BP Skirts Offshore Drilling Moratorium by Building an Island (Alaska)

[G_j]

http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/06/24/bp-skirts-offshore-drilling-moratorium-by-building-an-island-3-miles-off-alaska-coast/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=alternet_blogs_peek

Posted by Byard Duncan at 7:50 am
June 24, 2010

BP Skirts Offshore Drilling Moratorium by Building an Island 3 Miles Off Alaska Coast

The New York Times is reporting today that BP is on the verge of kicking off a “controversial and potentially record-setting” drilling project three miles off the coast of Alaska. The project, which is called “Liberty,” involves drilling down two miles below the ocean, then six miles horizontally to access an oil reservoir. If this process sounds eerily similar to hydraulic fracturing, a disaster-riddled natural gas extraction method that I’ve covered for much of the past year, that’s because it is.

But there’s more. You might be wondering how BP can just up-and-start-drilling three miles offshore when there’s a moratorium that’s supposed to prevent, well, offshore drilling. Here’s how:

BP’s project … has been exempted as regulators have granted it status as an “onshore” project even though it is about three miles off the coast in the Beaufort Sea. The reason: it sits on an artificial island — a 31-acre pile of gravel in about 22 feet of water — built by BP.

..more..

NYT article:

BP Is Pursuing Alaska Drilling Some Call Risky
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/24/us/24rig.html

[joeybee12]

1. Jesus H Christ...the chutzpah, the gall...and our elected officials need

to b-slap this down.

[me b zola]

2. I hope the fishing industry flexes their muscle to help to kill this. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

3. Well if the

barrack room lawyers and cigarette packet & pencil accountants here on DU have their way and BP is made bankrupt then why worry - the USA will probably land up owning the "island"

[John Q. Citizen]

5. So BP avoiding bankruptcy is your goal?

[dipsydoodle]

7. I'd say its in the overall interest

of the USA as its their ongoing profits which only they, intact, are likely to yield that will help correct the situation in the Gulf.

Other than that you cannot fathom the immensity of the fuck I do not give about whether or not they survive.

[Junkdrawer]

6. "barrack room lawyers" ??????

Huh?

[Enrique]

4. rishky schmisky

i hear drilling is very safe these days. And the caribou love it.

[BrklynLiberal]

8. Shows them to be the lying, stealing, greedy, hypocrites that they truly are.

They truly do not give a flying f*ck about ANYTHING except profit.

I realize it might have the makings of a tragedy if they do go bankrupt, but if they should, it could not happen to a more deserving collection of smug, self-righteous, lying scumbags..

[LiberalFighter]

9. Isn't it a violation of environmental laws to create it without the proper permits?

[Xithras]

10. Photo of the island. They've been working on this since 2008

It's called "Endicott Island". This also isn't the first time they've done this. This link has info about the entire project, including a photo of another fully developed and operational drilling island: http://www.greeningofoil.com/post/Drilling-worlde28099s-longest-wells-at-Liberty.aspx

Apparently they build these because the water is too shallow to support conventional oil rigs. The land is also a defense against pack ice.

Still, calling it an "onshore" rig is one hell of a technicality.

[G_j]

11. calling it an "onshore" rig is one hell of a technicality.

& there lies their trademark dishonesty.

[Xithras]

12. I just found out this thing is even on Google maps

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Prudhoe+Bay,+Alaska&sll=70.088047,-161.806641&sspn=1.311588,3.971558&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Prudhoe+Bay,+North+Slope,+Alaska&ll=70.321976,-147.881641&spn=0.040521,0.124111&z=13

I count four water crossings to reach it. So the question is: "Does drilling on an island count as offshore drilling?" It's clearly not connected to the mainland.

[G_j]

13. yep, there it is

sure looks to be 'offshore'

[Kingofalldems]

14. What does Lady Blah Blah have to say about this?