Posted on 02/26/2011 6:33:18 AM PST by thackney
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said that U.S. regulators would not bow to political pressure to restart deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico before they are certain the oil-and-gas industry is capable of containing an oil spill like the one that followed last BP's Deepwater Horizon disaster.
Salazar and Michael Bromwich--the head of the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which oversees offshore drilling--were in Houston Friday to meet with oil industry executives to assess the spill-containment systems they have developed in the wake of nation's worst-ever marine oil spill.
Bromwich said he was "quite confident that we are getting very close to the point where we can begin issuing deepwater permits." But he and Salazar said the industry still has work to do before exploration of the Gulf's deepest waters can resume.
The U.S. government shut down deepwater drilling shortly after the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20, killing 11 and unleashing a catastrophic oil spill.
The government's official ban was lifted in October, but regulators have yet to allow drilling to resume in water deeper than 500 feet despite mounting political pressure from congressional Republicans and Gulf Coast Democrats to reopen one of the nation's primary energy fields.
"We don't respond to political pressure," Salazar said. "We are frankly doing what's right for America's energy program."
Both Helix Energy Solutions Group, whose system helped stem the flow of BP's runaway well last summer, and the nonprofit Marine Well Containment Co., formed by a consortium of major oil companies, say their systems are ready to respond to spills on par with Deepwater Horizon. But the nation's top energy regulators said that they felt differently.
"These containment systems are work in progress," Salazar told reporters after the meetings. "Both systems currently have limitations on water depth ...
(Excerpt) Read more at rigzone.com ...
We need an oil party to go with that tea.
Now it is common in left-wing politics as a means of establishing "moral relativism".
Fine. then let’s abandon deep water drilling if you think it so inherently unsafe. And open the gulf for shallow water drilling which makes better sense anyway.
Lead, join, or get the “F” out of the way!
There will be no drilling until gas is over $5.00 a gallon.
Salazar said. “We are frankly doing what’s right for America’s energy program.”
CRAP! That is a huge pant load.
Words fail..
Need more pressure across the board.
Write your senators and congresscritters.
Write the Whitehouse.
Write Salazar.
DRILL BABY DRILL!
Of course not...With “End User” gas pump prices going through $3.00 like a hot knife through butter, why the hell do anything about it now...Wait till the taxes (revenue) starts coming in on $4-$5 a gallon prices...
We Americans have lived too long with low gas prices, we need to suck it up and pay like the europeans do for their fuel...uhhhh, petrol...sorry...
/sarc
So they can start drilling in two months....
I have seen a 25c price hike at the pump in a week, gouged, yes, protection from gouging.....zero...not
Stock up
EL
Each president recites the following oath, in accordance with Article II, Section I of the U.S. Constitution:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
WHICH IS WHY WE IMPEACH.....
DERELICTION OF DUTY FOR NOT PROTECTING OUR BORDERS, GIVING NUCLEAR SECRETS TO AN ENEMY OF OUR CLOSEST ALLY, UNDERMINING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY THROUGH THE ECONOMY, ABANDONING ISRAEL, CALLING ALIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO STEP ASIDE WHILE REMAINING QUIET FR OUR EMEMIES, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON...
IMPEACH IMPEACH IMPEACH!!!!!!!
This is not “political.” They have been ordered twice by the courts to start issuing permits again. So I’d say they plan to continue with their defiance, and we shall see if anybody has the courage to confront them on it.
Obama and his minions simply refuse to do anything they are told either by the legislature or the courts. We have an out of control executive. (The other word for that is “dictator.”)
I am believing all Hell is about to break out in America and I should get me a survival kit and more ammo.
So will our republic if we, the public, continue to allow our elected officials to violate the law and break their oaths of office.
One other thing, if I may, is that light sweet crude is found in the Gulf, another big reason to drill there.
It will only bring down the price if Middle East Oil in on the market and not tied up in war over the whole region. The Middle East is headed for all out war.
Only if the Middle East has war through out the whole region. That is the plan.
I hate her.
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