scholarly journals Dirty Drilling: Trump Administration Proposals Weaken Key Safety Protections and Radically Expand Offshore Drilling

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oceana ◽  
Diane Hoskins ◽  
Madeline Voitier
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
National Commission ◽  
Regulatory Body ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Trump Administration

Executive SummaryOn April 20, 2010, the BP Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, tragically claiming the lives of 11 people and causing the worst oil spill in United States history. More than 200 million gallons of oil spilled over the 87 days it took to finally cap the well. The disaster wreaked havoc on the Gulf of Mexico coast and once again exposed the American public to the dangers of offshore oil and gas drilling. An investigation into the disaster conducted by the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling (the National Commission) identified systemic failures in both industry management and government oversight as the underlying causes of the disaster. The National Commission recommended numerous reforms to government regulations and industry practices, including the formation of a new safety-focused regulatory body named the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI).Oceana reviewed government documents and reports, public reporting, and scientific literature and interviewed policy experts to determine the progress in safety since the BP disaster. Oceana found incremental improvements but also alarming unaddressed deficiencies. Reform efforts to date fall far short of what is needed to improve offshore drilling safety and many problems that undermine oversight of the industry remain.Overarching issues with offshore oil and gas operations continue to compromise human safety and environmental protection. Moreover, the Trump administration is pushing to radically expand offshore drilling into nearly all U.S. waters while rolling back many of the few safety requirements currently in place. This report examines these issues and proposes policy changes to remedy them.

scholarly journals What has Europe learned after the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo Incident?

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 (1) ◽  
pp. 348-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernd Bluhm ◽  
Lito Xirotyri
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Deepwater Horizon ◽  
Maritime Safety ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations ◽  
Oil Spill Response ◽  
Regional Agreements ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
The Eu

ABSTRACT The Deepwater Horizon (DWH) incident and the response thereto generated significant interest in Europe, in particular with regard to the safety of offshore oil and gas operations, existing oil spill response arrangements, and the potential impacts of surface and subsurface dispersant application. This paper will present the main relevant developments and actions undertaken in Europe in the years following the Macondo incident, focusing primarily on the work of the European Commission, European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), and European Union (EU) Member States, as well as the work undertaken within the established Regional Agreements in Europe. The following topics will be addressed in more detail:1)It has been considered critically important to review and enhance the regulatory arrangements in Europe relevant to the safety of oil and gas operations and to strengthening the effective response to marine oil pollution. This is being implemented at the national level by several European countries. At the level of the EU Institutions, this is being addressed by:—Issuing the Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on safety of offshore oil and gas operations and amending Directive 2004/35/EC. The main elements of this Directive will be presented.—Amending the Regulation (EC) 1406/2002 establishing a European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) by Regulation (EU) 100/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The new Regulation expands EMSA's mandate to assist EU countries in the response to oil spills from oil and gas installations and to also support in such cases other countries sharing a regional sea basin with the EU. EMSA's Action Plan in implementing its newly assigned tasks will be presented.2)EMSA provides a forum at the EU level for Member States' experts to address issues contributing to the preparedness for and response to accidental and deliberate marine pollution, including the use of dispersants and the experience gained from the DWH incident. Actions undertaken in this regard and their outcome will be presented.3)The review of the potential oil spill response options and techniques has revitalised the discussion of mechanical recovery of oil versus the application of dispersants in such a way that nowadays more and more EU States consider the use of dispersants as a possible oil spill response option. The main elements of this discussion in Europe will be presented in more detail, also within the context of the multinational cooperation in Europe executed primarily by the Regional Agreements that are in place.

Drilling and Service Contracts in Offshore Oil and Gas Operations

1973 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 480
Author(s):  
J. M. Killey
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Industry ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Drilling Rig ◽  
Service Contracts ◽  
Oil And Gas Operations ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Offshore Operations

As onshore oil and gas deposits are becoming more difficult to locate, and as the world demands for energy continue to increase at an alarming rate, oil companies are channeling much of their exploration activities towards offshore operations, and in particular, towards operations centered off Canada's coast lines. Because of the environment, offshore drilling presents problems which are novel to the onshore-geared oil industry. J. M. Killey discusses in detail many of the considerations involved in drafting the offshore drilling contract, concentrating on problems such as the liability of the various parties; costs; scheduling; pollution; conflict of laws; etc. Similarly, he discusses service contracts (such as supply boat charters; towing services; helicopter services; etc.^ which are necessity to the operation of an offshore drilling rig. To complement his paper, the author has included number of appendices which list the various considerations lawyer must keep in mind when drafting contracts for offshore operations.

OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION: WHAT ARE THE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND DO THEY JUSTIFY LIMITATIONS ON ACCESS TO COASTAL WATERS?

1989 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
R.P. Warren
Keyword(s):  
Oil Spill ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Assessment Procedure ◽  
Seismic Surveys ◽  
Oil And Gas Exploration ◽  
Direct Exposure ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil

A proposal to undertake exploration in the coastal waters adjacent to Sydney/Newcastle/Wollongong has brought strong protests on environmental grounds. This opposition is committed and the basis for it should be considered in the wider context of offshore exploration around Australia. Of the various activities involved in oil and gas exploration the potential impacts of marine seismic surveys and the likelihood of a blowout- related oil spill are those of greatest concern to the media and public.A review of the available literature shows the environmental effects of seismic surveys to be of little consequence provided non- explosive energy sources are used. The effects of an oil spill are heavily dependent on site conditions and the type of oil spilled.The literature shows that direct exposure to spilled oil is fatal to many marine species. However, the potential lethal effects are largely dependent on direct exposure and this declines with the weathering and degradation of the spill. Moreover, the risks of an oil spill occurring as a result of current transportation and handling of oil in coastal waters and points around Australia are much greater than would be presented by drilling an exploratory well.In considering the role of exploration as an assessment procedure rather than a land use it is possible to draw parallels between the conservation status of Australian coastal waters today and the onshore situation some 20 years ago. The offshore oil and gas exploration industry needs to take several measures if it is to avoid denial of access for exploration. These include clearly identifying the environmental effects of exploration as opposed to production, adopting industry- wide codes for environmental practice, and recording and disseminating the industry's environmental performance.

scholarly journals Contesting Political Decisions Involving Environmental Issues: A Case Study in Portugal Based on the Press About Offshore Oil and Gas Drilling

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno Pinto ◽  
Paula Castro
Keyword(s):  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Oil Companies ◽  
Gas Drilling ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Press ◽  
The Government ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Political Decisions

This paper presents a case study about the drilling of offshore oil and gas in mainland Portugal, a process that ended with the cancelation of all contracts. It aimed to better understand the argumentative and value dynamics involved in how municipalities, populations, civic organizations, and others successfully contested the central government decision of prospection. Since the press was one of the main stages for this conflict, it was important to analyze how it presented the respective arguments to society. Articles on this topic were collected from the two widely read national newspapers “Correio da Manhã” and “Público” in the culmination period of this confrontation, which occurred between June 2016 and December 2018. In total, 155 articles were found, 61.3% (n = 95) from “Público” and 38.7% (n = 60) from “Correio da Manhã.” The quantitative analysis focused on the number of news per month and the frequency of themes, as well as the frequency of actors and arguments used against and in favor of exploitation on the news. Thematic analysis was used to qualitatively assess the articulation of arguments in the two opposing views. Results show that, in both newspapers, the majority of articles focused on the positions and actions of those opposing prospection, as the Government and other actors in favor of drilling were much less active in presenting its arguments. Overall, the analysis suggests two different strategies: (a) a strong argumentative synergy between a wide range of actors against offshore prospection. Their concerted arguments defended multiple values, including public participation in political decisions, protecting local communities and places from environmental risks, countering climate change, and protecting local economic activities. (b) The Government was usually isolated in its arguments with the occasional exception of oil companies or representatives of the national industry. The scarce arguments used by these actors evoked mostly national economic values, with little engagement with other societal goals. This study suggests that the large mobilization of different sectors of society, their use of a convergent and wide range of arguments, and the lack of engagement of the Government in a dialogical argumentation were crucial to delegitimize the latter’s political decision.

Prediction Model for Morphological Distribution and Evolution of Submarine Cuttings Piles in Offshore Drilling

SPE Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Zhi Zhang ◽  
Baojiang Sun ◽  
Zhiyuan Wang ◽  
Shikun Tong ◽  
Bing Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Transport Process ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Ocean Current ◽  
Offshore Drilling ◽  
Oil And Gas Resources ◽  
Drilling Operations ◽  
Offshore Oil And Gas ◽  
Offshore Oil ◽  
Morphological Distribution

Summary Offshore oil and gas has effectively alleviated the global shortage of oil and gas resources, and drilling operations are becoming increasingly frequent. However, the cuttings discharged during surface drilling are transported and deposited to form cuttings piles, which pose a serious threat to the marine ecological environment. In this study, we consider the randomness and uncertainty of cuttings movement to divide the transport process into parabola and collision motion between the moving particles and slope particles after falling on the slope surface of cuttings piles. Through specific analysis of the stress state of a single particle in the transport process and changes in momentum distribution of the particle swarm, the evolution model of the morphological distribution of cuttings piles and the nearby flow field is established. This model can quantitatively analyze the evolution law of the morphological distribution of cuttings piles under the action of ocean current and the disturbance law of the flow field near the cuttings piles caused by the invasion of cuttings particles. Comparing the measured data at an offshore drilling field and prediction results of the model of Sun et al. (2020), the relative error of the model amounts to less than 15%, which demonstrates its rationality. The simulation results show that the morphological distribution of cuttings piles and the nearby flow field change significantly under the action of ocean current, and the intensity of evolution is related to the current velocity and cuttings size, which is of great significance for the quantitative analysis of the evolution of cuttings piles under the action of ocean currents and accurate prediction of their morphological distribution.

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