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D-Day for Macondo
Today could be D-Day for the Macondo well. According to reports, BP is conducting a test to determine the likely success of killing the well from the top, while getting in position to assault the well from the bottom. This two-pronged attack is...
The Ethanol Urban Myth
Last weekend I was having a very pleasant conversation with my neighbors when the subject turned to the oil spill and the need for alternative energy. One neighbor said, "The oil companies don't want us to use alternative energy so they've bought...
Louisianans Describe the Impact of the Spill
The effects of the six-month deepwater drilling moratorium are becoming manifest along the Gulf Coast. Published reports say rig hands in-training are abandoning plans to work in the offshore energy industry and are looking for jobs in the...
Gasoline Demand Dips in May
May 2010 gasoline deliveries (an indication of demand) fell 0.4 percent from the same month last year to an average of 9.05 barrels per day. API's Monthly Statistical Report says this was the lowest level for May since 2003.Average regular-grade...
Setting the Offshore Record Straight
In the two months since the Deepwater Horizon accident, numerous investigations have been launched, several congressional hearings have been held, and many statements have been made about oil and natural gas industry regulation. Unfortunately, many...
BP Station Boycotts: Who Gets Hurt?
Anti-oil activists have found an outlet for their frustration over the Gulf oil spill. In several states this week, they are protesting, holding vigils, and calling for boycotts against BP. The demonstrations are likely to be similar to...
API: The Impact of Delaying Offshore Development
(Editor's note: While understanding and correcting the causes of the Gulf of Mexico accident are essential, the American Petroleum Institute (API) opposes lengthy or open-ended delay of offshore oil and natural gas development, as proposed today...
Who Pays for the Oil Spill?
We've received several telephone calls from reporters who are wondering who pays for oil spill cleanup activities. With regard to the Deepwater Horizon spill, BP has assumed responsibility for the cleanup. As BP America President...
Options for Stopping the Leaks
The Deepwater Horizon's Macondo oil well in the Gulf of Mexico threw another curve ball at engineers who were hoping to stop the leak with a 100-ton containment chamber this weekend. In the cold blackness 5,000 feet below the water's surface, a...
Gulf Oil Spill Cleanup: An Apollo 13 Mission
Trying to stop the oil leaks in the Gulf is similar to the Apollo 13 mission, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Thad Allen told the Houston Chronicle yesterday. Allen said the well site, which is 5,000 feet beneath the water's surface, makes the...
Redoubling the Commitment to Safety
Editor's note: The following is a guest post from API's President and CEO Jack Gerard. In a USA Today op-ed, Gerard announced the oil and natural gas industry is forming two task forces "to review technologies and procedures to improve safety."...
The Future of Offshore Drilling
In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon accident, one of the most often asked questions is: What does this mean for the future of offshore drilling? While many people are understandably concerned about the safety and environmental risks associated...
