Friday, May 14, 2010
Guest Commentary
Reaction to offshore oil spill can go overboard
Houston Business Journal – by John Culberson Special to Houston Business Journal
The oil spill in the Gulf threatens to become a serious breach of public trust in the environmental safety of offshore drilling, and it has already tragically claimed the lives of 11 hardworking Americans.
What is unquestionably more dangerous is the prospect of this incident being politicized. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida has already asked the President to impose a moratorium on all new offshore drilling.
Reactive, short-sighted proposals like Senator Nelson’s serve no purpose but to score quick political points, and ultimately increase our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
The failure of the rig’s preventive technology demands an explanation, and will surely and rightfully incite examinations of the risks and benefits of offshore development. But despite the conspicuousness of this particular spill, it is far from the norm.
As the Wall Street Journal has noted, the Department of the Interior’s most recent data indicates that between 1985 and 2001, seven billion barrels of oil were produced from offshore facilities with a spill rate of 0.001 percent.
Even more striking, the National Academy of Science’s National Research Council has reported that oil extraction accounts for only one percent of petroleum inputs in North American waters. Clearly, the Deepwater Horizon incident is a statistical anomaly.
The United States offshore energy industry follows to the world’s strictest standards for human safety and environmental protection. If we shut down our offshore drilling operations, our continuing demand for energy will force us to import even more oil and gas from countries with lax or sub par safety standards.
In other words, we wouldn’t be eliminating the environmental risks; we would be exporting and exacerbating them.
While the temptation to be swept away by popular sentiments surrounding the Gulf spill is great, we must also keep in mind the steep costs of walking away from our vast domestic energy supply.
The politics of offshore drilling have changed, but our high demand for energy has not. More than 30 percent of our nation’s oil and over 25 percent of our natural gas comes from offshore production, and government estimates put the amount of untouched natural gas deposits in the Gulf of Mexico at 20 trillion cubic feet, and over 10 times that onshore.
This immense supply within our reach necessitates thoughtful, economic consideration, especially given the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s projection that by 2030, American natural gas consumption will rise to 26.9 trillion cubic feet annually, and oil consumption will reach 27.6 million barrels a day.
If we prematurely shut off access to our rich resources in the Outer Continental Shelf, energy prices will rise, economic growth will slow and American consumers will suffer.
The loss of 11 lives and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf are heartbreaking and cannot be dismissed as collateral damage. This is a tragedy and will be remembered as such. But we must move forward with proper forethought, keeping both the nation’s and the Earth’s best interests in mind.
We do not have to choose one or the other. With the right adjustments and enforcement of existing safety standards, we can do a great service to future generations and pay our respects to the victims of this tragedy.
This accident did not happen on purpose, nor did it happen due to wild, risk taking behavior. Like all accidents, airline crash, space shuttle disaster, etc., it will be determined that there were elements of human error (judgement) and multiple knock-on failure points.
The American sprit has always learned from these and made improvements that in hindsight were logical to make, but remained hidden until the right combination of events resulted in the accident. Do we stop flying? Do we stop driving our cars? No. We analyze the data, determine the root cause and contributing causes, and implement corrective actions in terms of engineering, proceedures, training to eliminate or at least mitigate the risk of reoccurance.
Don’t listen to the know-nothing grand-standers in Washington. Learn the lessons – which we don’t need Congress to ‘teach’ us – and move on, the way this country has been made great since inception.
Senator Nelson was being responsive not reactionary. Just ask those directly and indirectly affected by this massive, man-made tragedy. What would Ms. Palin say? “How’s that self(y) regulating doing for you?”
“The failure of the rig’s preventive technology demands an explanation, and will surely and rightfully incite examinations of the risks and benefits of offshore development. But despite the conspicuousness of this particular spill, it is far from the norm.” Has Scott or anyone on your staff watched the most recent episode of 60 Minutes? Rather telling of the oil industry, the three compaies who share responsibility and all (whom) they buy. Who will pay for this ‘far from the norm’ spill?
“As the Wall Street Journal has noted, the Department of the Interior’s most recent data indicates that between 1985 and 2001, seven billion barrels of oil were produced from offshore facilities with a spill rate of 0.001 percent.” Again, who is responsible for this 0.001 percent spill rate, and who will pay for it? Who? The companies responsible with the BILLIONS they make? Or will the American people ‘pay’ the price?
“The United States offshore energy industry follows to the world’s strictest standards for human safety and environmental protection.” Really. Then why, in an effort to save 1/2 million dollars, did they choose to not use all those ’strictest standards’ and use the tools available? How many American economic lives will be ruined, perhaps for generations, because they chose greed instead of safety?
Do you beleive BP is being honest, even in their estimate of how much oil is gushing into the Gulf? Why must senators push for the release of the videos showing the oil and gas?
Your bias is showing.
Your editorial is dishonest. Do you accept money from the oil industry?
If there are shortcomings with blowout valves, then this must be addressed.
We really must cut down on our use of engery.