Green Party U.S. – Green Technology, Recycling & Alternative Energy News & Information
Green

Is deepwater drilling safe?

January 14, 2013 by · Leave a Comment 

The BP, Halliburton and Transocean’s Horizon drilling fiasco in spring 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico not only cost the companies billions of dollars, the environmental damage may take years to recover.  In addition to Federal charges, civil trials are scheduled to start in February 2013 unless there is a settlement before that date.  BP settled a criminal charge with the Justice Department in November 2012 and agreed to pay $4.5 billion.  However, recent technological advancements and rising oil prices worldwide closer to $100 a barrel are creating more demand for deepwater drilling again.

World’s largest deepwater oil and gas drillers include Transocean, Ensco, Diamond Offshore Drilling, Noble, SeaDrill, Atwood Oceanics and others.  The blowout-preventer recertification is underway.  The Department of Energy awarded $35.4 million for 13 projects to advance safer and cleaner deepwater drilling technologies in May 2012.  After a yearlong drilling moratorium, Federal regulators issued over 90 permits for wells deeper than 500 feet in 2012.  This is more than the combined permits issued in 2010 and 2011.  Besides the Gulf of Mexico, oil companies are moving into deepwaters of East Africa and eastern Mediterranean.  The U.S. Clean Water Act and Oil Pollution Act provide the framework and regulation for the deepwater drilling activities.

Comments are closed.