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Was The BP Pipeline Problem Preventable?
NBC Nightly News/MSNBC ^ | August 8, 2006 | Aram Roston, Lisa Myers & the NBC Investigative Unit

Posted on 08/08/2006 4:38:02 PM PDT by John W

WASHINGTON - When British Petroleum (BP) shut down a vital oil pipeline, the company blamed "unexpectedly severe corrosion" in transit pipes. Yet only five months ago, BP's aging pipeline created the largest-ever oil spill on Alaska’s North Slope.

Federal regulators blamed the spill on "internal corrosion" and said in some areas the walls of the pipes were so corroded they were almost paper-thin.

So critics and industry experts say the latest problem was hardly a surprise.

"I think this was predictable and preventable," says Phil Flynn, an energy analyst with Alaron Trading Corp.

In fact, allegations about BP's maintenance practices have been so persistent that a criminal investigation now is under way into whether BP has for years deliberately shortchanged maintenance and falsified records to cover it up.

The criminal probe was triggered by Chuck Hamel, a longtime nemesis of the oil companies and advocate for oil workers.

"They're playing the Russian roulette up there," he says.

Hamel says a dozen past and current BP employees came to him claiming they'd been told to cut back on a chemical put into the system to retard rust and corrosion, and to falsify records. A federal official confirms that many of these workers have also talked to the FBI.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: bilderburgers; bp; corruption; criminalprobe; energy; fbi; greedybosses; illuminati; indicttheceo; indicttheexecs; moneypowergreed; oilcanharry; probe; robberbarons; whistleblowers
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1 posted on 08/08/2006 4:38:02 PM PDT by John W
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To: John W

Bush's fault ?


2 posted on 08/08/2006 4:39:47 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: John W

This is nothing but MSNBC hog wash. The real problem is that we have been prevented from drilling for oil on both USA coasts and in Alaska by the Democrat Party. That's the problem. End of story!!! Treason is what's thats called!!!


3 posted on 08/08/2006 4:41:32 PM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX
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To: kinoxi

Nope it's BP.. that makes it Blair's fault.


4 posted on 08/08/2006 4:42:02 PM PDT by Almondjoy
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To: John W

This would not have happened if John Kerry were president.


5 posted on 08/08/2006 4:42:55 PM PDT by aomagrat (Just when you think you have it made in the shade, the tree falls on you.)
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To: John W

"Was The BP Pipeline Problem Preventable?"

That thorny question was long ago presented to the real experts-the lawyers. Which means we'll never know.


6 posted on 08/08/2006 4:44:09 PM PDT by Spok (He who bites the hand that feeds him will also lick the boot that kicks him.)
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To: John W

"Hamel says a dozen past and current BP employees came to him claiming they'd been told to cut back on a chemical put into the system to retard rust and corrosion, and to falsify records. A federal official confirms that many of these workers have also talked to the FBI."



I'm interested in what the investigation finds.


7 posted on 08/08/2006 4:45:45 PM PDT by ansel12 (Life is exquisite... of great beauty, keenly felt.)
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To: John W
It was designed to last 25 years and it lasted close to 30! If they had let Bush drill in ANWAR 6 years ago, we would be looking at $1.79 for gas and BP could have been down and no one would have noticed.

This message was caused by DEMOCRAPS: They care more for Caribou then they do about your family and you!


8 posted on 08/08/2006 4:46:13 PM PDT by Bommer
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To: John W
"I think this was predictable and preventable," says Phil Flynn, an energy analyst with Alaron Trading Corp.


Yep and so are most other major accidents...

But an analyst trying to churn money I'm not going to believe at this stage. At some point in the future with the ongoing investigations we'll know more facts and a better judgment can be ascertained.
9 posted on 08/08/2006 4:46:37 PM PDT by deport
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To: Almondjoy

On US soil?


10 posted on 08/08/2006 4:47:21 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: John W
I have never seen so much of man's pathetic nature revealed as I have through the management and distribution of oil. The good news is the oil from below will kill us, but the oil from above (seven fold anointing of the Holy Spirit) will save us.
11 posted on 08/08/2006 4:48:03 PM PDT by HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath (Jesus always reads His knee-mail. (Hall of Fame Hit-N-Run poster))
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To: JLAGRAYFOX
The real problem is that we have been prevented from drilling for oil on both USA coasts and in Alaska by the Democrat Party.

OK, so BP shows that it is so inept that it can't manage the drilling effort going on now, so of course the problem is that they haven't had a chance to drill more. Sorry but BP through it's criminal ineptness has set back the cause of drilling in ANWAR for a decade. Anytime someone tries to make the case that drilling can be done in an environmentally sound manner with minimal impact to the wildlife, all the other side has to say is "BP" and it makes him out a liar.

12 posted on 08/08/2006 4:48:51 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: John W

Was The BP Pipeline Problem Preventable?

Let's see.....................

height of the "summer driving season"

Oil, gas at record highs.......................

the opportunity to lay off a bunch of workers and increase profits in the interim.......................

do some regular maintenance that should be done sometime anyway.......................

a governing body that will look the other way.............................

Nope, no chance this could have been done ANY other time in the 21st century.


13 posted on 08/08/2006 4:49:23 PM PDT by WhiteGuy (It's about the People Who Count the Votes................. - Wally O'Dell)
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To: John W

The Prudhoe Bay facility was constructed 29 years age with a design life of 20 years and planning to pump a total of 9.6 billion Barrels of oil. To this date we have pumped 14 billion barrels and exceeded the design life of the project by 9 years in a harsh arctic environment. No suprise at all that there is a lot of corrosion in the system.


14 posted on 08/08/2006 4:50:20 PM PDT by Species8472
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To: Non-Sequitur

You may be right.


15 posted on 08/08/2006 4:50:33 PM PDT by kinoxi
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To: Bommer
$1.79 for gas

No way.

When ANWR comes on line, assuming the TAPS is still capable of carrying oil, gasoline will be 29.9 cents like the good old days. Forever.

16 posted on 08/08/2006 4:52:12 PM PDT by RightWhale (Repeal the law of the excluded middle)
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To: John W
"Was The BP Pipeline Problem Preventable?:

That's what the straight man will say in the intro to the next sappy insipid BP commercial.

17 posted on 08/08/2006 4:54:06 PM PDT by OKSooner
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To: Species8472

Just imagine how many repairs BP could have funded if they had spent 1/2 the money they spend on global warming tv/print spots on preventative maintenance.


18 posted on 08/08/2006 4:54:56 PM PDT by RFC_Gal (It's not just a boulder; It's a rock! A ro-o-ock. The pioneers used to ride these babies for miles!)
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To: Species8472

Quit talking rationally. It upsets the conspiracy nuts.


19 posted on 08/08/2006 4:59:20 PM PDT by Dog Gone
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To: Bommer

I thought the pipeline has actually helped to increase the Caribou population because it gives off heat and the more animals spend time around it, hence more mating.


20 posted on 08/08/2006 4:59:37 PM PDT by proudofthesouth (Mao said that power comes at the point of a rifle; I say FREEDOM does.)
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