Exclusive: BP to risk worst ever oil spill in Shetlands drilling

[dipsydoodle]

Source: The Independent

BP is making contingency plans to fight the largest oil spill in history, as it prepares to drill more than 4,000 feet down in the Atlantic in wildlife-rich British waters off the Shetland Islands.

Internal company documents seen by The Independent show that the worst-case scenario for a spill from its North Uist exploratory well, to be sunk next year, would involve a leak of 75,000 barrels a day for 140 days – a total of 10.5 million barrels of oil, comfortably the world's biggest pollution disaster.

This would be more than double the amount of oil spilled from its Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico last year, which had a maximum leak rate of 62,000 barrels a day in an incident lasting 88 days – and triggered a social, economic and environmental catastrophe in the US which brought the giant multinational to the brink of collapse.

The North Uist well, in a seabed block named after the Hebridean island but located 80 miles north-west of Shetland, is part of BP's ongoing attempts to open up the West of Shetland sea area, sometimes referred to as the "Atlantic Frontier", as a rich new oil province to replace the dwindling productivity of the North Sea.

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/exclusive-bp-to-risk-worst-ever-oil-spill-in-shetlands-drilling-2369219.html

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BP reveals plan for hypothetical oil spill off Shetland.

BP has drawn up contingency plans to tackle an oil spill off Shetland, twice the size of its Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The oil giant revealed its "worst-case scenario" Oil Pollution Emergency Plan in a submission to the UK government.

The company is seeking approval to start drilling a new exploratory well 80 miles north west of the islands early next year.

WWF Scotland claimed BP's plans would not prevent a major impact on wildlife.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-15270431

[Volaris]

1. If that's their estimate of a worse-case scenario, I'd make them double it again, then we'll talk...

[newfie11]

2. Ahhh BP

Yep can't leave anywhere untouched by oil

[truebrit71]

3. Hmmm, wonder what the ConservaDem government will do?

Probably the same as President Obama will with Keystone XL...sign off and talk about not wanting to kill jobs as the excuse....:eyes:

[Drew Richards]

4. Remember when they lied and said the gulf was only leaking 700 barrels per day THEN

it was 3,000 NO 7,000 per day then they were busted by forensic analysis of the video and they claimed it was only 13,000 barrels per day and finally in their report claim it was only 52 to 62,000 barrels per day. OTHER scientists and leading universities rate the flow at 133,000 per day...

SO, if they claim 75,000 barrels per day as a starting point I am betting we are looking at the worst national catastrophe in the history of England running a Million gallons a day... Maybe then someone will do something about BP rogue capitalism...doubtful...

[supernova]

5. BP mgmt is psychotic

They are doing it again!?!? Obviously they learned nothing.

The UK gov't should take over and dismantle BP.

[CountAllVotes]

6. maybe the world will wake-up

If there is a spill where they these criminals originate from.

:dem:

[Arugula Latte]

7. I don't want to see oil-soaked shaggy little ponies on the beach.

:cry:

[sakabatou]

8. Profits over anything else.

[Auntie Bush]

9. Wonder how much oil and wildlife would be lost if they have a disaster in the Arctic?

That possibility has me scared to death.

[dipsydoodle]

10. BP unveils North Sea investment programme

BP has been given the go ahead to proceed with a new £4.5bn oil project west of the Shetland Islands.

The BP-operated scheme is an extension of the existing Clair oil field, and will also include investment by fellow oil firms Shell, ConocoPhillips and Chevron.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15285441