Florida offshore oil rigs

[SCUBASailor]

No offense to people who live in the other Gulf Coast states, but I would rather not have Florida's coastline look like that of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama.

No offense taken, but Florida's coastline will not look like that of Louisiana unless two things happen:
1) We redirect the Mississippi River, so that it can drop it's sediment on the Florida Gulf Coast instead of the Louisiana Gulf Coast.
2) We set the clock back to the 1950's through the 1970's and allow the oil companies to act in the undesirable manner they did back then.
Number 1 is geologically impossible and number 2 is politically impossible.

 

[cdiver2]

I've done work for the oil companies for a number of years. Things have changed dramatically for the better. I attended a meeting at a major oil company in the past year discussing that the oil company was INC'd (that's a reprimand with possible punitive actions from the government) for an accidental release of an oil mist into the air that settled onto the water. The company estimated that it was something like 1/10,000 of a gallon of oil. This is not a joke. I can't speak for the independents, but the majors are vastly more consciensous about oil spills than the typical boater filling his fuel tank. A typical boater can spill more petroleum product in a single tank fill than a typical production platform for a major oil company will release in months of operation.

From the BBC

Since 2001, there have been 858 fires and explosions in the Gulf, according to the federal Minerals Management Service.

Source

BBC News - Tackling oil rig disaster 'number one priority' - Obama


858 in 9 years that's 95 per year, 7.94 per month, 1.98 per week. That's fires and explosions no mention of leaks, and that is just in the Gulf, I wonder what the numbers are world wide.

 

[AquaExplorer]

I know this is old, but let me enlighten you a bit.
End of last year while i'm working from the Cocodrie rig off of Houma, LA we had a pipeline burst. We discovered the leak in less than 3 hours and had the leak repaired in less than another 4 hours. The damage? An oil slick 8 miles wide and 24 miles long. Why did no one see it on the evening news? Good question! I'm guessing because oil companies own LA. I never witnessed a Coast Guard helicopter or boat. The only boats in the water were ours for the repairs and several others with the booms for cleanup. And this type of stuff happens more than you'd think.

Now just to be clear. I can't wait for the rigs to show up, if it really ever happens.

Even if this happened...welcome to a modern, industrialized society.

It is funny....we have so many layman (and yes I admit to being one myself on certain issues) that are so full of hubris and arrogance that seem to want to spout off on how we should do this or that, with no idea of the realities (not saying you are one, just using your post to comment).

No one wants to see their how their meat is made, no one wants to see the sewer system is maintained, no one wants to see how we get oil....but dammit EVERYONE wants their steak, their toilet to flush, and their car to have gas. It seems that the more removed we as a society have become from the "dirty" underbelly of how our modern society is maintained, the more arrogant we become about demanding change in how those things are done.

Interesting creatures we humans.....

 

[Superlyte27]

Even if this happened...welcome to a modern, industrialized society.

It is funny....we have so many layman (and yes I admit to being one myself on certain issues) that are so full of hubris and arrogance that seem to want to spout off on how we should do this or that, with no idea of the realities (not saying you are one, just using your post to comment).

No one wants to see their how their meat is made, no one wants to see the sewer system is maintained, no one wants to see how we get oil....but dammit EVERYONE wants their steak, their toilet to flush, and their car to have gas. It seems that the more removed we as a society have become from the "dirty" underbelly of how our modern society is maintained, the more arrogant we become about demanding change in how those things are done.

Interesting creatures we humans.....

Not sure if you misunderstood or just don't care, but let me be clear. I have no problem with Oil Rigs. Yes, there was a spill. Was it intentional? Nope. Was it cleaned up absolutely as quickly as possible? Yup, Me and Carl (hey Carl) got that thing clamped as quickly as we could. What could have been prevented? I'm not sure that anything could be prevented. Sometimes transmission lines blow. Nothing we can do about it. If we want oil, it's a risk; one i'm willing to take.

I've seen the coast of LA, Texas, etc. I live in Florida, and even knowing what I know, I still want Rigs off the coast of Florida. Hope that clears up my perspective for you.

 

[ONESPEED]

A good read is "Helldivers Rodeo" a book about diving adventures off the LA oil rigs. A real hoot!

 

[Wookie]

In addition to the oil companies cleaning up their act, the old platform workers from the 60's and 70's are retiring. I remember those days, when "rig wash" was used to clean the grease and crap off the platform equipment. Sewage was shunted to just below the surface, and garbage of all varieties was just tossed overboard. I can remember pumping bilges in San Francisco bay at night, and the ship receiving a huge fine for it. They never figured out who did the pumping.

We are making the younger generation more environmentally aware. They understand that throwing plastic in the ocean is bad, and so are oil spills. We are educating our workers as well as our corporations.

 

[TMHeimer]

Even if this happened...welcome to a modern, industrialized society.

It is funny....we have so many layman (and yes I admit to being one myself on certain issues) that are so full of hubris and arrogance that seem to want to spout off on how we should do this or that, with no idea of the realities (not saying you are one, just using your post to comment).

No one wants to see their how their meat is made, no one wants to see the sewer system is maintained, no one wants to see how we get oil....but dammit EVERYONE wants their steak, their toilet to flush, and their car to have gas. It seems that the more removed we as a society have become from the "dirty" underbelly of how our modern society is maintained, the more arrogant we become about demanding change in how those things are done.

Interesting creatures we humans.....

Best post I've seen in a while.

 

[AquaExplorer]

Not sure if you misunderstood or just don't care, but let me be clear. I have no problem with Oil Rigs. Yes, there was a spill. Was it intentional? Nope. Was it cleaned up absolutely as quickly as possible? Yup, Me and Carl (hey Carl) got that thing clamped as quickly as we could. What could have been prevented? I'm not sure that anything could be prevented. Sometimes transmission lines blow. Nothing we can do about it. If we want oil, it's a risk; one i'm willing to take.

I've seen the coast of LA, Texas, etc. I live in Florida, and even knowing what I know, I still want Rigs off the coast of Florida. Hope that clears up my perspective for you.

Sorry man...I guess I did mistake your intent in the post. Oh well, as they say "never let a good rant go to waste" so I will just keep mine if that is OK!

 

[cdiver2]

Coast Guard Containing Oil Spill in Wildlife Refuge (Update1) - BusinessWeek

 

[Superlyte27]

Sorry man...I guess I did mistake your intent in the post. Oh well, as they say "never let a good rant go to waste" so I will just keep mine if that is OK!

absolutely not a problem. And good to meet you man.