BREAKING NEWS (11 PM) -- CNN reporting two oil platforms are loose in the Gulf

[brooklynite]

Drill, Baby, Drill!

[mcctatas]

1. So much for the safety of offshore drilling...

fucking asshat repukes!

[Bluebear]

2. So how much will gas be tomorrow? $6.22? $7.17?

[malaise]

3. looks more like

Spill Baby Spill

[ogneopasno]

4. That's some scary shit.

nt

[w8liftinglady]

5. explain to us dense ones...what does this mean?

[TXDemGal]

12. In the short run, it means bend over and grab your ankles n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. In the very short run prices will go up

in the medium term, 48-72 hours that oil that is now spilling will reach coastlines

In the long term, getting them back will run some millions

More price hikes

I just hope there was nobody on board.. .human life is far more valuable than the oil and a loose rig could mean a rig that goes on the side

[DS1]

6. DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW... No, DRILL OVER HERE INSTEAD

No

DRILL THERE

DRILL A LITTLE BIT FURTHER!

[RB TexLa]

7. Technically they are ships, maritime law if someone loses a ship and you find it it's yours

Might be time to go find a "ship" :)

[ColbertWatcher]

8. Loose? Like those stray dogs? Like that tanker? WTF!? n/t

[napi21]

9. I heard about the platforms earlier today, but they didn't seem to be

too concerned. Just said they will go and re-secure them when the weather permits.

[RB TexLa]

10. They don't really take off and drift that easily.

[napi21]

20. I don't know anything about them. Just repeating what I heard.

I don't even know how they're anchored to begin with.

[A HERETIC I AM]

26. With several giant-ass anchors like these;

[napi21]

27. WOW! It must have some damn churning waters that broke them

loose! Either that, or the chain or cable that connects them broke. Thanks for the info.

[A HERETIC I AM]

28. Check out this guys website where I found the pics...

Interesting info on the ships that handle and place such anchors as well as service/supply the platforms.

http://www.menkent.dk

Click "Galleries" then scroll down to "Maersk Assistor" and click the pic of the ship. (hmm...)

A picture of a winch capable of handling anchors of that type - 700 ton capacity;


Big machines fascinate the hell out of me.

[Occulus]

35. Gratuitous Large Hadron Collider photo

link

[HughMoran]

11. Crap

I don't care about the political ramifications - this sucks in many ways.

[Fumesucker]

13. They are probably jack-up rigs..

Floating drilling platforms that have giant legs they can jack down to the sea floor and lift themselves right out of the water for stability.

They would have discontinued drilling and sealed off the bore hole before heavy weather set in, the chances of an actual spill are fairly slim.

[redirish28]

14. any link?

[chill_wind]

16. Drilling rigs. Here (CNBC.com)

By CNBC.com | 13 Sep 2008 | 08:43 PM ET


Two oil rigs broke loose from their moorings in the Gulf of Mexico during Hurricane Ike, CNBC has learned Saturday.

The rigs are now about 100 miles off shore in the Central Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Minerals Management Service spokeswoman Eileen Angelico said.

The rigs are relatively stationary now and will be secured by tugboats when the seas calm, Angelico said.

The rigs involved are drilling rigs and not production platforms, but Angelico would not say what company owns them. There is no word yet on any environmental damage, she said.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/26692149

[redirish28]

19. I hope I am wrong but watch this story get buried and Monday we see $7 gas prices Monday.

This is something they have been waiting for.

[AndyTiedye]

17. Spill, Baby, Spill?

The oil doesn't stop flowing out the hole just because the oil rig isn't attached to it anymore.

[lonestarnot]

18. Well what does this mean exactly? Is it floating or spilling oil or WTF?

[Barack_America]

23. Just floating.

Happened with both Katrina and Rita too.

Just another example of why offshore drilling is not the answer.

[Captiosus]

33. Thank you!

This is what I said to my staunchly McCain supporting neighbor when he got home and yelled across the fence complaining about the price of gas.

"Still think off shore drilling is the way to go? When natural disasters cause a 1.5 to 2 dollar price hike overnight?", was my response.

[npk]

21. Well shit. We can't drill till we wrangle in those loose rigs.

If I had a boat and lived near the gulf I would be glad to help, but...

[Barack_America]

22. I'm pretty sure Rita and Katrina took out more.

I remember seeing this pic. :scared:

[ZenKitty]

24. Linkity Link?

I live in the Houston metro area and am very tuned in to the media (thank you generator!). This is news to me.

[chill_wind]

29. Here's a quick one from upthread.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/26692149

Welcome aboard DU.

[whistle]

25. Come sunrise tomorrow much more shall be revealed and it won't be

...pretty :wtf:

[crimsonblue]

30. They aren't rigs...

they are floating platforms... there is a difference. Now, there is most likely extensive damage in the Gulf, but this one story isn't accurate.

[HughMoran]

32. CNBC hasn't corrected their story yet...

"The rigs involved are drilling rigs and not production platforms, but Angelico would not say what company owns them. There is no word yet on any environmental damage, she said."

http://www.cnbc.com/id/26692149

[crimsonblue]

34. I suspect it is likely because of the media blackout

from everything I've seen (or not seen) on TV, it looks like there is very little coverage of substance. The Govt and companies are keeping their hands close to the vest.

[leftofthedial]

31. prepare for $6 gas, but it is perfectly understandable

poor oil companies...

they've turned every type of human misery into a marketing campaign for jacking their prices.

and prices go up, but they never come down.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

36. no. drill, drill, drill ala boone