Gulf (of Mexico) Pipeline Disaster Revealed; SPR Tap Possible

[bemildred]

Some traders are handicapping the possibility of the U.S. tapping the Strategic Oil Supply. With one week to go before the election, and with long-term problems now being fully catalogued, the scenario becomes possible.

The United State's supply of oil is in tatters due to underwater mudslides caused by Hurricane Ivan. The potential for continued delays in pipeline deliveries might be measured only by the ability of the oil industry to find and repair the damage.

According to the Wall Street Journal "Hurricane Ivan had triggered a multitude of mudslides that crippled production in a sizable chunk of the gulf, a region that satisfies about one-quarter of the U.S. thirst for oil. Now the industry faces a titanic task: finding and repairing pipelines that have been broken, buried and slung about like pick-up sticks across the sea floor. Until they are fixed, billion-dollar floating platforms will be idled and unable to get oil to land. It could be "six months" before Gulf production can be back online.

The situation is "one of the worst disruptions ever in U.S. energy production. It has knocked a total of more than 25.1 million barrels of oil off world markets -- and continues to hold back more than 400,000 barrels a day. That is 25% of the gulf's normal daily production of 1.7 million barrels a day."

RigZone

[JolietDem]

1. Whaaaa?

"Some traders are handicapping the possibility of the U.S. tapping the Strategic Oil Supply. With one week to go before the election, and with long-term problems now being fully catalogued, the scenario becomes possible..."

Bush use oil prices as political fodder? No, our patriotic President would NEVER do that...oil just isn't important for this administration...he's only concened with making the life of Joe Sixpack gooder! Thanx, Bush!

FA FA FA FA FA FA FA!

[AndyTiedye]

11. Surprising He Didn't Do it Earlier

He and his buddies must really be enjoying the record-high oil prices,
but they surely aren't helping shrubbies polling numbers.
It's still close enough for them to steal, but Kerry could run away
with it at the rate things are going.
It's almost too late for it to affect the election now.

[gulfcoastliberal]

2. I live by the gulf...

Thankfully there aren't any platforms off my part of florida. Our delicious fresh fish has levels of mercury so high that preganant women are advised not to eat seafood. The mercury gets into the system from underground mud that is drilled and pumped into the gulf from its underground resting place. That said, I think it would be kind of fun to go out on the boats fixing the pipeline. I need a job and have always wanted to try a marine job.

[jmcgowanjm]

3. Excellent article thanx much, bemildred n/t

[truthisfreedom]

4. prices in Minneapolis are now at $2.06/gal, worst ever in my memory.

we are in a new age alright... an age of uncertainty and economic instability courtesy of bUSHCO.

[AndyTiedye]

12. I Bet The Gas Stations Already Have a bunch of 3's for their Signs...

...which we will be seeing right after the election. The oil companies
have been holding down gasoline prices to help *. They do this the
most in swing states. Here in solid-blue California, gas is 40-50 cents
higher than in Minnesota.

Remember what happened to energy prices right after the LAST
Presidential sElection.

[amandabeech]

5. 400,000 barrels per day is only 1/50 of the oil that we use every day.

The U.S consumes 20,000,000 barrels of oil 365 days a year. If that idiot who's supposed to be in the White House would ask for some simple conservation measures until the pipes are fixed, we'd hardly notice the difference.

[bemildred]

7. The articles math would suggest about 5%, but your point is well taken.

400/1700 * .25 = 1/17th

[jimshoes]

6. I don't suppose they could pump any of that oil

into a frigging boat and sail it in to port.

[oscar111]

8. Oil into a boat? bizzare.CAnt be done for many reasons:spills,corrosive,

and just the weight would sink any ship. It weighs more than water per cubic centimeter, and water is quite heavy itself.

Its pipelines or nothing, i am afraid. But thanks for the good laugh! Obviously you have never had any engineering classes. {i have been a naval archetect for twenty years, designing freighters for a Singapore firm}

[Career Prole]

9. That'd be 'architect', not 'archetect'...

Don't suppose news of the Exxon Valdez made it to Singapore, then?
Puzzled, I am...
:eyes:

[beniciodeltoro]

10. You sound like you have had some engineering classes!

You don't learn how to spell 'architect' until you
have completed substantial post-graduate course work!

Now, please tell us more about this so-called 'Exxon Valdez.'

:)

[jimshoes]

13. You are joking right

Unless I missed something, they've been transporting oil in boats for over half a century. Oh and by the way, if oil weighed more than water it would not float. You see?

[Barrett808]

14. So oil plunges by $3? I don't get it. n/t

[bemildred]

15. No connection.

The markets go up, the markets go down.
The supply situation moves slower.

[oscar111]

16. No oil in boats possible: gas prices MUST rise as result

He is right. I also am an engineer, and he is right.

Exxon Valdez was a fiction of environmental tree huggers, to drum up emotional support for their cause. Period. It was filmed with 2 model boats in Hollywood. My brother built one of the models.

Oil only floats because it has higher surface tension.{ 4.11 vs. 3.54} If you had had any courses in engineering, you would know this.

Architet is the correct spelling. Dont you have dictionaries in poly sci classes?

[bemildred]

17. Are you talking to me?

If so, why?
I said none of those things.

[jab105]

19. No, water is denser than oil (petrolium)

I'm not sure what the above discussion has to do with politics, and I don't want to call anyone's engineering credentials into question, but here are some facts
Oil has a range of densities...I've seen reported values ranging anywhere from 0.82g/cc to 1.01g/cc, at normal earth surface temperatures.
Fresh water has a density of 1g/cm3.
Salt water has a density of 1.024g/cm3
Hence oil floats on salt water. In the case of high density oils, sinkage can occur, but this is usually restricted to rivers.

Here is a quick reference link that contains some of these reported density values: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/faqs/riverspills.html

[leftofthedial]

18. my cousin works on those pipelines

he echoes the description of this as the biggest disruption ever.

Maybe he'll be too busy working to vote. He's a bushturd kool aid drinker.