BP Oil Rig explodes off Louisiana gulf coast

UPDATED AUGUST 14, 2010: Barack Hussein et ux. with child swimming in the Gulf is absolutely hilarious. For a devastating article examining the crisis from a foreign perspective please read: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/ 2010/aug/17/deepwater-horizon-spill-barack-obamaUPDATED JUNE 14, 2010. This story is getting bigger all the time. Now it appears that the Brits are getting pissed at Barack Hussein for his attacks on BRITISH Petroleum. See this informative article in the Daily Beast. http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-06-14/obama-stop-the-anti-british-rhetoric-on-bp-and-the-oil-spill/?cid=hp:excORIGINAL COMMENT: BP has given millions to politicians and the biggest recipient, of course, has been Barack Hussein, the affirmative action Baron of Chicago's Third Ward. Do you wonder why the USA has been so SLOW to do anything?Next time BH gives a speech on this subject or any subject, I guess, I enclose the handy little visual aid. As Barack H... Read more

This is making extensive media coverage over here in the UK mainly because Obama has tried to pass the buck by blaming the British for the BP oil spill. If he did his homework he would see that yes BP is a British based oil company, but in actuality hasn't really had that much association with the Brits for a few years now hence the change of company name over the years. Not particularly good for marine life, the American economy or the Brits in general. Really pains me to say it, but I have to agree with certain reviewers as to why Obama took his time addressing such a serious problem with the potential for future consequential damage (as we're seeing now). Maybe if he did that he wouldn't find the need to pass the buck and start finger-pointing.

It may not be the worst oil spill we've seen to date, but it has certainly obtained a phenomenal amount of media coverage; and rightly so. So much time has been spent trying different methods that have failed and pointing a finger of blame that it is that which really matters which is suffering - the wildlife. The biggest problem is the depth at which the oil is leaking from means that methods which are normally reliable have failed, and the drilling of a second well to ease the pressure isn't going quick enough. The BBC have a good slideshow depicting the events so far: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and_canada/1031 7116.stm Sadly it may take some years before we fully overcome the effects of this spill.

UPDATE 6/14: Although Obomba is certainly a corporate butt-kisser (what president has not been the past 30 years?), we need to remember that the Deepwater Horizon rig was leased and started during Dubya's term of office. Here's James Kunstler's blog entry for today, which I recommend heartily to anyone interested in the big picture: http://kunstler.com/blog/2010/06/fierce-urgency.html The reason we are having to drill for oil in the middle of the frickin' ocean is because we have found all of the major oil fields on land we're ever gonna find. We're screwed. Oil field discovery peaked in 1965, and we haven't found a major field since the Cantarell field in Mexico in '75. Oil production has been steady since 2004, which means, according to the Hubbert theory, we are about to go into world-wide decline. Meanwhile, BP has exacerbated the problem of Peak Oil by screwing up the GULF OF MEXICO. No more shrimp or oysters for you pathetic little hummer-drivers! And I'm sure oil will be at ar... Read more

Where is OSHA? There are few companies that can get by without a plan for disaster approved by OSHA. Why is no one asking the right questions to the right people? BP had to have an approved emergency plan and backup per OSHA before they could ever begin any type of drilling. Now they have been acting as though they never could have expected such a catastrophy could occur!!! We put men on the moon and brag about HAARP technology yet here we are unable to stop an oil leak!? BTW, oil leak is an insult to any thinking person. We are seeing the death of an American culture, livlihood of hundreds of thousands, loss of homes, death of innumerable wildlife and the beginning of hopelessness for so many innocent honest hardworking Americans. God forbid a hurricane is in the near forecast. Is it just me or is the government way too interested in the property of the Gulf of Mexico? That area will never be the same and an entire culture is now history. I had family and friends who went to... Read more

Lets hope that efforts to cap this rig are successful. Think about the magnitude of this operation: the rig itself taps a source of oil 5,000 feet below sea level and goes down another 30,000 feet from there. Apparently this was one of the most technologically advanced wells in operation globally. It tapped sources of petroleum near the mantle of the earth. As oil resources near the surface of the Earth dry up, we are going to need to drill deeper to find new sources of oil, and perhaps offshore. We have to make a decision as to whether we would like to deal with the environmental risks associated with these practices. I'd go with no on this question. The oceans are too essential to be exposing it to such massive forms of pollution. Time to get serious and start making critical investments in alternative sources of energy that are clean and renewable. No other real way around it. Politically, this has the potential to change sentiment about offshore oil drilling. That... Read more

Bush is not in office or it would have been his fault; Nearly 10 days passed before B. Hussein Obama even traveled to the region! The Obama administration is still sitting around and sitting around, pointing fingers and doing nothing that is really going to solve this issue. The one time the government is truely needed and they are impotent! Forget the investigations and bills to punish BP! It is time to do something about this! Now! Put down your cigarette Obama and be a real leader, with a real plan here!

Original (April 20) An oil spill of monumental proportions; this deep sea pipeline is literally gushing over 200,000 gallons of oil into the waters of the gulf coast each day, with no clear end in sight. BP had no fallback plan for a disaster like this...it simply was never considered as a possibility. They're still in desperate planning stages of coming up with creative ways that might stop the oil's flow almost 2 weeks later. We're not even close to the point of containment, let alone cleanup thereafter. The Gulf Coast simply can't catch a break. Louisiana recently set an annual valuation on the saltwater fishing industry in the state at $757million. That's basically out of the question as this year's major fishing season begins. Not much is known how the shipping lanes that come into the Gulf of Mexico will be affected in the long-term, but that's another big hit to the delicate economy in a region that is still struggling on life support after Hurricane Katrina. -- Day 5 Update ... Read more

If what we saw on 60 Minutes a couple of Sundays ago is true, then this happened because of the catastrophic failure of the ONE AND ONLY safety feature that blocks gases from rising up the drilling shaft. It is a big rubber seal system 5000' below at the sea floor that fits around the rigging to prevent gasses and other nasties from rising up to the platform. According to this report, chunks of rubber from the device were seen on the deck of the rig. Apparantly someone allowed the pipes to rise 13 feet while the device was sealed shut and damaged it weeks earlier. Also, one of the two boxes that control it was also damaged. The worst part is that it appears that oil execs from BP and from the rig company KNEW about the damage and chose to ignore it. Does this identify a behavoiral trait in the oil industry that says "as long as nothing happens don't worry about safety?" I think it may and on a leadership level. But their attitude is "Too bad, so sad". Tell it to the families ... Read more

I'll be certain that Exxon-Valdez spill would pale soon since it is going to affect, posslibly, the whole Gulf of Mexico US Coast and could affect Georgia too if things are not fixed right away....

The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill could be the largest ecological disaster in U.S. history. If you have been affected by this tragedy, seasoned BP Lawsuit attorneys are here to help you. http://www.bplawsuit.net

Big news story for obvious reasons. Political ramifications to follow make this one a five. . . Guess those oh-so-awful enviro-whackos got that one right. . .

There is no doubt that this is an environmental mess or catastrophe, and I think most would agree that it could have been even worse. What I find strange is that no one is bitching about the fact that it took his lordship twelve days to “act” on this. I guess that's fast enough if the administration is Democrat. Reading some of the reviews here and listening to commentary from other sources, it seems that many would be pleased if all domestic and offshore drilling were ceased by lunchtime tomorrow. That would be good. Then we'd have millions more unemployed, 100% dependency on foreign oil, and gas prices at $10.00 per gallon or higher. But, who cares right? A sea turtle would thank us. As to alternative sources of energy, I think we're headed in that direction, albeit at a snail's pace. I remember an interview I watched with John Kerry back around 1997. He was addressing this issue, and stated that he and others were going to do everything within their power to push for making alterna... Read more

Hard to believe BP didn’t have an engineering control in place to avoid this type of accident. Let’s hope other rigs (oil companies) preempt and fix this void in their architecture before something similar happens.

Hello! Earth to fucking Mars! Had enough dependence on oil?

Until this is contained and cleaned up, this disaster should be priority one for BP and the dumbass politicians that they fund the campaigns of. It won't be, of course, but it should be.

Environmentally this is horrible as this careless maintenance has cost human life, animal life and the ecco system of the Gulf of Mexico!!! I know there is a need for oil in this world but you think we would be much more concerned with avoiding such incidents. Maybe if BP had spent more money out of their huge profit on safety and maintenance, we might not have endured this awful oil spill!! But unfortunately man is more concerned about the quick $ rather than living on this planet !!! Man’s greed :((((((((((((!!! "For the LOVE of money is the root of ALL evil!"

Fuck the finger-pointing,if this does not illustrate how Oil Companies will LIE about the "safety" of offshore drilling,I don't know what will.I hope this will make Obama reconsider his stand on it,and on Nuclear power,which is also touted as so "safe" these days,when it's anything but.We've GOT to cut our dependance down,Global Warming or Not.A lot of energy is wasted on shit we DON'T need.It's time for a BIG change in the way we live.We are as dependant,in the end,as the fish and birds on the health of our planet. We need to invest manpower and funds into GREEN energy,period.

This might be a five. The oil rig explosion (cause unknown and unsearched for) has allowed America's media to follow rote habits of blaming someone, anyone, the easiest and shallowest target, in their zeal for ratings and scoops. How many rigs were toppled during Katrina? Damage was minimal. How many oil platforms are there in the Gulf? Hundreds? Thousands? The point here is Obama's experience and executive decision-making. Sarah Palin probably would have handled this crisis better, but neither should be entrusted with the presidency. Obama is too preoccupied with the fundamental transformation of the American government (and with it, America) to bother learning how to preside over a crisis. He has no time or attention to give anything else, and he has no idea why it is so important. Except when they show him his poll numbers and the downward "hockey stick" theory. He knows he is running out of time and will lose at least one Congressional majority come January. Don't ... Read more

The Gulf of Mexico is one the world's busiest ports. This will definitely affect the gulf state's economies, so it's pretty tragic. Hopefully, the government can provide the necessary assistance in a timely fashion. It seems that Louisiana got screwed royally in regard to Katrina, so hopefully this goes better. I bet Joe Biden thinks the oil water is chocolate.....kind of like that Gloop kid :)

Wingnuts are already blaming Obama! http://thinkprogress.org/2010/05/03/fox-oil-conspiracy/ ... which is not to say he won't deserve blame when a future offshore drilling disaster occurs because he went along with the program.

As gas prices continue to be unstable, this was the last thing we needed to happen. So much for off-shore drilling for a while.

Big story and gettting bigger. And anyone who thinks this is an isolated incident should give themselves a smack in the head. This kind of incident, bigger or smaller is the price of doing business for offshore drilling. Its a simple equation. Drill offshore enough, and something like this will eventually happen. Don't read in that that I am absolutely opposed to offshore drilling, but I recognize the cost of doing that kind of business, which apparently not all folks do.

This totally sucks! The Louisiana bayou is one of the worlds most thriving ecosystems for wildlife. I'm really sorry to hear this. Not to mention the cover up of BP downplaying the whole scenario for 10 days until it became the size of Delaware seen from space when they could have taken swift action much sooner. What a disgrace.

A huge story that is getting bigger. It could be the biggest environmental disaster in our country's history - and its timing will likely have political and policy implications well beyond the actual disaster itself. Sounds like both the company and the government were asleep at the wheel in the days following the disaster. On a practical level, the region's wildlife and industry will take a devastating hit. Obama's recent decisions to open up more offshore drilling will surely be questioned. And if you know anyone who was chanting "drill baby drill" a while back, you should probably smack them about now.