More Oil, More Money

When they were trying to get permission to build the well, they said, in writing, that it was almost impossible for there to be any problem.

Then, there was this explosion. And a fire. And eleven people killed. But, as horrible as that was, at least there wasn't any oil leaking. They said. Then, the rig capsized and sank and the pipe that extended almost a mile down into the water to the ocean floor broke. But, they had this "state-of-the-art," fail-safe, blowout preventer. Thank goodness for that!

Only, the blowout preventer didn't prevent a blowout. We don't know why, but this handy-dandy, super-duper device called a blowout preventer that was supposed to make it okay to drill off-shore didn't work. The well blew out and started gushing oil into the sea.

But, at least it was only 1000 barrels of oil a day. And, besides, British Petroleum was responsible for taking care of the problem, so things were still pretty much under control. Except for those eleven souls who had been killed. But, you know, except for that, things were pretty much under control. Still.

Only, it turned out that it wasn't 1000 barrels of oil a day, it was really 5000 barrels of oil a day, being spewed into the ocean and forming an oil slick as big as one of our U.S. states, floating toward some of the most environmentally sensitive coast line in the United States. It wasn't supposed to happen, but it was happening.

So, they tried to use remote-controlled submarines to get the blowout preventer to do what it was supposed to do and cut off the well. Something never before tried at that depth. Failed. Then they tried to get a dome the size of a four story building lowered down over one of the three leaks. Never before tried at that depth. If it worked, it wouldn't stop the flow, it would just make it less. Only two open leaks, instead of three. Failed. Probably for the same reason that the well blew out in the first place - methane gas at depths so cold that it reacts in funny ways that it doesn't do at surface temperatures. Like expanding as it rises up the pipe toward the drilling rig. And forming icy crystals that clog up your containment dome. I mean, who knew?

To be honest, it is this part I'm probably most puzzled about. When we first sent men to the moon, we'd never been there before. We didn't know what we would find or how it would affect the humans and equipment that we sent to the surface of the moon. But, our scientists studied the possibilities, and when we got there, they had predicted everything we found. Accurately. But, petroleum scientists can't anticipate the behavior of methane gas at cold temperatures? Really?

So, now they're going to try a smaller unit, like a containment dome, but not the same. Smaller. But even if it works, it won't work as well as the containment dome that didn't. Work. And if this smaller unit doesn't work, they're going to try shooting chunks of golf balls and old rope into the pipe in the hope that might clog it up and slow the flow. Really? Chunks of golf balls and old rope? That's the answer of British Petroleum? I'm no petroleum scientist, but that seems ... um ... desperate. And primitive. And unlikely to succeed.

So, that leaves us with this "side" well that they're drilling hoping that they will drill into the blown out well and be able to shoot mud and concrete into the well and stop it up. Another ... oh ... 70 days, by my count, if they don't have any problems at all. Not too reassuring, given their record so far.

So, today we learn, according to the Austin American-Statesman, that "[n]early 100 industry standards set by the American Petroleum Institute are included in the nation's offshore operating regulations." Now, that in itself is not necessarily bad. The standards set by the American Petroleum Institute could be good standards. I don't know.

What caught my eye was the reasoning offered by the American Petroleum Institute for why their standards ought to be the regulatory standards for the industry. It wasn't, as I thought it might be, that their standards were good ones. It was "... that its standards are better for the industry's bottom line and make it easier to operate offshore than if the Minerals Management Seervice set the rules."

Well, um, yes. Okay? Isn't that exactly the problem? Do these people have no shame? Or are they just stupid? Or maybe, more likely, they are very smart, but they think the rest of us are stupid.

Let us put their defense in slightly different words. "It's good that we make the rules that regulate our industry, because it's better for us. Those rules are okay, because they allow us to make a lot of money, even though they cause exactly the problem we're facing now."