Gulf coast oil spill

[xoxoxoBruce]

Sancho Panza is copyrighted.

[Gravdigr]

Oh.

[HungLikeJesus]

For those interested in the technical details, and perhaps offering suggestions about potential responses, here's DOE's Deepwater Horizon Response page:
http://www.energy.gov/open/oil_spill_updates.htm

This page contains links to containment system details, drawings of the BOP, well configuration, riser packages, etc. plus some videos, pressure data, and other interesting information:
http://www.energy.gov/open/oilspilldata.htm

Note that the file "Pressure Data within BOP" (xls or ods formats) includes a drawing of the BOP with the pressure labeled at various points.

Even if you're not interested in the technical details, the videos are interesting (and you can watch them in high definition and full screen).

[Happy Monkey]

If Bush's deregulation caused the spill, how did BP get permission to drill this well two months into the Obama administration – and less than one month after submitting its application?

Completely irrespective of any other context, this is a ridiculous question. These decisions are made by a beaurocracy. In the best of situations for political appointments, Obama wouldn't have had a new MMS in place in a month.

And this is not the best of situations for political appointments.

[classicman]

Excellent stuff HLJ.
Irrespective of the partisan crap surrounding it.

[classicman]

White House mocks BP CEO's yacht race, defends Obama golf

(AFP) – 6 hours ago

WASHINGTON — A White House spokesman mocked BP's chief executive Monday for attending a luxury yacht race despite the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, but then defended President Barack Obama's own weekend golf game.

Tony Hayward, the British energy giant's embattled chief, drew fire from the White House over the weekend for having gone to the yacht race Saturday off the Isle of Wight.

White House spokesman Bill Burton took him to task again on Monday, suggesting that Hayward take part in the cleanup operations in the Gulf of Mexico with the 300,000 euro yacht he co-owns.

"You know, look, if Tony Hayward wants to put a skimmer on that yacht and bring it down to the Gulf, we'd be happy to have his help," Burton said to laughter in the White House briefing room.

"But what's important isn't what Tony Hayward's doing in his free time; it's what BP is doing to take... responsibility for the mess that they've made," he said.

His comments echoed those of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel who called Hawyard's decision to go to the yacht race "part of a long line of PR gaffes and mistakes."

But when asked about Obama's day Saturday, in particular his four hour golf game at a course near Washington, Burton said the president had the right to decompress a bit after a hard week.

"I don't think that there's a person in this country that doesn't think that their president ought to have a little time to clear his mind," Burton said.

"I think that a little time to himself on Father's Day weekend probably does us all good as American citizens," he said.

Whats the difference?

[piercehawkeye45]

6,000 miles?

[classicman]

pretty much.

I found this a couple weeks ago. Must have forgotten to post it

Link

[tw]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

These decisions are made by a beaurocracy. In the best of situations for political appointments, Obama wouldn't have had a new MMS in place in a month.

Considering that Congressional Republicans were obstructing something like 70 Obama appointments, it was difficult to get any agency cleaned up.

MMS knew BOPs failed about 45% of the time. That BOPs were not designed for operation at these depths. That BOPs had numerous single point failures. And that now standards existed to verify BOP operation.

When Obama's people asked MMS for evaluation on deep water drilling, the 200+ page report barely even mentioned BOPs - when that was virtually the only protection for a blow out. The report never once mentioned what was well known in MMS - BOPS were a disaster waiting to happen. Those same MMS people knew BOPs were ineffective in 2003.

It takes time to reeducate people to work for America - not for a political agenda. A problems being addressed in many other agencies beyond MMS. MMS was used to lying even about facts known in 2003. That was the attitude from that White House. Therefore reports in 2009 could not bother to report how dangerous deep water drilling really was. That BOPs routinely failed.

BOPs have only one blind shear. If a pipe joint is at that shear, the pipe cannot be cut and sealed. It happened previously. MMS people knew this had caused previous failures during the 2000s. But the attitude throughout 2000s was, well, Saddam also had WMDs. Honesty was not encouraged when it contradicted the political agenda. White House lawyers even rewrote science papers to agree with their reality.

Cleaning house is required all through government now that we have learned what happens when the political agenda is more important than working for America. When an administration even all but protected bin Laden for a political agenda. MMS is simply the next in a long list of government agencies subverted in the name of their deregulation. Always tell the president only what he wants to hear (right out of Sec of Treasury Paul O’Neill’s book. Conclusions routinely changed by Cheney. One could get fired for telling the truth. MMS knew all through the 2000s that two blind shears were necessary for every BOP. Tests suggested even those would not operate reliable in deep water. So MMS did the administration policy. Stay quiet. Don't create waves.

I was wondering why the deep water drilling was halted for six month. Now I understand. Virtually all BOPs provide ineffective protection. These things have numerous potential single point failures - no redundancy. (Same problem brought down a MN highway bridge.) Throughout the 2000s, MMS never reviewed any of these designs. Now virtually every BOP must be significantly redesigned or scrapped on an emergency basis.

Any BOP that does not have at least two blind shears is virtually useless. About half do not have even that simplest requirement. And almost none are tested at these extreme depths and temperatures.

The industry must redesign everything in six months to fix what should have been corrected and what could not happen for seven years.

But as any good MBA president understands, that was good because profits were higher. Then the economy looked better. Nothing partisan. Just an engineer with contempt for those whose politics all but encourage disaster. They could not even demand a second blind shear - because that contradicted a White House political agenda.

Blind shears. Another smoking gun example of why George Jr administration thought nothing of MMS having sexting parties paid for by the industry.

Originally Posted by tw

Considering that Congressional Republicans were obstructing something like 70 Obama appointments, it was difficult to get any agency cleaned up.


...

Another smoking gun example of why George Jr administration thought nothing of MMS having sexting parties paid for by the industry.

I think it is more than 100 appointments obstructed up by secret holds.

And sex and drugs, not sexting.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by classicman

Whats the difference?

Golf is less attractive?

This story crossed way over the line into class envy. I'm all for beating up these clowns but this looks like a different agenda.

[TheMercenary]

It was funny watching the White House spokes person try to defend that very question at a press conference. He had to use some cleaver spinnning trying draw a difference between the President going golfing and the BP man spending time on his boat.

White House deputy press secretary Bill Burton says "I guess [he] took himself [Tony Hayward] at his word and got his life back."

On President Obama golfing: "With all the different issues the President is dealing with, I think that a little time off for himself on Father's Day weekend probably does us all good as American citizens."

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/vid...a_golfing.html

[TheMercenary]

Well at least MSNBC is not hiding the fact they are working for the White House in reporting the news the way the White House wants it reported...

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/vid...ng_points.html

[classicman]

All she did, apparently, is make up a list of questions to ask the white house because she believes that Guliani lied to them last week when he was on.
I found it disturbing that she readily admitted to it only after accidentally saying something and then it turned into just a list of questions ... the story kept changing.
I still like that show in the am better than the three boobs on Fox or the meh couple on CNN.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Griff

I'm all for beating up these clowns but this looks like a different agenda.

I agree - It looks like the plan is to deflect any and all criticism from the Administration to BP. I find that rather frustrating. There are(at least) two issues here.

1) BP - cause of the spill. No one, NO ONE is denying blame - BP has admitted publicly that they are responsible.

2) Containment and clean up. This is much different and rests solely upon the administration. Obama said repeatedly that he was in charge. Criticism on this facet belongs squarely upon him and this administration... And there is plenty to go around.

That grilling of the BP Exec was a joke - othing more than political grandstanding. A bunch of suits showing how angry they can be.
That was like asking the president of McDonalds if he knew why there were 3 pickles instead of two on the cheeseburger at your local McDs. He has no idea - thats not his job - at all.