Thursday, September 2, 2010

Rig Explosion-Much Ado About Nothing


September 02, 2010
No sheen, fire out, workers safe
Despite earlier reports, the U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday afternoon there is no sheen on the water from the Mariner Energy production platform accident .

All 13 workers from the Vermillion 380 production platform located about 80 miles off the Louisiana coast were pulled from the water by supply boat after the blast and fire, which occurred around 9:15 a.m.

The boat transferred the crew members to a nearby platform where they were later airlifted to Terrebonne hospital in Houma. One of the crew members was injured, though his status was unknown.

Firefighting vessels dispatched by Mariner had the blaze out this afternoon.

Automated shutoff equipment on the platform turned off the flow of oil and gas from the platform's seven producing wells before the fire occurred and the crew evacuated, the company said.

Production platforms do not have blowout preventers like drilling rigs since the nature of producing doesn't include serious risks of sudden surges in oil or natural gas. Rather they rely on shut-in and safety valves

"The fire occurred away from the well...it wasn't involved in the area where they had oil producing wells," said Patrick Cassidy, a spokesman for Mariner on CNBC.

The platform, located in about 340 feet of water, appears to be fairly small, producing about 9.2 million cubic feet of natural gas production per day and 1,400 barrels of oil and condensate as of August, according to the company. It is 100 percent owned and operated by Mariner.

According to Mariner's annual report Hurricane Ike damaged the structure in 2008, causing the firm to suspend drilling operations that were going on at the time while underwater structural repairs were made.
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By-the-By

89% of Americans believe the drilling ban moratorium is politically motivated rather than based on safety issues. More evidence "the thrill is over" with Obama. I'm expecting Impeachment proceedings to be brought before Christmas. Once he is ousted the eligibility lawsuits should get the hearing they deserve. That would be the quickest way to undo much of Obama's lunacy, to make unpopular bills null and void instead of Supreme Court cases.

Again this is just one more example of a small man, behaving ever smaller.

Have you been noticing how the commucrat candidates, seem to be feeling marooned by Obama. When Obama was riding high, he made them walk the plank or threatened the DNC would be taking names. Today if Obama tried to overplay his hand like that, the Commucrats, that now want to be just known as Democrats again, would tell him to F off.

Steve

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