Really? I had no idea there were over 27,000 abandoned wells in the gulf, dating back to the 1940s, that have absolutely no oversight. I appreciate the information.

If you already knew about it, perhaps consider that not everyone does.

National Reserve wells are different than abandoned wells from the 1950-80's that have old cement supposedly plugging them. The article says that NO one is overseeing these abandoned wells so who would know if there is a problem.

This isn't a scare tactic by MSNBC but rather an informative article that strongly reinforces the urgency to STOP USING FOSSIL FUELS and switch to renewable energy.

As long as any of us keep buying gas, then we're pretty much saying we are okay with this issue.

I'm guilty, I buy gas, and until I personally give up the car and any transportation that utilizes gas, I can't really say a word about this issue, can't really point a finger at all.

However, I do plan to retire in the future in an urban area in which I can walk as much as possible and avoid gas utilization whenever possible.

Ask them to get you the count on how many abandoned mine shafts there in the western states dating to the 1800's. Nobody cares about tem either till somefalls downs one.

We will never switch to renewable energy anytime in the future that you and I still live in.

(we can't, it will disrupt the entire human race)

And I DO know the difference between abandoned wells and active ones.

Abandoned wells are just that, "abandoned", and are not even on most maps anymore.

This occurs both undersea and on land.

Now, if you want,, you can advocate spending millions more that we don't have to check on these

wells, (if you can find them).

And while this is information the masses want to see (much like Lindsay Lohan in the National Enquirer),

it hasn't been a big problem in the past.

And should not be now.

@Greg-281912

As long as any of us keep buying gas, then we're pretty much saying we are okay with this issue. I'm guilty, I buy gas, and until I personally give up the car and any transportation that utilizes gas, I can't really say a word about this issue, can't really point a finger at all.

The logical error in that argument is assuming that it is an "on/off" choice instead of a matter of degree. One always has the choice to buy LESS gas, through traveling less by car or by purchasing a more efficient vehicle.

Just becuase one buys a product doesn't mean that one should have "nothing to say" about how that product is produced. In fact, the consumers of a product should have lots more to say about how that product is produced than others. That is, unless one buys into the false hypocrisy arguments promoted by those who just can't tolerate change, i.e. the conservatives howling on this website.

Oil has NATURALLY leaked off the coast of Santa Barbara for millenia. This is just another attempt to keep the oil hysteria on and give it a new spin.

The choice of language is telling: "Gulf awash" when the word "awash" is used improperly to describe inert wells hundreds of feet below the surface or more. Sure sounds scary though, scary enough to get some more of the eco nuts behind Cap & Trade.

Anyway, did anyone out there hear about Obama's great idea to bring together the suicidal religious nuts seeking nuclear weapons with the people who built the Saturn V rocket? Now THIS IS NEWS.

According to the NASA Administrator, America is "no longer capable of reaching beyond low earth orbit without help from other nations." So it should be no wonder nobody can stop an oil spill. And it seems that NASA won't have much time to do either because "perhaps foremost" their new mission is "to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering." This is no $hit.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/obamas-new-mission-for-nasa-reach-out-to-muslim-world-97785979.html#ixzz0syAvcipI

I know I know, totally irrelevant to the discussion. But I don't care, this is far more important than a potential unquantifiable calamity that's really scary to people who have been bombarded with oil disaster images for over 70 days.

Wake up people, the government is still wreaking its havoc here and abroad whether or not you're transfixed on the disaster-that-keeps-on-giving.

This is true about all the wells, but I am not going to let it take my mind off of the Deep Horizon leak and its importance over any of those old wells to be inspected. That isn't slick enough for me so go "wag the dog" somewhere else. They really must think we are morons, all us little people,.. we aren't.

Corsair, Why don't you and the ones with their head up there butts go get some REAL news. The main media is NOT covering what is really happening. Non of them.

If you really want to see from the people out on the gulf, not sitting on their butts in their comfortable home and shooting BS. The so called News media is not telling the truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZcwjjuJbjs

Thanks now that I've watched your video I'm much more pleased with this photographer/"scientific expert" and all his "could bes" and "maybes" and "I think" and "I don't think" and "if this or thats."

Far more informative.

Much of the OP's disclaimer for the article sounds very similar to what BP's safety reports indicated to MMS. It is probably consistent with many proclamations offered at AA meetings. Has anyone see a concrete slab last "forever"? A metal pipe never corrode?

...An oil industry type tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth? If mountains and entire towns move during seismic events, what magic formula does the industry employ which prevents the same from occurring with abandoned wells? Do dentist filling come loose and sometimes fall out?

All good points. But what is the solution, realistically? Re-cement ALL the well heads? Replace every rusty pipe? Hell we can't even keep up major interstate bridges in Minneapolis.

I think what we're seeing here is a realization by many that life is not a risk-free enterprise. We've lived in a long period of relative calm in the world and we've been learning the past few years that it was the exception and not the rule.

Chickens coming home to roost, so to speak.

Oopsie - here is the right wing Washington Examiner reporting the same story:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/breaking/ap-impact-some-27000-aging-abandoned-wells-in-the-gulf-possibly-leaking-but-never-inspected-97911579.html

Anyone else wanting to blame this story on the liberal news media?

MMS not doing their job? It looks like someone at MMS is actually doing their job.

http://www.mms.gov/tarprojects/355/355AA.pdf

"The U.S. Minerals Management Service is concerned that some abandoned oil wells in the. Gulf may be leaking crude oil" (pdf format).

The real issue is the LEAKING abandoned oil wells.

Corsair977: I usually do not submit a repeated response, but you left me no option in this instance.

The answer to fuel to power an internal combustion engine, be it in the mid west or anywhere in this country is available and in development at this time. It is a product called algae diesel. It is a proven fuel that does not deplete our grain crops and thus increase the cost of food (grain products such as corn and soy) products for human or livestock consumption. There are zero hydrocarbon emissions associated with the use of this fuel and the growth rate of the algae for this product is rapid and dependable. It is projected that within one year of construction and start-up of the production facilities and infrastructure there would be no need to import even one barrel of oil. All vehicles powered by this fuel would be, optimally, of a diesel engine design.

Pres. Obama has promoted renewable energy programs more consistently than any of his predecessors, yet is scoffed at by the people on the "right" as a hopeless greenie. Possibly if the Party of No would work with the "greenies" to expedite the development of such products we would not be engaged in two wars; one of which is premised on petroleum and distracted us from a just use of aggression to restrict the activates of terrorist bent on the destruction of our way of life. Algae diesel would place us in the advantaged position of sending no more money to our enemies who in turn fling it back at us in the form of weaponry. I, personally, am anxious to see the day we get to watch those hostile countries wither from lack of petro dollars. And wilt they would as I see no chance places like Iraq are going to attract a burgeoning tourist trade.

Now please explain to me how this could possibly disrupt the entire human race.

I didn't know but have heard about leaks. Time to give the necessary regulatory power to the govt oversight as we reorganize the agency and check all these holes! The oil companies comprise 88% of subsidises we give to everyone and we don't get anything for it. This oil goes on the world market not to us!

Well it's not fear mongering I think the GOP have cornered the market on that. But even though the wells not in use, and pose little risk their should have been gradual improvements in monitoring these wells so when there are quakes in the region they can have some sensors to check for possible leaking or worst yet possible blowout, why do you think they keep saying when tar balls start to show up they have to examine them to see if they were from Deepwater? I know regualtion and oversight cost so much, those darn liberals want to protect us from anything it's funny GOP is for the furtherment of the American Family yet their polices with lobbist kill those ideas of a good family life for many middle to lower class, yet those pinko commie liberals seem to want us to live longer and have more oppurtunity so the goal of even being able to afford a family are evil in the eyes of GOP I believe they call it redistribution of wealth or hand outs go figure?

"Don't ask, don't tell" redux...

Fear mongering or otherwise, the federal gov't will always be held responsible for fixing these wells if and when they do blow or leak. The truth is most oil companies from the 1940s, 50s, and 60's no longer exist and therefore cannot be expected to cleanup their mess. The same can be said for mining companies and any other company that extracts our natural resources. They exploit the land right up until the land stops bringing a profit, then the same people close up shop and lease new land under a new company name and do it again. Meanwhile, federal and state gov'ts either clean up the toxic mess left behind or they don't. In many cases in the mining industry, they don't.

Who cares, right? It's just the locals who are poisoned!

This is SUCH CRAP.

I think our entire nation has taken somuch dope that they are incapable of reasoned thought.

Wake up. Of course there are old wells out there - did you think they just naturally plugged themselves and went away when we were done drilling?

What a bunch of morons.

From the article:

"...U.S. Interior Department, which oversees the agency that regulates federal leases in the Gulf and elsewhere, did not answer repeated questions regarding why there are no inspections of abandoned wells."

Dear MMS: 'Here's another fine mess you got me into' - laurel and Hardy.

Reading this crap written by Corsair leads me to believe he's a spokesperson for BP or someone in the industry that has his panties bunching over the amount of old news being brought back to the forefront. When it was current news we unfortunety were under the thumbscrews of a repuking congress that felt the industry could and should monitor themselves without any regulation. Much like the current wallstreet fiasco caused by the bill that was championed by Gramm and McCain and was pushed through congress back in the late 90's and all the republicans were patting themselves on their backs while padding their coffers and pockets. Lockerbee jet bombing and the skymarshall program was another. I still hear the reverberation of republican's cry for Deregulation without ever asking Why it was regulated in the first place, and here you are bitching about old news. You're A-Typical of why old news should be swept out from under the carpet, if just to see people like you in the mix of crap being exposed once again.

How much old news and fear will MSNBC and the AP print?

All of this is old news.

There are countless more wells in the Gulf that ARE our National Reserves.

These wells are capped, or have visible "Christmas Trees" above them.

They are there to be put into service when needed.

While it is true that most older abandoned wells are capped (with cement), it is because they are no

longer useful and pose little danger.

Just like anything else that is mechanical, sometimes these methods fail.

But, if it were a problem it would be noticed fairly quickly.

The media that keeps up this scare tactic for press sales should shut up.

Unless they want to race to new news stories on horse and buggy.

Funny how Corsair has turned off his reply! I guess he can't hold his ground.

This is an example of our tendency to ignore long term costs of development projects which, if taken into account, would either cost money (raising prices) or perhaps move the project somewhere with lower costs. You can bet that nowhere in the cost/benefit analysis for offshore oil drilling was there any talk of cost of re-plugging, the costs of potential leaks, any cost for an inspection and mitigation program. We nearly always choose denial of potential problems. Like with nuclear energy. Advocates of more nukes without restriction are in denial that nuclear plants create highly dangerous waste that lasts for thousands of years. They suggest that temporary storage of this waste is good enough, without considering the risk of earthquake, flood, tsunamis, or sabotage over a period lasting thousands of years. They are satisfied that since none of these have happened during the past 100 years, it "probably" won't happen during the next 10,000 years.

If we're to avoid disasters like the one unfolding in the gulf, we need to quit being in denial about risks that are REAL, even though they may be rare. Look at it this way: we've been drilling in the gulf for 40 years. the cost of this spill will be $40 billion. Therefore the average annual cost of oil spills in the gulf is $1 billion. What do you want to bet the cost/benefit analysis ignored or flagrantly low-balled the risk of spills in order to make the offshore drilling program more attractive?

We need to quit believing the lies of industry lobbyists and their paid-for politicians.

Funny I was left the impression that the article was written to generate unreasonable fear. Why aren't they writing about the Hundreds of thousands of abandoned (and many improperly abandoned) wells we have throughout the USA on land? BTW there are funds to fix these when discovered.

Here's what you need to know.

1) If they were vacuum pump drawn wells, they are little danger to the surface environment.

1a) If they were plugged properly, the plugging is more about insuring the water/oil/gas does not go into the different geological layers to polute the water table.

1b) if they were not plugged properly oil could come out as ocean water seeps down the open hole. This is a problem because at some point the oil can float to the top and leak.

2) If these are the wells that bleed off the pressurized oil and then pump in sea water to let oil rise to the top getting a very large percentage of the total reserves discovered.

2a) If these are done properly, they once again are no problem

2b) once again, if done improperly, they can leak. The leak would come as soon as the seal is compromised because salt water was already pumped into the cavity. This type is a problem, but not catastrophic unless they are leaking significant amounts, which if there was that much oil there someone would have been collecting it.

Inspecting periodically would be a very responsible thing to do.

"While it is true that most older abandoned wells are capped (with cement), it is because they are no longer useful and pose little danger. Just like anything else that is mechanical, sometimes these methods fail. But, if it were a problem it would be noticed fairly quickly."

Noticed fairly quickly by who? The same folks that ignored or weren't paying attention to problems with the rig that exploded in the Gulf 3 months ago, and then fudged or omitted facts about it? It really galls me that many people still think that the earth is some vast toilet that we can continually flush waste into, and that that waste will never overflow. The mentality that all man-made problems are fixable is laughable, considering the mentalities that engendered those problems in the first place.

Many businesses do not, initially, do what is RIGHT. They do what is EXPEDIENT, or cost-cutting, or profit padding. You can bet that BP and other companies would operate far differently if not for laws that tell them what they can and cannot do. If I told you that I might occasionally stab you with a knife, but then get you to a hospital quickly, would you be ok with that? Or would you call me a maniac? We do this to our life-sustaining planet all the time.

The article states that it is estimated to cost $3 billion to properly plug all the wells in the Gulf. BP's quarterly profits are $6 billion, so the total of all oil companies drilling in the Gulf will be much higher. This is easily affordable.

What is needed is a significant investment in containment technology so that when one of these abandoned wells has a blow-out, we have resources and technology on-hand to deal with it quickly. There's a reason these oil companies are so obscenely profitable, and it's that they're spending none of their resources preparing for these inevitable calamities. There's other problems, too, such as the subsidence of land in South Louisiana resulting from the extraction of all the oil underneath. This increases hurricane damage, and causes much land to be lost to the sea. Think the oil companies assume any liability here? Ha!

Congrats media...another iron clad inuendo. 27K over half a decade and no problems....might want to think about that as a positive rather than a negative.

Next article will likely be.....over 200K gas stations with the potential to spew millions of gallons of toxics into our neighborhoods. Or, millions of miles of natural gas in pipes waiting to kill and maim.

Just tired of how they look to whip up the public when our biggest risks are what we do every day of our lives, not what BP does.

AKRON, I tend to agree... a program of periodic inspections, probably using remote subs, is all that's called for. It's pretty outrageous that such a program is not already in place, though the reasons are obvious: 1) it would cost money; 2) it would require hiring a few people to oversee it, increasing the size of government: and 3) we're satisfied to live in denial about risks.

Hans, re: your comment about a leak at an unmonitored well at the bottom of the ocean being "noticed fairly quickly".... I think the authors of these reports are depending on the reader being lulled into a state of semi-consciousness so statements like that can be read without impacting the thought process.

Moshe Marcou

Do you know anything about concrete, or iron pipe or steel pipe and how they corrode? In order for pipe to corrode in sea water it needs to be constantly exposed and an extremely long period of time. We are constantly finding cannons and fittings from ships well over a hundred years old that sank in battles and storms. These items see constant exposure, casing pipes do not, the are well below the sea floor before being filled with cement. The cement they use is a hydraulic grade of cement that hardens even underwater. In fact cement that hardens under water is stronger than the cement commonly seen in buildings and sidewalks. Plus the amount of cement in the mix makes a difference in it's strength and longevity as well. Now I am not saying that there have not nor will there be leaks, but if the procedures are done correctly, even a temporary cap could last indefinitely. You see engineers by nature are taught to over engineer for safety. Now if there is seismic activity in the area, chances are that even the best plug will fail, because even the natural barriers placed over petroleum deposits will fail under extreme conditions. The most significant thing the article alludes to is that the MMS has been taken over by bureaucrats and feild engineers that were supposed to keep tabs on these types of proceedures were downsized to near extinction. This is typical government, those that are versed in academic theory push paper through the system and varification is thrown to the wayside. It has happened in many many oversight situations, a hot one right now happens to be immigration, but there are others. This is the end result of having career politicians run things for so long, freinds and supporters that haven't a clue of they are supposed to be watching are running the departments that are supposed to keep us safe. Politicians, many of which never made an honest dollar in their lives, frequently play God with the lives of others, making decisions based on party politics or political contributions.

Oil is the base of most all the products made today. Without oil you would have to start growing cotton and skinning deer for clothes, forget plastics of " any " kind, Cut down some more trees to keep your home warm hmm. Sheesh, just turn out the light too. Can we say , horse drawn freight wagons ??? lol. No planes, no cars, no trains, and just would all you green buttheads do if all this just overnight stopped. You would all most likely die.

well since not a single respectable, reasonable person on the planet is suggesting we end oil production/consumption overnight, i'd say you really have no point at all.

There is NO REASON why we should not be spending investment time and capital into alternative energy resources. No reason whatsoever. Period.

River Rat 69

Diesel fuel from algae sounds great. However, I do not see how you can twist this around to say its non acceptance can be blamed on Obama. What is the new fad to blame everything on Obama. Any random accident that the people fixated on blaming everything on Obama constantly want to elect a Republican into office in 2012. In fact, this seems to be their one single agenda item on all the discussions here at Newsvine.

Links help:

Solazyme's algae diesel ready to hit the road | Green Tech - CNET News
Jun 11, 2008 ... Company's renewable diesel earns certification as a fuel and gets tested on a Jeep Liberty with a diesel engine. Read this blog post by ...
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9965683-54.html - Cached
Algal Biodiesel Characteristics & Properties - Oilgae - Oil from Algae
Algae biodiesel has more aggressive solvent properties than petro diesel and will dissolve leftover varnish residue. Fuel filters should be changed shortly ...
http://www.oilgae.com/algae/oil/biod/char/char.html - Cached
Solazyme Makes First Algae Diesel to Meet Strict US Standard : Gas 2.0

Jun 11, 2008 ... We've covered Solazyme in detail before, but it still isn't clear if their algal biodiesel process is nearing commercialization — leaving ...
http://gas2.org/2008/06/11/solazyme-makes-first-algae-diesel-to-meet-strict-us-standard/ - Cached
Coming Soon: $2 a Gallon Diesel From Algae? : Greentech Media
Aug 18, 2009 ... Coming Soon: $2 a Gallon Diesel From Algae? ... lipids for around $1.75 a gallon , which would translate to $2 gallon diesel. he said. ...
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/coming-soon-2-a-gallon-diesel-from-algae/ - Cached
Japanese scientists create diesel-producing algae - Times Online
Jun 14, 2008 ... Under the gleam of blinding lamps, engulfed by banks of angrily frothing flasks, Makoto Watanabe is plotting a slimy, lurid-green ...
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133633.ece
Directory:Biodiesel from Algae Oil - PESWiki

Jun 24, 2010 ... The advantages of deriving biodiesel from algae include rapid growth rates, a high per-acre yield; and algae biofuel contains no sulfur, ...
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Biodiesel_from_Algae_Oil - Cached
Solving Diesel Fuel Problems

Most diesel engine failures originate in the fuel tank. Diesel-Fuels.com distributes ALGAE-X products that solve your problems with diesel fuel.
http://www.diesel-fuels.com/ - Cached
I support any and all credible alternative energy breakthroughs. However, the harsh reality right now is government spending is a hot issue. Obama did come out with a solar energy boost of 2 billion dollars fror "green jobs", and was criticized in the discussion here by many of the Newsvine Republicans for spending. The Republicans in congress had a similar reaction. If what you want is a government subsidy, that is the opposition, not Obama.

"Green jobs" is a viable direction for the future, and if America continues to be enslaved by the big oil monopoly on the market, those jobs and innovation will go offshore.

You're right, it is old news: that the oil industry and government don't give a damn about the environment or the health of the ecosystems and people who live near the wells. Your tired explanation that it is safe, blah blah, blah is also an old stereotypical empty response that has be proven to be false. Nikola Tesla predicted at the turn of the last century that if we continued to burn petroleum products, our planet would be poisoned in about 100 years.

If we stopped subsidizing the oil companies and forced them to pay their fair share in taxes, we could use that money to develop low cost electric vehicles and deep charge batteries and stop this combustion of toxic petroleum products. The oil industry should also be required to implement safe extraction, transportation and storage practices that are monitored through periodic inspections, backed by costly violation fines, not just painless token slaps on the wrist.

There are practical alternatives between the horse and buggy and dirty combustion engine vehicles that could be deployed, if the political will and corporate social responsibility to do so was present. Instead corrupt politicians are bought by greedy oil executives.

Oil contaminates and poisons not just ours and our children's environment, but the reasoning of the corrupted and ignorant individuals that control our civilization as well.

No one cared about crack, meth, heroin or PCP news stories until suburban kids started dying on 'em. Talk about scare tactics. Far less ppl die annually from drug use than medical mistakes, yet we hear in the media almost daily about the "epidemic" of drugs deaths. The one and only way to get 'em to stop sensationalizing old news is the STOP COMMENTING ON IT

Listen Corsair....perhaps we need reminding because of the short term memory most Americans have. And don't talk about FEAR.....Mr Bush & Mr Cheney did their best at keeping this country in fear for 8 years....good riddance to them!

If we stopped the use of oil the whole world would shut down lol. Oil is not just used for fuel in cars lol. Oil is the base of most all the products made today. Without oil you would have to start growing cotton and skinning deer for clothes, forget plastics of " any " kind, Cut down some more trees to keep your home warm hmm. Sheesh, just turn out the light too. Can we say , horse drawn freight wagons ??? lol.

LOL! Can we say "recycle"??? LOL!

We need to keep DRILLING AND DRILLING AND DRILLING,and tap into the reserve wells also,did you know that all across this country are THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of reserve wells with millions of barrels of oil in them and yet we continue to buy oil from the middle east,we need to open up all these wells,bring our troops home and say to HELL WITH THE MIDDLE EAST LET EM ALL KILL EACH OTHER WHO GIVES A SH!T,we are not ever going to change them or their way of life,they are always going to hate America and what it stands for,SO F*CK EM

Only 27,000?

I think that Republicons are waiting for an even 100,000 before they give a damn.

If it wasnt for the ECO Terrorist none of this would be happening

River Rat, re: Algae Fuel

The United states is about 1.9 Billion acres. Less than 20% is arable (can grow anything at all) The maximum annual yield of Algae Diesel is about 5000 gals per acre. That means that we would have to plant algae on about half the arable land area of the United States to supply all the cars in this country with fuel... If you think we can do that with no adverse effects, then you're living in a idealistic dream world...

Well, people have reported for decades about our oceans being polluted.

I set my moral limit at 26,999 abandoned wells.

How dare they escalate to 27,000.

tell us how much waste, wastewater, and consumer product and

Polluters are us....even industries do it on our behalf because we are unwilling to pay higher prices. You could have no car and use public or bikes in stead...do you ? How about your home....do you mow the lawn, pay for snow removal, spread pesticides, grill meat...how many polluting practices do you engage in every day...you a bottled water drinker, cell phone junkie, kids to soccer, airline flights for vacations...add it all up.

Just look at your energy use profile over the last 15 years, you can calculate how much carbon, and "toxics" you caused...easy math. Just saying, we want all the convience and bling in life, and to blame others for what we demand.

Obama has a hand to share in this mess, more likely, his advisors do because a president has to time share his mind constantly. Bp also must take the blame because it was their rig and their crew who had the blowout. However, keep focused on the fact that this was an accident, it wasn't intended to happen, and it hasn't happened since 1969, at least to this magnitude. Terrible as this might be, assigning blame to one person, crew, or company is wrong. Assignment of responsibility for clean up is different than blaming them. The systems in place, all of them failed at one time, that is the nature of an accident, and we cannot go back and change that fact. We can stop the leak, clean up the mess, learn from the failures that took place and move on. Everything we do has a certain amount of risk involved, some are more dangerous but still are ignored, others are realativley safe but seem always to be watched. The industry and the engineers involved will anylize the information from this accident and the industry will change it's practices. We will move on. Could Obama have done more? Yes he could have but he is only as good as those he has advising him. Could have BP prevented this accident? Maybe, but thaqt is the nature of accidents, they are always preventaqble with hind sight.

archangel,

What hasn't happened since 1969? Blowouts? There are several a year. Spills? There are hundreds a year. Accident? This was willful negligence according to Transocean's partners in crime. Accidental deaths? There is a probable cause that BP safety execs were smoking on the rig at the time of the explosion resulting in the deaths of 11 men.

This was entirely preventable and not an accident, but a case of corner cutting and greed.

My opinion is not about that.

I KNOW what the world will do.

And, they will not abandon oil.

(and neither will you)

Try to be a realist sometimes, I know it hurts,. but it's fact.

The CEO of ExxonMobile makes $27.5 million a year and stock options. I'm sure it would not be too much to ask corporations to make sure their abandoned wells are not leaking under threat of fines. That leaves the abandoned wells that are leaking with no party to hold accountable.

Corsair...I think it's you that can't be the realist !Before our usage of oil, just what did people do for fuel ? They used wood etc. The forests of Europe were being decimated. Then, a new fuel was found by people with some vision. It is no different now. Unfortunately, there are too many people like you that are incapable of change. You're a jackass.

Ok Rob

Come down off you soap box and join reality with the rest of us. Corsair is right. The world isn't going to stop using oil overnight because of any tragedy. If the city of Los Angeles were to drop dead from carbonmonoxide poisoning tommorrow, it would still take a hundred years for everyone to acknowledge the threat. We destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki with nuclear bombs in WWII over 60 years ago, we've watched the effects of the radiation left in its wake, yet countries like North Korea nad Iran are still trying to develope nuclear weapons. We do need to better manage our resources and we do need to do what we can to help sustain our enviroment, but no matter what we do we will leave our foot prints behind.

Corsair...I think it's you that can't be the realist !Before our usage of oil, just what did people do for fuel ? They used wood etc. The forests of Europe were being decimated. Then, a new fuel was found by people with some vision. It is no different now. Unfortunately, there are too many people like you that are incapable of change. You're a jackass.

Exactly. Corsair's rants throughout history:

"NO, don't switch to coal! Wood's far cheaper, we can't run out, ever. AND switching to coal would overturn civilization!"

"No, coal is great, don't switch to OIL. It's so dirty and expensive to extract, we would overturn civilization by switching to it!"

Come down off you soap box and join reality with the rest of us. Corsair is right. The world isn't going to stop using oil overnight because of any tragedy.

who's asking for oil consumption to end overnight? Yeah, if you turned off all oil production, the world economies would collapse, we got it. But since there is not one single reasonable person out there in this world asking for oil production/demand to end overnight, I'd say you don't have a point...

Every time i run through Cali and see all the m so called wind generators standing useless, or look at a solar screen field i wonder what is this really all about . Anyone who trumpets either form of these energies is a fool and doesn't have any in their back yards lol. Neither one will produce enough energy for squat

Really, because I know folks with solar panels on there house that get a check from PG&E every month. How much has your power company paid you in the last year?

In all seriousness, solar panels are the energy of the future along with a hodge-podge mix of everything else (e.g., wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, geo-thermal, etc.). Only the sun produces enough energy to sustain our demand. Currently solar cell technology is not efficient enough to supply this demand, but it's getting closer with each passing publication.

DrowningG ...what's your back up plan on cloudy & rainy days...oil & gas? Heck a car with solar panels would be so BIG it wouldn't fit on the 'asphalt' highways.

The check your friend is getting is small compared to the cost of installation & maintaining the panels.

Management knows how to spell petroleum.

Also, I bet you have at least a half tank of it in your car right now.

@Corsair, What is the alternative to petroleum powered cars if we don't live in a urban areas served by electric trains, and our commute is farther than can be walked? Not working is not an option and those of us in the Midwest cannot ride bikes in the winter.

Why is it that conservatives blame Obama for the spill but they opposed Obama's healthcare plan and often invoked the tenth amendment to support their claims, but neither providing healthcare insurance or remediating industrial disasters are ever mentioned in the Constitution, so why the logical inconsistency? Mistakes have been made in the containment and cleanup effort but they aren't significant, and since there was no political will for increased oil industry regulation, so I don't see where the Obama administration can be blamed for allowing the spill to happen, either by overt means or ignorance.

Conservatives have criticized Obama because he demanded that BP place $20 billion in a fund to pay for the cleanup and for the 6 month deepwater drilling moratorium so it appears that they want the American people to pay for industry incompetence and to prevent regulation that may again allow it to happen in the future.

I don't like Obama's polices but would it hurt to exhibit consistency when you criticize him?

Ya and all those millions of $$$$$$$ Obama took from the big oil for campaign election

@epistemologist: The answer to fuel to power an internal combustion engine, be it in the mid west or anywhere in this country is available and in development at this time. It is a product called algae diesel. It is a proven fuel that does not deplete our grain crops and thus increase the cost of food (grain products such as corn and soy) products for human or livestock consumption. There are zero hydrocarbon emissions associated with the use of this fuel and the growth rate of the algae for this product is rapid and dependable. It is projected that within one year of construction and start-up of the production facilities and infrastructure there would be no need to import even one barrel of oil. All vehicles powered by this fuel would be, optimally, of a diesel engine design.

Pres. Obama has promoted renewable energy programs more consistently than any of his predecessors, yet is scoffed at by the people on the "right" as a hopeless greenie. Possibly if the Party of No would work with the "greenies" to expedite the development of such products we would not be engaged in two wars; one of which is premised on petroleum and distracted us from a just use of aggression to restrict the activates of terrorist bent on the destruction of our way of life. Algae diesel would place us in the advantaged position of sending no more money to our enemies who in turn fling it back at us in the form of weaponry. I, personally, am anxious to see the day we get to watch those hostile countries wither from lack of petro dollars. And wilt they would as I see no chance places like Iraq are going to attract a burgeoning tourist trade.

epistemologist: The answer to fuel to power an internal combustion engine, be it in the mid west or anywhere in this country is available and in development at this time. It is a product called algae diesel. It is a proven fuel that does not deplete our grain crops and thus increase the cost of food (grain products such as corn and soy) products for human or livestock consumption. There are zero hydrocarbon emissions associated with the use of this fuel and the growth rate of the algae for this product is rapid and dependable. It is projected that within one year of construction and start-up of the production facilities and infrastructure there would be no need to import even one barrel of oil. All vehicles powered by this fuel would be, optimally, of a diesel engine design.

Pres. Obama has promoted renewable energy programs more consistently than any of his predecessors, yet is scoffed at by the people on the "right" as a hopeless greenie. Possibly if the Party of No would work with the "greenies" to expedite the development of such products we would not be engaged in two wars; one of which is premised on petroleum and distracted us from a just use of aggression to restrict the activates of terrorist bent on the destruction of our way of life. Algae diesel would place us in the advantaged position of sending no more money to our enemies who in turn fling it back at us in the form of weaponry. I, personally, am anxious to see the day we get to watch those hostile countries wither from lack of petro dollars. And wilt they would as I see no chance places like Iraq are going to attract a burgeoning tourist trade.

Agree-I have been looking at algae for a while and it sure looks interesting. I was wondering if you have current research. I have also heard of electric cars that can use a small amt of gas to re-charge the battery thus taking care of the distance issue. If we just put incentives to work there will be great answers but we have to embrace a thriving and innovative society and not live in past. Too many special interests brainwashing people on the media.

river rat... algae diesel and all the other alternatives certainly need to be pursued to see which ones end up being economically feasible. The thing we can do right now is begin a program to replace all of our imported oil with domestic natural gas extracted from areas where it can be done without harming groundwater. Our addiction to oil is dangerous from environmental, economic, and national security perspectives. Seldom is there such an obvious choice than the choice between importing oil and producing domestic natural gas. I'm saying replace imported oil with domestic gas over the next 10 years as a no-brainer. We ought to be able to agree on that and pass it quickly.

Hydrogen......hydrogen......hydrogen. The same problems will exist if we go to electric cars. The electrical grid is already being taxed. Think of what will happen when we all plug our cars in to re-charge.

Hydrogen cars and steam cars are where we need to be going. Not electric. The same people that brought you gas power control electric and what makes anyone think they will be any more responsable ?

It's all about the money. Capitalism only eats and destroys then moves on for another meal until nothing is left.

Ivory, we use electricity or hydrocarbons to generate hydrogen. gearing up solar and wind to generate enough hydrogen to replace oil is problematic and I suspect not reasonable. natural gas is available, it's cheap, and it produces about half the CO2 of oil. Switching to gas is feasable without question.

He is right Ivory (says the chem eng in me)...hydrogen is just another form of storage of energy, like hydrocarbons, and even like a battery. It may be a better form for a car in some applications (like winter, or a long trip)....but the energy in hydrogen is currently obtained by burning carbon...same as the electric car. When the 'grid" no longer uses carbon, then both of these will be carbon free.

This is not so much a matter of deregulation, as it is a matter of bureaucracy and inertia. The number of wells out paced the inspection process so bureaucrats gave up on inspections and hired fewer engineers and more paper pushers.

archangel, government workers including petroleum engineers have been the favorite whipping boy of conservative politicians since Reagan. reducing the size of government means getting rid of people. The alternative in this case would be to force the petroleum industry to finance an inspection service, which would be painfully close to self regulation, which we know does not work. We are reaping what we have sown.

uh, $440K in fines during the Bush regime.....i'd like it fixed too, at the sole expense of the oil industry.

p.s. - where'd you think up that totally original user name?

there are hundreds(if not thousands) of problems that need to be fixed.

You expect Obama to snap his fingers and fix them all at once?

Did you set those expectations for any other POTUS?

Stop living in fantasyland and come back to reality

This reminds me of the time in my life when I sold automobiles, and was told by management that, as a woman, I had to be better than the salesmen if I wanted to keep my job.

Thank you!

Drudgereport and American Lobo

I have no love for Obama and his policies but blaming anyone administration or person for this is just plain silly. It is human nature that causes these problems in oversite just as it is human nature that causes accidents. The Bible that seems to be disdained by many intelectuals warned us of this long ago. It taught us of the seven deadly sins that can bring about mankinds downfall of which we are all guilty to some extent or another. As we move farther away from religion and deeper into science, we tend to ignore the teachings and insights that religion has had for us for thousands of years. We write them off as old wives tales but forget that old wives actually had wisdom because they remembered what went wrong and decided to remind everyone with stories so it wouldn't happen again.

The Bible that seems to be disdained by many intelectuals warned us of this long ago. It taught us of the seven deadly sins that can bring about mankinds downfall of which we are all guilty to some extent or another. As we move farther away from religion and deeper into science, we tend to ignore the teachings and insights that religion has had for us for thousands of years.

You're barking up the wrong tree. Your issue isn't with science, and this BP oil spill is no accident. In fact, the Oil spill occurred because BP DIDN'T DO THE SCIENCE on oil spill prevention and oil recovery.

No, your true issue is with Greed (one of the 7 sins you bring up). It caused the BP oil spill, and is destroying our culture a hell of a lot faster than "science" is.

Obie's guys are leaving by example.

Obama is using every ounce of influence he has to spin this disaster to his advantage to push through his green agenda. He is also spinning this to keep any blame from himself and the administration. He says the buck stops here but then tries to push the blame off to someone else. He is a hypocrite that doesn't understand that many see through his charade.

Obama is using every ounce of influence he has to spin this disaster to his advantage to push through his green agenda.

Ah yes, Obama's "Green Agenda."

Is that the one where he touted off-shore oil drilling two weeks before this spill? That agenda?

He is a hypocrite that doesn't understand that many see through his charade.

"seeing through his charade"?!? Hell, you have a hard enough time hearing what he actually said, I wouldn't bother trying to "see through his charade." I'd listen to his "plan" when he announced he wanted more off-shore oil drilling...

DrowningGr...Obie's green agenda....I don't know about that, but the more 'SPINNING HYPE' he puts on BP and the spill > the less heat he has on his very own self > so he can sneak some more tax-laden burden on you and me through the comedy team of Pelosi-Reid.

Rahlm Emanuel (sp?) has certainly been QUITE through this whole thing....don't you think? Wondering why????????????

He is busy QUIETLY getting Bills ready for the house and senate to pass before the take over this November.

It is common practice to drill wells and then put a temporary cap on the well that is left in place until the entire field is developed. The cap is removed when a pipeline connecting the wells is built to transfer the oil to the shore.

Forcing the companies to sell the oil would be socialist because that would assume that the government controls the oil reserve? You also seem ignorant of the fact that oil is sold on the international market to customer offering the highest price, regardless of where is was extracted, so just because it came from a well in the Gulf or from Texas doesn't mean that it will be sold in the USA.

It wouldn't be socialist (or if it is, bring it on we need more of it), we make companies do things that safeguard the environment all the time.

Some of these were exploratory wells that were capped due to it not being cost effective to drill. That cost effectiveness is measured by the size of the oil reserve and how easy the crude oil is to refine.

@ MtMike, The current gulf blowout well (Macondo 252) was an exploratory well for BP because this field was unknown. The research information hinted that it was high pressure field but even BP was surprised by the pressures and volume that they encountered. The fact that they used a BOP that was insufficient to control those pressures and that their cementing job was based on cost instead of safety should be evidence for the future criminal trial where they are held responsible for the lives of 11 workers and the damages of the blowout and future jobs lost because of their negligence.

I thought we have courts to decide that or do we just have "epitemologist" deciding justice for us from now on.

Nothing needs to be fixed.

It IS fixed.

The abandoned wells are not the problem here.

The media is.

How many times have you heard of an abandoned well causing problems?

Never, until today.

No but he is suppose to deal with things that happen while he's president. And the BP's spill is that. Everyone bashed Bush for his late reponse to Katrina. We can do no less to Obama.

Corsair977:

Its called ignorance.... its the latest thing to worry about. Wells are abandoned daily..... funny how the 40,000+ wells drilled inthe gulf without an incident seem to have gone unnoticed as the critics pump the cheap gasoline into their tanks.......

I can't beleive how ignorant everyone is......Financial regulatory reform is just going to raise the cost of money for everyone...... more drilling regulation is going to raise the cost of gasoline for everyone.

How true Jhawkins, how true.

But unfortunatly, we are all ignorant.

But some are alot more ignorant than others.

Oil still rules. Always will. The insurance, pharmaceutical, chemical, health care, agribusiness, and other well-heeled corporate interests stiill rule and always will. As the late Will Rogers said, "We have the best congress that money can buy."

The president can propose what he will but the Senate, lead by the "Party of hell no!" (John Boehner's own words that go unrefuted by Mitch McConnell) blocks everything, including extending benefits for the long-term unemployed.

What chance do any changes to regulation of the oil companies stand in this legislative climate? Big Oil still gets subsidies to the tune of $45 billion a year and people complain about crop support to family farmers. What's wrong here?

Even the Vatican listens to the "idle gossip of the day" (a Vatican term for the uprising among Catholics demanding action to bring child-molesting priests to justice) with a more sensitive ear than the Senate. Who's using who's playbook here?

We need a coherent national energy policy that recognizes that fossil fuels will always be with us but in a steadily diminishing role supplanted by nuclear energy and renewable energy sources, especially solar and geothermal. That will reduce the chances of well blowouts and further leaks.

We also need a revamped Department of the Interior, from the Bureaus of Land Management and Indian Affairs to the newly-reorganized Minerals Management Service. Clear charters and lines of authority are needed to regulate the safety of drilling and mining and the processing and refining of their products. This will reduce the danger to people in these industries from refinery and mine explosion and protect the lives and livelihood of residents of the Gulf Coast and coal mining areas.

The EPA needs new, strong teeth to enforce existing regulations on mine and drilling operations that are underway and to thoroughly scrutinize applications for mountaintop removal strip mining.

The Coast Guard, if it is to manage marine disasters, must be given the authority and responsibility to be effective. It needs a direct line to the commander-in-chief if they are to handle any more oil volcanoes, be they from exploratory wells, producing wells, capped wells, or abandoned wells. A "focal point" cannot command anything. Admiral Allen was a focal point. In reality that position is a "fecal point."

What I have written might be a bit off-topic and totally wrong but I thank you for allowing me to post and for considering my comments.

Steelchaser-

We've been pursuing a national energy policy for decades. That's the whole problem. What we need is a series of REGIONAL energy policies.

Here in Seattle we have some of the cheapest if not THE CHEAPEST electricity of any major American city. This is because starting 100 years ago or so dams were erected on many area rivers.

Now there's no way this would ever happen today, and many decry the decline of the salmon that's been partly a result of these dams, but another result is little or no fossil fuel combustion for the purposes of electricity production. And there's nothing renewable like water flowing down the flanks of snowbound mountains and falling from the sky onto a temperate rain forest.

Solar will never be viable here. It's overcast a considerable amount of time. Wind in most places away from the coast is intermittent. So a sweeping national mandate to push solar and wind power would be a major waste here.

Oh and in the meantime a few notable efforts pushed by environmentalists and local native tribes have resulted in a number of local dams being slated for removal. What do you think will happen to our electricity prices then?

People need local solutions to local problems. A big blanket solution is unrealistic because it ignores the variety of unique challenges found across this country. What's good for Washington won't always be good for Michigan or Florida.

Maybe if Obama and the Democratic controlled majority had not wasted a year on Health Care, they could have passed many laws for things like regulation, immigration, employment benefit extensions, etc...while the part of NO could no stop them. Oh yeah, none of that was as important as Health Care.

They had to pick a fight, you see what passing HC cost them. You have to choose your battles not everything can be done, especially with such an obstructionist anti-party. HC overhaul WAS needed and long overdue.

60 years minimum long overdue, Capt Tripps. As we have seen, the Senate (with its so-called "super-majority" that NEVER exists) over the past 18 months has been almost totally ineffective. When ONE senator can anonymously block a bill from advancing to the floor, a majority or super-majority means absolutely nothing. Over 300 bills passed by the House are still languishing in the Senate (some for over a year now.)

Nothing needs to be fixed.

It IS fixed.

The abandoned wells are not the problem here.

The media is.

How many times have you heard of an abandoned well causing problems?

Never, until today.

attack the messenger by Corsair. Your posts are funny... no substance, but funny.

Capt Tripps

To bad the HC overhaul did absolutely nothing to help the situation. Yes it mandates health care for everyone, but not everyone will have health care. It will only raise costs because now the 30 million others some of which are High risk will need to be paid for somehow. How about the 460k each month that are losing their jobs and their benefits as well? They will not be able to afford insurance without a job. The only two true ways for the system to work is total control or no goverment interference. If the government controls all the facets of your life we will end up like "The Great Experiment" in the USSR. If we keep government out of things then there will be those unprotected, but the majority are covered. I know that even if I am one who would fall through the cracks I would rather chance it than have someone else control my life.

Dude neither of those ways work, it's the exact opposite of what you said, we need to combine government mandates and protections with private market practicality. THAT'S what works, it's the same with socialism and capitalism, one or the other and you end up with the USSR or the United States pre-1930 (probably one of the biggest industrial boom times in history, and yet more people lived in poverty than at any other). A combination of the best attributes of both is what works, and it's generally what we have had in America, and obviously what Europe and Canada promote.

Mark this post^, it was when this discussion went to sh!t

Good information. Bart-yada yada yada, peeks in on his sister's shower time.

"Resident Evil"---Two Thumbs Up!

It always has been! Natural selection has ruled for millenia!

Welcome to America.

And when will you realize that it is since he has been in office that this country has been in such a downward spiral and we are again heading towards a double dip recession. WAKE UP!!! We have NEVER had this high rate of unemployment, we have NEVER had such an arrogant, vain, conceited, ineffective president in the White House. We have NEVER had health care forced down our throats, we have never had a president who sues a state in his own country in order to PROTECT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS for the sole purpose of getting their vote in 2012. We have never had an idiot who bails out AIG and GM on our dime, who does not touch the culprits, Fannie and Freddie who are draining us financially, and we have no recourse. He loves the radical muslims and will kow-tow to all their demands, yet he turns a deaf ear when we speak. What a jerk. Give me a break!!!! I am fuming and it is people like you who will perpetuate this downward spiral if you continue to vote for him and this Marxist government. And YES, HE IS TO BLAME. He IS to blame for EVERYTHING that is wrong with our country today. And DO NOT GIVE ME THE GEORGE BUSH EXCUSE. Obama has been in office for 18 months and has been pretty pathetic, weak and ineffective with NOTHING to be proud of.

Heats of palm you have some good points but You're a radical yourself. You're opponion here is kind of biast and extreme. And yes obama has done a horrible job so far ,but give him a break he inheirted a mess. Still no excuse to increase our national debt to 13 trillion now. And yes I am against national health care if you think it will be effective look at a VA HOSPITAL.

Corsair977 "Welcome to America" Where sue happy Americans screw up the drilling, then blame BP, hoping to hit the lawsuit lottery. Throw in a few Liberal bombs for effect, and its the gift that keeps on giving. Drill baby drill.

@ heartsofpalm

Wow. Try directing that anger at something constructive. Sounds like you know the president personally, so why don't you talk to him and make him change.

alex

He could have set aside the law with an executive emergency order and brought in offered assistance almost immediately after the spill began.

rizzo

The more he tries to push blame elsewhere, the more he tries to shirk responsibility instead of just dealing effectively with the problem, the more people will blame him for it. Not everything is Obama's fault, but then there is a lot he is responsible for as well. The problem is his speech making that points fingers at everyone else and makes excuses instead of trying to get the job done and shutting his mouth. He is one of the most poorly advised and inexperienced fools we've ever had in Washington. Even Bush wasn't dumb enough to push radical party lines until after he began his second term.

Drama queen much?

where's your militia? and when may i sign up?

He"s Right, Rush said so!, F'n' Dimwits

What a great country this is when ridiculous rants like the one posted by HEARTSOFPALMS are not only tolerated, but encouraged. I thank God every day that I'm an American and get to listen to and read stuff like this. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. Keep 'em coming!

I'd like to see any of the geniuses that are ranting and blaming on President Obama for everything what have you made differently in his position? How WE supposed to handle the situation and do differently? Because it's easy to blame but it's not so easy to give solutions.

I'll be waiting.....

STFU...you are a hate mongering idiot!

It became a catastrophe the day it happened. He didn't need to do anything to make it worse. His spinning of the media is agrevating but that is the nature of any politician.

K-Rod-1184340 Moron much? Americans were running the rig. Americans screwed up. You want to blame people thousands of miles away, but refuse to blame the people with their hands on the rig equipment. I call bullsh!t.

K-Rod: Since you know so much about the issue, please tell me what should do differently from what they doing now? How we fix it? because I think that there are plenty of people there for the last 3 or 4 months working and they can not stop it. Also the Army Corps of Engineers says that we don't have the equipment to reach there. So please, since you are enlightened give me the "magic" answer that everybody id looking over there and doesn't seem to find. How will you do it?

Corsair...this is your best post....please keep it up ! LOL

Gotta love humor.

Thanks!

Ronald Reagan died.

May he rest in Peace.

the quickly formed posse would prosecute someone that was innocent, which would compromise the entire purpose of the posse.

plus it'd be illegal.

sorry, jensen-576947. the wild west is over.

This is the last straw for me. Illegal aliens, illegal wells, illegal permits, illegal , illegal, illegal, illegal. Back in Dodge City, the Sheriff would have gone out and got hisself a posse, and went out and dragged in all the scoundrels, and then the traveling judge would put up a day or two. Then ther'd be a hangin, and the Sheriff would ride off into the sunset, now, what the hell is wrong with that.

and then everyone would go home, whip their black slaves, bury their son who died of dysentery, and beat their non-voting wives...

Sounds like a glorious time in American history...

Did you even read the article? How do you know there is only one "leaker", I would call it a gusher.

I would say your are right on. Too much arm-chair diplomacy going on with no real knowledge of what is going on. No excuses for BP - they were wrong in not addressing the safety concerns when they knew about them but to say that there has been misdeeds throughout the industry is wrong.

Hey don't talk bad about Bush, he would have swam down there himself and pinched that baby off.

Heck no, he'd filed a mineral claim on all the oozzing crude, and laid legal claim to all them floatin' tar babies----opps.

LOL.... as sick as this has made me.... this was pretty funny....LOL

LOL @ Floating Bush tar babies

Propaganda (sp?) > comapring deep sea wells with land wells is only for 'hyper' results. Deep sea wells require deep pocketed companies who, normally, do things by the book. In the past, shallow land wells can be drilled by 'water well' drillers or by anyone who had a drilling rig. Today, there are more requirements, rules, regulations and even bond requirements for land drilling, but this article references 'old' abandoned wells from the 1940's, 50's & 60's.