by David Green
Member since:
October 17, 2006

Oil rig explosion reawakens fears about off-shore drilling

September 02, 2010 01:27 PM UTC
views: 0 | 2 people recommend this | comments: 25

 

Here we go again. Another oil rig has exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, leading to a wave of related headlines across the nation. The latest explosion happened aboard an oil rig reportedly owned by Mariner Energy and comes just months after the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon triggered what has become known as the "BP oil spill".

It is not yet known whether the rig is still burning or if the explosion has triggered a new oil leak, according to the New York Times. We do know that the explosion left at least one worker injured.

The explosion couldn’t have come at a worse time for advocates of off-shore drilling, who have been working furiously to downplay the impact of the BP oil spill and portray what many consider to be the word environmental disaster in history as an isolated incident. Let’s all hope for the best, while also letting this latest disaster serve as a reminder that off-shore drilling is neither safe nor clean.

 

Comments: 25

David Green Sep 2, 2010, 1:33pm UTC
Possible new oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as a mile oil sheen has been spotted around the site of the latest oil rig explosion, according to ABC News.
Brian T. Sep 2, 2010, 1:41pm UTC
Not good at all.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 1:41pm UTC
13 crew members escaped the oil rig explosion by leaping into the water. They had to be rescued by the Coast Guard, according to USA Today.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 1:43pm UTC
The price of Mariner Energy stock is dropping after the explosion aboard one of the company's rigs.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 1:54pm UTC
AFP is reporting that a Greenpeace spokesperson is calling the latest oil rig explosion proof that we need to move beyond oil.
Brian T. Sep 2, 2010, 2:12pm UTC
They have got to start looking into diversfying the economy so that if the rigs go down in the area you won't have mass unemployment. There are a lot of jobs both directly and indirectly related to off shore drilling.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:02pm UTC
More than 1,400 off-shore drilling accidents from 2000 to 2007, according to a NWF report covered by Newsweek.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:05pm UTC
In addition to todays oil rig explosion and the BP oil spill, this summer saw pipeline accidents in two states notes Newsweek.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:07pm UTC
The latest oil rig disaster occurred in shallow water, around 340 feet according to the AP.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:08pm UTC
Mixed reports coming from site of oil rig explosion. Some say oil is in the water, others say not so.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:10pm UTC
Mariner Energy, owner of the oil rig that exploded, was about to be sold for around $3.9 billion, says AP. Woops!
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:11pm UTC
AP says it is easier to deal with an oil spill in shallow water. Guess they weren't there for the Exxon Valdez!
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:12pm UTC
Latest oil rig explosion took place around 200 miles away from the Deepwater Horizon site. Small world!
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:15pm UTC
Vermilion 380 is the name oil rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, writes a reporter for Examiner.com
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:18pm UTC
The oil rig that exploded appears to have had around 223,000 liters of oil on board, based on info posted by CBC News.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:19pm UTC
Jindal: oil spilled in latest oil rig explosion reportedly nearly contained and burned
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:22pm UTC
Exploded oil rig usually produced more than 1,000 barrels of oil a day, according to CBC.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:24pm UTC
Mariner Energy generated $1.3 billion in revenue last year says - not enough to ensure safety on its oil rigs?
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:27pm UTC
Mariner Energy company officials reported seeing no oil spillinafter flyover earlier today. No surprise that, yes, there is oil in the water. More oil industry denialism?
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 2:29pm UTC
Mariner Energy company officials denied seeing oil spill after initial fly over of exploded rig. There is in fact oil in the water. More oil industry denialism?
Debra C. Sep 2, 2010, 2:56pm UTC
What interests me is that in the last half hour of having news on, flipping between the 3 big cable outlets, I saw only one mention of this on the ticker and no report. Environmental impact is at issue, but financial and energy implications for the winter make every accident of this type a big story.
David Green Sep 2, 2010, 3:19pm UTC
Crazy! I'd have assumed the news outlets would have been all over this Deb.
Debra C. Sep 2, 2010, 3:28pm UTC
Now, 50 minutes after first turning it on, I finally saw a story that lasted 2 minutes. That just seems insufficient.
Ishbel R. Sep 3, 2010, 8:27am UTC
Isn't it amazing? All the 'foreign' sentiment expressed when it was a multi-national company (BP) - and this warrants a 2 minute story on the news?
Jimmy Studebaker Sep 6, 2010, 2:55am UTC
Close, shallow drilling is much safer than deep water drilling but because of Federal policy drilling in U.S. waters is forced into deep water. We buy much of our oil from Mexico and Venezuela's shallow coastal wells.

If not for the federal policys the U.S. would have more oil reserves than all of the Middle East combined . The Federal policy is shaped by the big money speculators and the environmental sheep that march to the propoganda (and money) of the companies that make billions from our ignorance.

Your government created the oil spill! BP would have been drilling in shallow water, where it is less expensive to drill and there is more oil, if it wasn't for the environmental whackos.

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