Rush to drill deeper carries added risks

[Jennicut]

NEW ORLEANS — The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig illustrates the energy industry's push to drill in ever deeper waters in search of huge oil deposits, despite the mammoth risks and unique challenges associated with exploration in such a hostile environment.

The lure of the deep is driven by technological advances that make previously inaccessible oil now reachable, and dwindling supplies at shallower depths due to years of exploration. High energy prices and lucrative government incentives have also made it more financially feasible.

"That's where the oil is," said Eric Smith, associate director of Tulane University's Energy Institute. "You can't find any oil any cheaper anywhere else."

But the work is highly technical. In mile-deep seas, where BP PLC's Deepwater Horizon rig was plumbing for oil in an ocean canyon, the work is done in total darkness and near-freezing temperatures. Water pressure is enough to crush a submarine, and the explosive methane gas that likely ignited on the Deepwater Horizon can be much more damaging if not properly controlled.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20100512/us-gulf-oil-spill-deepwater-drilling/

This article is from May 12th but it is excellent info on how difficult it is to get oil that deep below the ocean and all the risks involved. Is deep sea drilling even worth the risks? Or do we simply lack better regulations and deep sea equipment that could prevent a leak like the current spill from happening or make it less worse? It is a debate the United States needs to have.

[depakid]

1. +1

The questions raised apply all across the world.

[Jennicut]

2. Interesting that I just found an aritcle this morning about Norway having

problems with one of their deep sea wells.

"As BP struggles to control oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico from a blowout at the Deepwater Horizon rig a month ago, another company is working to prevent a blowout in Europe.

Statoil, the Norwegian oil giant, is battling recurrent pressure problems this month at its Gullfaks C oil well in the North Sea. The problems forced a partial evacuation of the drilling platform this week.

In deep-sea wells, gas from under the sea bed that wells up with oil can help create high pressure leading to a blowout. Oil and gas shoot up the well, causing an explosion.

To prevent that, Statoil is pumping a heavy substance called drilling mud into the well to counteract the upward pressure of the gas/oil mix. The company has called the chance of a blowout like the one that caused the leak at the Deepwater Horizon rig “very small.” The Norwegian rig has a blowout protector in place, the company said."http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/averting-a-north-sea-blowout/

It is risky for all countries, it seems.

[depakid]

4. Risky indeed

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8394758&mesg_id=8395337

[Cleobulus]

3. I like how they say these are "huge" reserves...

When in reality they are a drop in the bucket compared to reserves found 40+ years ago.