civil claims the government might file.

Reporter Katie Howell contributed.

Halliburton’s Legal Fate in Gulf Spill Still Uncertain

BP sells Gulf of Mexico oil and gas fields to pay for oil spill

Posted on November 18, 2010 by admin

BP sells Gulf of Mexico oil and gas fields to pay for oil spill this file photo made Aug. 3, 2010, shows the Development Driller III, which is drilling the primary relief well, and the Helix Q4000, background left, the vessel used to perform the static kill operation, at the site of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Louisiana. The Obama administration on Tuesday lifted the deep water oil drilling moratorium that the government imposed in the Gulf of Mexico in the wake of the disastrous BP oil spill. (AP)

LONDON — BP Chief Executive Bob Dudley accused some politicians and the media on Monday of being too hasty to pin all the blame on his company for the devastating Gulf of Mexico spill — and emphasized the need for deep-water drilling.

In his first major public speech since taking the top job, Dudley also said BP would not pull out of the United States — and that the U.S. needs a company with BP’s resources to meet its vast energy needs.

Dudley delivered a speech whose mood hovered between firm and penitent, seeking to make clear that BP was learning every lesson possible from the disaster. he stressed that he also has met with experts from other hazardous industries, including the nuclear and chemical industries, as part of the company’s focus on improving safety.

“We were certainly not perfect in our response, but we have tried to do the right thing,” Dudley added. before becoming the first American to lead the British oil company on Oct. 1, Dudley was in charge of BP’s spill response efforts in the Gulf.

U.S. lawmakers have widely blamed BP for the disaster.

On Monday, Dudley said many parties, including the media and rival oil companies, were guilty of “a great rush to judgment” before all the facts were known.

“I watched graphic projections of oil swirling around the Gulf, around Florida, across and around Bermuda to England — these appeared authoritative and inevitable. The public fear was everywhere,” he said.

The company’s own investigation shared the blame between BP, rig owner Transocean Ltd. and contractor Halliburton co.

But former EPA Administrator William K. Reilly, co-chair of an independent oil spill commission investigating the rig explosion, suggested Monday that BP fed the fear and mistrust by initially minimizing the impact of the spill.

In an interview with The associated Press in new Orleans, Reilly said the company shouldn’t downplay the significance of “what occurred and what happened on their watch and what was their responsibility to prevent.”

The U.S. government could fine BP up to $21 billion for the spill, on top of a $20 billion disaster fund that the company has committed itself to. A bill that passed in the U.S. House of Representatives would prevent companies like BP that have a poor safety record from getting new offshore permits. A Senate bill that was eventually tabled didn’t contain a similar provision.

Speaking at an annual conference of Britain’s leading business lobby group, Dudley stressed BP’s commitment to the United States despite the ongoing political and public fallout and talked up the company’s ability to withstand the expected financial hit from the spill.

Earlier Monday, BP announced it has sold its stake in four mature oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico to Marubeni Oil and Gas for $650 million (euro466 million). The fields were part of a recent acquisition of Gulf assets from Devon Energy and were considered nonessential. BP is hoping to raise $30 billion from selling assets and already has raked in almost $9 billion from the sale of properties in Egypt, Canada, the U.S. and Colombia.

Dudley argued that deepwater drilling is necessary despite the dangers. he cited predictions that the world could be consuming 40 percent more energy than today by 2030. Deepwater drilling is projected to grow to account for 9 percent of total oil supplies in 2020, from 7 percent currently.

He said BP is “one of only a handful of companies with the financial and technological strengths to undertake development projects in these difficult geographies and it can be done safely.”

BP continues to make plans for further drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Rig owner Pride International Inc. said BP has leased two of its deepwater rigs. one of those rigs is already in the Gulf and another is on its way. Pride spokeswoman Kate Perez said it’s unclear what projects are in store for those rigs — they still could be moved out of the Gulf.

BP relies on the Gulf for about 10 percent of its total oil and gas production.

President Barack Obama recently lifted a moratorium on new deepwater drilling in the Gulf, imposed after the April 20 explosion that kicked off the worst oil spill in U.S. history. Obama is due to announce further recommendations under a presidential commission in the coming months.

Dudley, who took over from gaffe-prone former CEO Tony Hayward early this month, also sought again to reassure business leaders that the company has the financial strength to shoulder the anticipated heavy costs of the Gulf spill.

Dudley said he has spent much of his time since becoming CEO traveling the world to visit BP’s partners.

“Our underlying operational and financial performance is sound,” he said, stressing the company’s wide geographical reach.

Analysts responded with optimism.

“That’s what the company needs, it needs a determined champion not an apologist,” said Nick McGregor, an analyst at Redmayne-Bentley Stockbrokers. “He’s going to want to go forward and leave the apologies … his job is to acknowledge the past, not continuously apologize for it.”

Dudley dismissed suggestions that the United States might turn its back on the company, or that BP could voluntarily leave the United States.

“I am confident that neither of these propositions is true,” he said. “Contrary to what is sometimes said, BP is not widely seen over there as ‘British Petroleum’: we’re part of the American community.”

Associated Press writers Chris Kahn in new York and Brian Skoloff in new Orleans contributed to this report.

BP sells Gulf of Mexico oil and gas fields to pay for oil spill

Flawed Cement Fingered As Possible Oil Spill Culprit

Posted on October 29, 2010 by admin

1288372524 92 Flawed Cement Fingered As Possible Oil Spill Culprit

Posted on: Friday, 29 October 2010, 06:35 CDT

Officials participating in the federal government’s investigation into the cause or causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion and the ensuing oil spill appear to have found at least one potential culprit: faulty cement.

In a letter sent to members of the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling, including Co-chairmen Bob Graham and William K. Reilly, Oil Spill Commission (OSC) chief counsel Fred Bartlit wrote that only one out of four preliminary tests conducted by Halliburton, the company which provided the cement used to seal the drilling rig, showed that their proposed concrete mixture would be able to hold.

Furthermore, Bartlit claims that laboratory tests using materials provided by Halliburton were "unable to generate stable foam cement." Those tests were conducted at a Houston-based facility by cement industry experts at Chevron, Bartlit notes in his letter. Representatives from the laboratories are scheduled to speak to members of the Oil Spill Commission in November.

In response to the letter, Halliburton officials released a statement Thursday evening, in which they noted that the mixtures which failed initial testing were not "very similar" as was suggested in Bartlit’s letter.

The company claimed that two of the tests, which were conducted in February, were "preliminary, pilot tests" and did not feature the same mixture used in later testing because "final well conditions were not known at that time."

Also at issue is how much BP knew about the quality of the cement, and what role they played in the testing process. Bartlit wrote in his letter that the British petroleum company "may or may not" have had results from the third test, a failed one which took place in April, prior to the evening of April 19, one day before the explosion that would kill 11 workers on board the Deepwater Horizon.

In their statement, Halliburton notes that BP "was made aware of the issues with that test" and that the test was "irrelevant because the laboratory did not use the correct amount of cement blend."

Furthermore, in the company’s statement, Halliburton officials claim that following the one successful test, BP "subsequently instructed" them to make last-minute changes to the mixture, increasing the amount of retarder used from eight gallons per 100 sacks to cement to nine.

"Tests, including thickening time and compressive strength, were performed on the nine gallon formulation (the cement formulation actually pumped) and were shared with BP before the cementing job had begun. A foam stability test was not conducted on the nine gallon formulation," they added.

According to the associated Press (AP), "The independent investigators do not address other decisions that could have contributed to the cement’s failure and the eventual blowout, such as BP’s decision to use fewer centralizers than recommended by Halliburton. Centralizers make sure the well’s piping is centered inside the well so the cement bonds correctly."

"BP has also been criticized for not performing a cement bond long, a test that checks after the cement is pumped down whether it is secure," the AP also wrote on Thursday. "There are also questions about whether BP pumped down enough cement to seal off the bottom of the well, which was located more than three miles below sea level."

The April 20 explosion onboard the Deepwater Horizon resulted in what many are calling the worst environmental disaster in American history. For some five months after the leak began, just two days after the blast that caused the oil rig to sink, a total of 200 million gallons of petroleum leaked into the Gulf of Mexico, harming wildlife and crippling the region’s fishing industry.

On Wednesday, as part of the ongoing investigation, a federal court in new Orleans ordered that a security perimeter be established around the site where the spill originated. The zone, which extends for 750 feet in all directions from where the Deepwater Horizon sank, was set up in order to prevent "tampering with the site and the surrounding area" and "is intended to serve as the equivalent of yellow crime-scene tape," according to Neela Banerjee of the Los Angeles Times.

National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling
BP
Halliburton
Chevron

Source: RedOrbit Staff & Wire Reports

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Flawed Cement Fingered As Possible Oil Spill Culprit

Florida Outlines BP Gulf Oil Spill Response For July 11, 2010

Posted on October 24, 2010 by admin

1287918926 60 Florida Outlines BP Gulf Oil Spill Response For July 11, 2010

On Day 83 of the Gulf oil spill crude oil tar balls, tar patties and light sheen continue to be reported in Northwest Florida.

Continued impacts are likely in Northwest Florida over the next 72 hours. View the Florida Gator Interactive Oil Spill Map.

BP reports installing the sealing cap is proceeding as planned: all 6 bolts were removed over night from the flange; using the Discoverer Inspiration, the flange overshot tool removed the flange and is now lifting it back to surface; ROVs are removing 4 pipe sleeves from around the flex joint flange.

All gulf beaches in Escambia County remain under an Oil Impact Notice that will stay in effect until beaches are no longer impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The notice is not in effect for inland beaches along Pensacola and Escambia bays or for bayous.

As of 10:00 a.m., July 11, 2010, there are three Oil Impact Notices reported due to the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, affecting 15 beaches:

Escambia: County Park East, County Park West, Johnson Beach, Pensacola (Casino) Beach and Perdido Key State Park.

Okaloosa: Brackin Wayside, Henderson State Park Beach, and James Lee Park Beach.

Walton: Blue Montain Beach Access, County Park, Dune Allen Beach Access, Eastern Lake Beach Access, Grayton Beach Access, Holly Street Beach Access and Inlet Beach Access (TDC Beach Access).

On July 10, BP recovered a total of approximately 15,200 barrels: 7,096 barrels of oil were collected, 8,100 barrels of oil were flared and 35.2 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

Total oil recovered from both the LMRP Cap and Q4000 systems since they were implemented is 749,100 barrels. An additional 22,000 barrels were collected from the RIT tool earlier in May bringing the total recovered to 771,100 barrels.

Approximately 551 miles of Gulf Coast shoreline is currently oiled: 92 miles in Florida, 297 miles in Louisiana, 97 miles in Mississippi, and 65 miles in Alabama.

About 1.76 million gallons of total dispersant have been applied: 1.07 million on the surface and 692,000 subsea. More than 29.1 million gallons of an oil-water mix have been recovered.

Under the leadership of Governor Charlie Crist, the State Emergency Response Team and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) are actively coordinating and responding to the Deepwater Horizon incident.

The following is a summary of state and BP response actions to date, as well as tips for residents and visitors to take precautions both pre and post-landfall.

Map of BP Oil Spill as of July 11, 2010. Click on images for larger picture.This forecast is based on the NWS spot forecast from Saturday, July 10 PM. Currents were obtained from several models (NOAA Gulf of Mexico, West Florida Shelf/USF, TGLO/TAMU, NAVO/NRL) and HFR measurements. The model was initialized from Saturday satellite imagery analysis (NOAA/NESDIS) and Saturday overflights. The leading edge may contain tarballs that are not readily observable from the imagery (hence not included in the model initialization). Oil near bay inlets could be brought into that bay by local tidal currents.

Winds are expected to be mostly southwesterly to westerly at 10 kts or less throughout this forecast period. Remote sensing imagery and overflights have indicated scattered areas of potential oil remaining in northern Chandeleur and Mississippi Sound, which will continue to threaten the coastlines of MS and AL. For the Alabama-Florida Panhandle coast, models show eastward coastal currents occurring over the next few days, leading to an eastward extension of forecast uncertainty bounds into Florida. to the west, models indicate that patches of oil observed off Marsh Island, Caillou Bay, and Terrebonne Bay will begin to move eastward, with scattered shoreline impacts between Atchafalaya Bay and Southwest Pass. Further west, a patch of floating oil observed between Galveston and Sabine Pass is projected to move eastward, threatening the shoreline around the Texas-Louisiana border.

Landfall Reports and Predictions:

Nearly 90 percent of Florida’s more than 1,260 miles of coastline remains unimpacted.

If oil is sighted on Florida’s coastline report it to the State Warning Point at 1-877-2-SAVE-FL (1-877-272-8335) or by dialing #DEP from most cell phones.

Pensacola Pass as well as Perdido Pass will continue to be closed with the tide to reduce the amount of oil entering inland waters. These waterways are manned to allow access to necessary vessel traffic and are open for vessel traffic during low tide. See NOAA tide predictions.

Observations by NOAA continue to indicate no significant amounts of oil moving toward the Loop Current. The Loop Current Ring, a circular current which was formerly part of the Loop Current provides no clear path for oil to enter the Florida Straits.

There have been no reports of Deepwater Horizon oil spill-related products reaching the shore beyond the Northwest Florida region. there is no indication that the rest of the state will have impacts from weathered oil products within the next 72 hours.

No significant tropical activity is expected in the next 48 hours.

On Site Actions:

Current projections estimate Deepwater Horizon’s discharge at 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day. Learn more.

On July 10, BP began replacing the existing lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment system with a new “capping stack” procedure—designed to capture greater quantities of oil. BP also is in the process of connecting a third vessel, the Helix Producer, which will increase collection capacity to an estimated 53,000 barrels per day by bringing up additional oil up through the kill line.

BP continues efforts to drill two relief wells.

State Actions:

The State Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 1.

Five state-leased skimmers continue to operate in Northwest Florida to protect sensitive inland water bodies. These skimmers are operating at the passes in Escambia, Okaloosa, Bay, Gulf and Franklin Counties.

Two Florida branch offices committed to oil spill response are open in Northwest Florida. The Pensacola branch office, which serves both Escambia and Santa Rosa counties, and the Destin branch office, which serves both Okaloosa and Walton counties, bring together federal, state and local agencies to streamline response efforts. Learn more.

DEP continues to conduct water sampling monitoring to establish baseline conditions throughout the state. Learn more about sampling and results at dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/water.htm.DEP’s Office of Coastal and Aquatic Managed Areas is conducting water sampling under the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process. Learn more.

Real-time sampling data from statewide air quality monitoring can be viewed at dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/air.htm.

Air quality reports for July 10 revealed that air quality was considered moderate for ozone and fine particulate concentrations in Northwest Florida. “Moderate” means air quality is acceptable for most people.

Boom Placement:

Approximately 454,200 feet of hard boom and 8,260 feet of sorbent boom have been placed in Northwest Florida along the most sensitive areas. Additionally, counties in the region are moving forward with supplemental booming plans. As of July 10, 316,261 feet of supplemental boom has been deployed or staged by Florida contractors.

Health Effects:

Oil Impact Notices are posted for all Escambia County and Walton County Gulf beaches, as well as designated beaches in Okaloosa County. Signs may remain in place until local authorities determine that beaches are no longer impacted by the oil spill. Learn more.

If residents or visitors see tar or oiled debris on the beach, DO NOT PICK IT UP. For most people, an occasional brief contact with a small amount of oil will not cause any harm, however it is not recommended. Learn more.

The July 4 Gulf of Mexico federal fisheries closure remains in effect. The closure measures 81,181 square miles. this federal closure does not apply to any state

Fisheries & Seafood:

The July 4 Gulf of Mexico federal fisheries closure remains in effect. The closure measures 81,181 square miles. this federal closure does not apply to any state waters and still leaves approximately 66 percent of Gulf federal waters available for fishing. Learn more.

A portion of coastal state waters offshore of Escambia County is closed to the harvest of saltwater fish, crabs and shrimp. Learn more.

To report oiled wildlife, please call 1-866-557-1401. For the safety of the public as well as the safety of animals, rescues should only be conducted by trained responders. Learn more.

Visit bpdecon.com for a list of vessel decontamination locations for oiled boats within the U.S. Coast Guard Mobile Sector.

Tips for Homeowners:

While the state appreciates the concern expressed by Floridians and the ingenuity of those seeking alternative measures to help protect the state’s shoreline, the following tips are offered to ensure that these measures are helpful and not harmful to Florida’s coasts, wildlife and water resources: Tips for homeowners.

Tips for Businesses and Consumers:

The Attorney General’s fraud hotline is open to receive any reports of fraud or price gouging. The hotline is 1-866-966-7226.

The Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner gas price-gouging hotline is also operational. The toll-free hotline number is 1-800-HELP-FLA (1-800-435-7352).

Coastal businesses should make loss of earnings claims for damages incurred as a result of the oil spill. Learn more at myfloridacfo.com/ or by calling 1-850-413-3089 or toll-free at 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (1-877-693-5236).

To discuss spill related damage with BP representatives, please call the BP Claims Reporting Line at 1-800-440-0858.

Volunteer Opportunities:

Individuals interested in volunteering can register at volunteerfloridadisaster.org.

Volunteers will not be in direct contact with oil or oil-contaminated materials.

The Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service – Volunteer Florida is encouraging Floridians and visitors to stay current on the latest information on scheduled beach cleanups and other local volunteer opportunities.

Learn More about Florida’s Response:

Visit deepwaterhorizonflorida.com to learn more about Florida’s response to the Deepwater Horizon incident, sign up for daily updates, view tips for businesses and consumers, and much more.

For a list of Unified Command, BP and Florida phone numbers, visit dep.state.fl.us/deepwaterhorizon/default.htm#numbers.

The Oil Spill Information Line is available at 1-888-337-3569 from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. seven days a week. Additional phone numbers have also been established for persons with disabilities: (800) 955-8771 (TDD) or (800) 955-8770 (voice).

Topics: 2010, beaches, BP, British Petroleum, business, coastline, Deepwater Horizon, Economy, emergency response, environment, environmental impact, Fishery Failure Determination, fishing, Florida, Florida seafood products, GOHSEP, Governance, government, Governor Charlie Crist, Gulf of Mexico, gulf oil map, July 11, landfall predictions, loans, Mexico Beach, moniter, monitor, news, noaa oil spill, Obama Administration, oil loop current, Oil Rig, oil spill, oil spill forecast, oil spill map, Panama City Beach, Panhandle, Pensacola Beach, Pensacola Pass, pollution, President Obama, tourism, Transocean, U.S., United States, VISIT FLORIDA marketing campaign, White House, visitflorida.com

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Florida Outlines BP Gulf Oil Spill Response For July 11, 2010

BP points fingers in oil spill blame game (Reuters)

Posted on September 9, 2010 by admin

1284005720 26 BP points fingers in oil spill blame game (Reuters)

LONDON/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – BP Plc and its Gulf of Mexico oil well partners traded blame on Wednesday after an internal BP investigation tried to downplay the company’s role in the world’s biggest offshore spill.

The 193-page BP report offered a preview of how the British oil giant plans to vigorously defend itself against lawsuits arising from the disaster and any charges of gross negligence, which carry fines potentially in excess of $20 billion.

BP accepted some responsibility for the disaster but pointed the finger at what it said were major failures by Transocean ltd, the operator of the ill-fated Deepwater Horizon oil rig, and oil services company Halliburton, which cemented the deep-sea well that ruptured on April 20.

The report drew fire from a prominent U.S. lawmaker who accused BP of trying to minimize its role in the disaster. Transocean called it a “self-serving” attempt by BP to escape responsibility for its “fatally flawed” well design, while Halliburton said the report was filled with inaccuracies.

The report threatened to reignite public anger over the massive spill, which caused an environmental catastrophe along the U.S. Gulf Coast, devastated tourism and fishing in the area and damaged President Barack Obama’s popularity.

Obama’s spokesman, Robert Gibbs, declined to comment on BP’s findings and said the government was still investigating the disaster to “find out what went wrong and hold those responsible accountable for the damage that’s been done.”

COMPLEX SERIES OF FAILURES

BP investigators were unable to identify any single action or inaction that caused the Deepwater Horizon rig to blow up on April 20, killing 11 workers, after the Macondo well ruptured.

“Rather, a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgments, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces came together to allow the initiation and escalation of the accident,” the report said.

“Multiple companies, work teams and circumstances were involved over time.”

Investors had been eagerly awaiting the report to find out whether BP would be able to share the potential costs of the spill — estimated by some analysts to exceed $50 billion.

Citigroup analysts said in a research note that BP’s report “appears to support the case for no negligence,” but they acknowledged that the findings of the internal investigation were unlikely to be accepted as objective.

BP shares trading in new York closed up 3.2 percent, while shares of Transocean were 1.3 percent higher and those of Halliburton were up 1.2 percent.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded Transocean’s rating to BBB from BBB-plus, saying the Swiss-based company faced uncertain liabilities arising from the disaster.

The U.S. Justice Department could pursue a variety of civil and criminal charges against the companies involved in the spill. Any penalties could be in the billions of dollars.

The ruptured well unleashed a torrent of crude that spewed until it was capped three months later on July 15, after 4.9 million barrels of oil had leaked into the sea.

The top U.S. official overseeing the spill response, retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, said on Wednesday that BP may not start the final “kill” of its well until mid- to late September.

The BP report, overseen by BP’s head of safety, Mark Bly, highlighted eight key failures that led to the blowout of the well and the subsequent explosion aboard the rig.

It defended BP’s much-criticized single-casing well design; the use of fewer-than-recommended centralizers (devices used to ensure the cement casing is applied evenly around the well); and the decision to replace heavy drilling mud, which was keeping the well under control, with lighter water.

“It would appear unlikely that the well design contributed to the incident,” said BP’s outgoing Chief Executive Tony Hayward, who has faced withering criticism from U.S. lawmakers for initially playing down the scale of the disaster.

“HAPPY TO SLICE UP BLAME”

BP, which has seen almost $70 billion wiped off its market value since April 20, is trying to rehabilitate its tarnished public image and restore investor confidence, spending millions of dollars on positive television and newspaper advertising.

“This report is not BP’s mea culpa,” said Democratic congressman Edward Markey, an outspoken critic of BP’s handling of the disaster. “Of their own eight key findings, they only explicitly take responsibility for half of one. BP is happy to slice up blame, as long as they get the smallest piece.”

Energy industry analysts were also not convinced by the BP findings, noting its investigators did not have access to everyone who had been involved in the project.

“Make no mistake, our view remains that this is BP’s well, and BP is in charge of design and execution,” Houston energy investment boutique Tudor Pickering Holt & Co said in a note.

The BP investigation found fault with Transocean employees aboard the rig at the time of the accident.

“Over a 40-minute period, the Transocean rig crew failed to recognize and act on the influx of hydrocarbons into the well,” BP said.

But Transocean said BP was seeking to conceal the key factor that led to the rig explosion — the well design.

“In both its design and construction, BP made a series of cost-saving decisions that increased risk,” it said.

Halliburton joined Transocean in rejecting the findings, saying the BP report contained “substantial omissions and inaccuracies” and stressed it was fully indemnified for any allegations in the document.

In pointing the finger at its contractors, BP said:

– Halliburton had used an “unstable” cement mixture that allowed hydrocarbons to leak into the well.

– there was “no indication” that Transocean had tested the automatic shut-off function on the blowout preventer before it was used on the Deepwater Horizon rig. (Blowout preventers are designed to halt all oil and gas flow and contain pressure if there is an uncontrollable gush from a seabed well.)

– The rig crew diverted the flow of drilling mud and hydrocarbons into the wrong system after the blowout. this meant gas vented onto the rig floor, rather than toward the sea, where it would have been less likely to cause a blast.

Transocean spokesman Lou Colasuonno said the blowout preventer was “inspected, tested and went through a rigorous maintenance schedule prior to being placed on the Macondo well and was then tested weekly, right up until 72 hours prior to the blast.”

“Any statement to the contrary is false,” he said.

The damaged blowout preventer is key evidence in criminal and civil investigations of the blast. BP retrieved it from the seabed on Saturday under watch of federal investigators and it is being sent to a NASA facility in Louisiana.

(Additional reporting by Matt Daily in new York, Kristen Hays in Houston and Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Writing by Ross Colvin; Editing by John O’Callaghan and Tim Dobbyn)

BP points fingers in oil spill blame game (Reuters)

Frederick resident involved in oil spill response – The Frederick News-Post Online

Posted on September 8, 2010 by admin

BaiseyKia 250x250 jul2010 Frederick resident involved in oil spill response The Frederick News Post Online Joe Mullin has had a front-row seat to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico for the past four months, from his office in Virginia.

Mullin is the program manager of the oil spill response research program for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, formerly the Minerals Management Agency.

Mullin, who has been in this job for 20 years, lives near Mount Pleasant. before going to work for BOEM, as his agency is called, he worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a technical expert in physical oceanography.

Mullin’s job includes oversight of an oil spill response research test program. Results from that program are being applied to the oil spill response, Mullin wrote in an e-mail. Many of the containment booms and skimmers used in the response were tested at the agency’s test center Ohmsett, in Leonardo, N.J.

Another part of the test program involves an aerial sensor. This remotely maps the extent and thickness of an oil spill. This mapping and detection technology has also been used three times in California and in the Gulf.

The system acquires, processes and disseminates oil slick thickness maps compatible to the digital Geographic Information system. These maps are then transmitted directly to the command post to use in determining what resources should be used and where.

The test program showed that changing the surface pattern of the drum in the skimmers would improve efficiency of the oil cleanup process by more than 200 percent. Results from this research project were patented and there are at least six types of grooved skimmers being commercially sold around the world.

The agency has been conducting experiments to determine if burning could be a countermeasure for the Deepwater Horizon spill.

The test center has also conducted 15 research projects on the use of chemical dispersants. Ohmsett is the premier training site for oil spill response workers from state and federal agencies, private industry and foreign countries. Students use full-size equipment with real oil in varying oceanographic conditions.

BOEM’s national offshore office, where Mullin works, is in Herndon, Va. for security reasons, the entire interview was conducted by e-mail through the office of public affairs.

Mullin also is responsible for the analysis of the outer continental shelf oil and gas operations to ensure the best and safest technologies are used. He also advises on appropriate oil spill response equipment, techniques and methods.

Mullin, 58, moved to Frederick County in 1979. He is a graduate of the Florida Institute of Technology with a degree in oceanographic technology. He and his wife, Deborah, raised two daughters. Both graduated from Linganore High School.

His oldest daughter, Suzanne, is an aeronautical cartographer with the Federal Aviation Administration, and she is married to a pilot. his youngest daughter, Elizabeth, is pursuing her nursing degree while working part time in a physical therapy office. Elizabeth was the 2004 Maryland state girls outdoor pole vault champion. Both daughters live in Frederick.

Frederick resident involved in oil spill response – The Frederick News-Post Online

Oil Spill Mexico Map

Posted on July 19, 2010 by admin

1279548911 79 Oil Spill Mexico Map

Free Picture of Oil Spill Mexico MapPosted by Admin, image under category: bp oil spill, bp oil spill well, bp oil spill gulf, bp oil spill map, bp oil spill update, bp oil spill image, bp oil spill pictures, bp oil spill from satellite, Picture of Oil Spill Mexico Map

Oil spill costs BP more than $US3b

Posted on July 7, 2010 by admin

1278522918 84 Oil spill costs BP more than $US3b

BP's costs over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have soared above $US3 billion ($A3.56 billion), while a giant Taiwanese ship provided hope of revolutionising on-sea skimming operations.

"the cost of the response to date amounts to approximately 3.12 billion dollars, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs," BP said on Monday.

the latest estimate is far higher than the $US2.65 billion ($A3.15 billion) given by the energy firm one week ago.

BP's share price has collapsed more than 50 per cent since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig it leased sank on April 22, two days after a blast that killed 11 workers.

After intense pressure from President Barack Obama over the worst ever US environmental disaster, BP agreed last month to suspend its shareholder dividend and create a $US20 billion ($A23.74 billion) fund for costs arising from the spill.

BP is also selling non-core assets to raise $US10 billion ($A11.9 billion), while international ratings agencies have downgraded the company's credit worthiness.

But on Monday, spokesman Robert Wine discredited a Sunday Times report that the company was turning to rival oil groups and sovereign wealth funds from Asia and the oil-rich Middle East to fend off a possible hostile takeover bid.

"We have no current plans to issue new equity," he told AFP.

nearly a week after Hurricane Alex swept through the region, bad weather continued to hamper the clean-up, keeping smaller skimming vessels tied up in harbours in the affected Gulf states of Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Skimming and other operations have resumed in calmer seas off the coast of Louisiana, however.

Although there was no direct hit from Alex, this year's first major Atlantic storm provided a reminder of the urgent need to clean up a disaster surpassed only by Iraqi troops' deliberate release of crude in Kuwait during the 1991 Gulf War.

a major boon to the clean-up effort could come in the form of a Whale, a giant ship converted by its Taiwanese owners into what they call the world's largest oil skimming vessel.

Owners TMT Shipping Offshore say the ship can suck up to 500,000 barrels of oily water a day through its "jaws," a series of vents on the side of the ship.

By comparison, more than 500 smaller vessels in 10 weeks have only managed to collect some 671,428 barrels of oil-water mix between them.

Tests on the a Whale, which travelled more than half-way around the world from Taiwan to the Gulf, were ongoing and approval for it to start skimming operations could come as early as on Tuesday.

the US Navy's MZ-3A Airship was expected to reach the Gulf Coast on Tuesday to help detect oil, direct skimming vessels and search for wildlife threatened by the thick brown-orange mess.

and officials said disposal units known as Heavy Oil Recovery Devices (HORDs) are "greatly improving" clean-up operations. Up to 1,000 units were expected to be up and running in the coming weeks, with a focus on sucking up thick-heavy oil that has thwarted traditional skimming methods.

the fractured pipe that connected the BP-leased platform to the well 1.6km down on the seafloor has now spewed somewhere between two and four million barrels of oil into the Gulf.

the firm's current containment systems can only capture or flare some 25,000 barrels of oil a day, a number set to double when a third vessel is expected to be in place on Thursday.

it will likely be mid-August at the earliest before the ruptured well is permanently capped by injecting mud and cement with the aid of relief wells.

Oil spill costs BP more than $US3b

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Oil spill costs BP more than $US3b