Oil platform explodes in the Gulf

[Mr. Ford95]

All 13 workers are safe and the fire is out. Doesn't appear to be anywhere close to the BP disaster, the platform is still standing and no oil has been seen even though first reports claimed oil was spewing. The other good news, it's only in 340 feet of water so if there was a problem with the well heads, they had 7 of them in use on the platform, it would be a much easier fix.

Guess this proves that whole deep water drilling ban was useless since this was in such shallow water. How long before this is also blamed on the Bush Administration?

[GMAN]

I find it very strange that we have had 2 oil well rigs to have explosions recently. Yep, it is all Bush's fault.

[golfhobo]

Mr. Ford said:

The other good news, it's only in 340 feet of water so if there was a problem with the well heads, they had 7 of them in use on the platform, it would be a much easier fix.

Yes, it probably would... but, not for the reason you suggest. The 7 wellheads go to different wells. They could ACTUALLY ignite each other. The "easier fix" comes from the fact that it is shallow water... and we HAVE equipment and expertise for responding to that. We did NOT have the ability to fight a disaster on a wellhead 1 MILE under the surface of the water.

Guess this proves that whole deep water drilling ban was useless since this was in such shallow water.

NOT in any way! Ever studied calculus? The fact that the NEXT "problem" involved a shallow water well, in NO WAY lessens the POSSIBILITY that a DEEPWATER well could be NEXT. And we STILL are not pepared for another of those!

How long before this is also blamed on the Bush Administration?

3...2...1... It's all Bush's fault! [lol!]

[Mr. Ford95]

NOT in any way! Ever studied calculus? The fact that the NEXT "problem" involved a shallow water well, in NO WAY lessens the POSSIBILITY that a DEEPWATER well could be NEXT. And we STILL are not pepared for it.

That was my point Hobo, Obama wanted no more deep water drilling but this shows just how easy it can happen in shallow water which they were going to allow to continue unimpeded. It blows his whole argument apart in that it's not as potentially dangerous.

[golfhobo]

That was my point Hobo, Obama wanted no more deep water drilling but this shows just how easy it can happen in shallow water which they were going to allow to continue unimpeded. It blows his whole argument apart in that it's not as potentially dangerous.

Well, I think I understand the point you were trying to make. But, it is irrelevant in a way, because your basis is faulty.

1) THIS well was a "producing well" not an "exploratory" or DRILLING well. (so was the other one that sprung a leak recently.) ONLY DRILLING (exploratory) wells.... IN deep water.... were shut down! The moratorium was on continued DEEP WATER "drilling" which happens BEFORE the installment of the now suspected "blow out preventer." Any well (deep or shallow) that has survived that process already, and is producing, was NOT part of the moratorium.

2) No one could know what type of well MIGHT next have a problem.... but, what we knew at the time was, blowout preventors were being used without proper inspection and maintenance, and that if a problem arose 1 mile beneath the surface.... WE didn't have the equipment and expertise to combat it.

3) We DO/DID have the ability to fight a shallow water well disruption.

4) Obama took the PRUDENT decision to temporarily halt further DEEP WATER well operations that were still in the "DRILLING" stage! ONLY!

5) ALL shallow water wells, and ALL deep water wells currently IN the sucessful "production" mode were NOT affected by the moratorium.

Obama did the same thing NASA has done for years when, out of an abundance of caution, he halted any current drilling operations in deep water (only) because we just found out how unprepared we ALL are to combat a major environmental disaster at that depth.

The moratorium had NO EFFECT on producing wells of any depth, nor even "exploratory drilling" programs in SHALLOW WATER.

So, once again.... your attempt to "gotcha" him has failed. If anything, the fact that NO SPILL happened from this well, and the fact that we responded quickly and efficiently, shows that it IS "safer" to allow production from long standing shallow water wells.

What WON'T happen again anytime soon... is a disaster of THIS degree from anyMORE defective blow out preventors on wells at a depth that we can't easily REACH to fix.

[Mr. Ford95]

The moratorium had NO EFFECT on producing wells of any depth, nor even "exploratory drilling" programs in SHALLOW WATER.

So, once again.... your attempt to "gotcha" him has failed. If anything, the fact that NO SPILL happened from this well, and the fact that we responded quickly and efficiently, shows that it IS "safer" to allow production from long standing shallow water wells.

What WON'T happen again anytime soon... is a disaster of THIS degree from anyMORE defective blow out preventors on wells at a depth that we can't easily REACH to fix.

I didn't say the ban would affect shallow water drilling you tart, try reading it again. I said it blew up Obama's whole grounds for not allowing deep water drilling. His team claimed shallow water drilling was much safer and essentially nothing could go wrong like BP's. This whole situation proved that it can happen no matter where it is as it was nearly the same thing that happened to BP minus the oil spill. If this had been an exploratory drilling platform who's to say we wouldn't have another oil spill on our hands to clean up or did you miss that little tidbit? Doesn't matter that this was an established platform that was pumping instead of drilling, it could have just as easily been drilling at the time.

The only reason no spill happened was because this company had not overrode systems(that they know of currently) and had blowout preventers that worked. It doesn't mean that shallow water is safer than deep water as Obama claimed. It just means it's an easier fix when something goes wrong. The response was quick on the BP disaster also, the difference was that oil spilled when the well head was broken from the rig toppling into the sea. Unfortunately the tried and true methods of shallow water did not work on deep water.

I would not go around darn near making a guarantee that a disaster like BP's won't happen again anytime soon. They still have not determined why this platform suddenly blew up. Are you saying a disaster like BP's happening again anytime soon in US waters or anywhere in the world? I hope you mean within US waters and not anywhere in the world, some countries don't give a rat's ***** about safety measures.

[golfhobo]

Mr. Ford said:

I didn't say the ban would affect shallow water drilling you tart, try reading it again.

Wow... I can't believe you are (still) resorting to calling me names, even after I've "befriended you" and have tried my best to show that I still respect your opinions and enjoy our debates. I don't have to read anything again. I got YOUR drift the FIRST time. YOU are the one with the comprehension problem here.

The "ban" didn't affect shallow water drilling/producing because we have the ability to deal with any contingency in shallow waters. Not in deep water. "HIS ARGUMENT" didn't address shallow water drilling, so NO "incident" in shallow water would "blow his argument" out of the water! Just YOURS!

I said it blew up Obama's whole grounds for not allowing deep water drilling.

No, it didn't. You were WRONG. An "unfinished" drilling operation in DEEP WATER, is still dependent on the possible need for a blow-out preventor to WORK. And, if it doesn't? We don't have the ability to respond successfully at that depth!

His team claimed shallow water drilling was much safer and essentially nothing could go wrong like BP's.

They never said NOTHING could go wrong. They said that we had the ability to respond in shallow water, so the DANGER was much less. The BP "spill" happened as the well was being "brought in." That is when a BLOWOUT can happen. The blowout preventor failed (due to cost cutting and possibly criminal neglect.) We soon found out that neither the gov't NOR the industry was prepared to handle such a catastrophe.

This whole situation proved that it can happen no matter where it is as it was nearly the same thing that happened to BP minus the oil spill.

NOT EVEN CLOSE! And perhaps, you could explain just WHY there was no oil spill?

If this had been an exploratory drilling platform who's to say we wouldn't have another oil spill on our hands to clean up or did you miss that little tidbit?

Would you have preferred that he included shallow water "exploratory" wells in his moratorium? But, it WASN'T....was it? Nor was the last little leak. That makes the BP disaster just one in 3 "accidents" so far since then. And the ONLY deepwater one.... which we couldn't control. Ah, heck.... you'll NEVER understand the difference!

Doesn't matter that this was an established platform that was pumping instead of drilling, it could have just as easily been drilling at the time.

Yes, it DOES matter! And, NO... it COULDN'T be drilling at the same time it is producing! First, you DRILL.... THEN, you produce. Got it?

Maybe, you can understand THIS little backwoods analogy: A blue tick hound PUPPY can spring a leak all over your living room. But, a MATURE dog will ask to go outside to do his business! HE can be "trusted." The moratorium would be for puppies who live 1 mile beneath the water's surface!

The only reason no spill happened was because this company had not overrode systems(that they know of currently) and had blowout preventers that worked.

Totally incorrect.

It doesn't mean that shallow water is safer than deep water as Obama claimed.

Yes, it does.

It just means it's an easier fix when something goes wrong.

For that EXACT reason... which is why the moratorium specifically excluded the "safer" practice of shallow water drilling and producing wells.

The LACK of a disaster, and the ability to respond if this case had been worse, is EXACTLY why "His whole argument" has proved to hold water.

The response was quick on the BP disaster also, [if you say so] the difference was that oil spilled when the well head was broken from the rig toppling into the sea. Unfortunately the tried and true methods of shallow water did not work on deep water.

Which is EXACTLY why the moratorium only affected deep water wells IN THE DRILLING STAGE.

Apparently, you STILL don't understand the function of a blow out preventor, and I'm not sure you understand just WHERE the "well head" IS!

I would not go around darn near making a guarantee that a disaster like BP's won't happen again anytime soon. They still have not determined why this platform suddenly blew up.

Which is the REASON for the moratorium! I can pretty much guarantee that such a disaster won't happen again as long as the moratorium stands. And, BTW... they DO have a pretty good idea what went wrong.

Are you saying a disaster like BP's happening again anytime soon in US waters or anywhere in the world? I hope you mean within US waters and not anywhere in the world, some countries don't give a rat's ***** about safety measures.

I DO mean in American waters (thanks to the moratorium.) And, in THIS case... BP didn't seem to give a hoot about safety measures, either! You ARE aware, aren't you, that such spills HAVE happened in other parts of the world? Obama is ONLY responsible for protecting OUR coastline/waters!

Look... this comes down (ONCE AGAIN) to you trying to "gotcha" Obama for his policies and actions as POTUS. And, as always, you are not fully informed, and CERTAINLY "biased."

I suppose that if some radical element of Al Qaida happened to blow up another major tower in this country, you would say THAT was a failure of Obama's security policy.... even though most of it is a continuation of Bush policy... and somehow, you would FORGET that 9/11 happened under DUBYA'S watch, with HIS security policy in place.

It is clear to me that you don't understand the DEFINITIONS involved in the moratorium policy. Equally, I find you challenged in areas of rational calculus. LOGIC has long since went out the window!

IF you would refrain from calling me NAMES (tart, loser, etc.,) we MIGHT could continue an intellectual discussion... because I DO find you inbued with the basic intellectual abilities.

Look... plain and simple.... the moratorium had NO EFFECT on the rig that had this accident. This accident had NO RELATION to the moratorium. Your argument would ONLY hold water IF Obama's moratorium was a BLANKET one that covered ALL oil producing/drilling activities in the gulf. But, it DID NOT!

He shut down the EXPLORATORY drilling of wells, IN DEEP WATER, that still HAD the possibility of experiencing this SAME disaster due to faulty equipment or safety procedures!

YOU are the one that expects him to be some kind of Messiah (like Twilight says) that has to ALWAYS be PERFECT. To ME... he's just a democratic president that hopefully can move us away from the environmental (and financial) destruction that big business has set their minds on... and perhaps, away from world wars over IGNORANCE.

YOU jump at every chance to "prove" he's not the Messiah. And "I" never said he WAS!

[Mr. Ford95]

Jesus your thick, the only ignorance is on your part to stop and think or read between the lines. It's no wonder though, you follow Obama like a lap dog. If the man jumped off a cliff and died you'd follow suit without thinking that you could die yourself.

[golfhobo]

Jesus your thick, the only ignorance is on your part to stop and think or read between the lines. It's no wonder though, you follow Obama like a lap dog. If the man jumped off a cliff and died you'd follow suit without thinking that you could die yourself.

Well, I guess that just about does it. You have proven me wrong. I THOUGHT you were intelligent enough to engage in a discussion, but.... alas, you are not. Pity.

[Mr. Ford95]

No, the problem is that you have a 1 track mind and refuse to see the other side at all or meet in the middle. Instead you go off blaming Bush for everything.

[golfhobo]

No, the problem is that you have a 1 track mind and refuse to see the other side at all or meet in the middle. Instead you go off blaming Bush for everything.

You mean like the way YOU blame Obama for everything? And think that he is stupid and incapable? I guess he wasted alot of money and years getting those college degrees, editing the Harvard Law Review, serving in the State Legislation, and becoming President! Too bad his "daddy" wasn't a previous president with LOTS of "oil money."

Besides, I don't blame BUSH for everything. The GOP is responsible for MUCH of the crap we've suffered in the last decade!

I guess I'll have to distinguish between them more in the future, so you don't get LOST in the narrative!