Tag: BP

A major investment in the UK's North Sea oil industry A major investment in the UK's North Sea oil industry that will secure production for decades to come for troubled BP has been approved by the Government.It means BP and its partners in the Clair Ridge field, west of the Shetlands, can proceed with the second phase of their development to install two bridge-linked platforms at a cost of 4.5bn.It will take total investment in the field to 10bn, with BP contributing 4.5bn of that alongside Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) , ConocoPhillips (EUREX: COPF.EX - news) and Chevron (NYSE: CVX - news) .BP says that when you combine its four North Sea projects, over half of the investment will be spent in the UK and they will create 3,000 UK oil and gas supply chain jobs and support a further 3,500.Announcing the Government's decision to approve the second phase, Prime Minister David Cameron said: "This... is great news for Aberdeen and the country and provides a massive boost for jobs and growth."There has been a renewed focus on North Sea oil for BP since the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in April last year and its ...

Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force Coastal states must work together to restore key elements of the Gulf of Mexico that have made it a backbone of the U.S. economy before the ecosystem becomes so weak and polluted that it is no longer habitable for animals or people, according to a preliminary report released Wednesday.The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force, established by President Barack Obama after last year's catastrophic oil spill, provided an executive summary of the report to the Associated Press. The draft report seeks to pinpoint the biggest challenges and most pressing issues facing the Gulf and also provide the five coastal states - Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama - with a restoration strategy."One of the results of all the meetings is a real sense of urgency," EPA chief Lisa Jackson told The AP. "Person after person came in and said 'we're losing the Gulf.' None of it is irreversible, but the longer we wait, the harder it will be."The Gulf of Mexico's ecosystem, long the victim of upstream efforts to allow easy ship navigation and prevent Mississippi River flooding, has been in a state of environmental decline for decades.BP's oil spill, the largest offshore spill ...

Possible oil release from riser pipe or other debris The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port for Morgan City, La., issued a Notice of Federal Interest to Transocean Holdings, LLC, Tuesday.A series of sheen sightings in the area of Mississippi Canyon block 252 indicate the possibility of a release from the riser pipe or other debris on the ocean floor from the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon incident. Recent ROV video footage of the capped Macondo well has shown no evidence of a release from the well.An NOFI puts a potential responsible party on notice and, under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, the responsible party may be financially accountable for debris removal costs and damages resulting from the pollution incident. Federal removal actions will be limited to monitoring progress of the responsible party's actions and providing guidance as necessary."This is part of the process we take whenever there is an oil sighting that cannot be immediately attributed to a specific source. We will actively work with Transocean to discuss options to determine whether or not the wreckage is the cause," said Capt. Jonathan Burton, commanding officer of Marine Safety Unit Morgan City.Failure or refusal of the responsible party ...

There is evidence that the oil's toxicity remains P.J. Hahn has rescued his share of oil-soaked pelicans. As coastal restoration director for Plaquemines Parish, he's seen the worstof theLouisiana crude that belched uncontrollably from BP'swell a mile below the sea.Butnow, more than a year after the well was plugged, Hahn has not escaped the oil. Andneither has his coastal wetland home.He sees oil almost every time he goes out on his boat, he says. It floats on the surface and moves with the wind,spreading itstentacles tobirds and fish and anything else thattouches its toxic trailacrossthe sea.A week ago, Hahn went out to photograph Cat Island, a bird sanctuary inBarataria Bay that was a poster childfor the BP oil disaster whenits nesting bird population was devastated by waves of thickcrude.The island appears clean of oil now and the birds havereturned. But they are still susceptible to the streams of crudethatHahn and others say still pollute the area, threatening wildlife and the livelihood of localfishermen.While traveling to the island,Hahncame across a swath of oil that stretched several miles, some of it thick and viscous orange crude that appeared to be mixed with chemical dispersant,he says. Hahnfound four sick pelicans andretrieved them for ...

BP estimates the cost of the oil spill will end up at around $42 billion Findings of the second major investigation by the U.S. government into the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, may press BP into putting over $30 billion on the table to quickly settle its outstanding legal headaches.The report, released on last Wednesday, was even more damning of BP's behavior than the Presidential panel's findings, which were issued in January and February. Both reports also highlighted mistakes made by BP's contractors, driller Transocean and cement specialist Halliburton.The investigations have not left London-based BP eager to face the Department of Justice or civil claimants in court."We would like everything settled as soon as we can, otherwise you have lingering reputation issues and investor uncertainty," one insider said after the latest report.BP declined to comment on its legal strategy.Companies often drag out litigation, as payments in the future have less value than payments now.Exxon Mobil fought claims related to the 1989 Valdez spill for almost 20 years, confident it could beat down the massive sums sought by, and initially awarded to, its opponents. In the end, it was largely successful.But BP's case is not seen to be as strong. ...

Tar balls washed onto Gulf of Mexico beaches Tar balls washed onto Gulf of Mexico beaches by Tropical Storm Lee earlier this month show that oil left over from last year's BP spill isn't breaking down as quickly as some scientists thought it would, university researchers said Tuesday. Auburn University experts who studied tar samples at the request of coastal leaders said the latest wave of gooey orbs and chunks appeared relatively fresh, smelled strongly and were hardly changed chemically from the weathered oil that collected on Gulf beaches during the spill.The study concluded that mats of oil - not weathered tar, which is harder and contains fewer hydrocarbons - are still submerged on the seabed and could pose a long-term risk to coastal ecosystems.BP didn't immediately comment on the study, but the company added cleanup crews and extended their hours after large patches of tar balls polluted the white sand at Gulf Shores and Orange Beach starting around Sept. 6. Tar balls also washed ashore in Pensacola, Fla., which is to the east and was farther from the storm's path.Marine scientist George Crozier said the findings make sense because submerged oil degrades slowly due to the relatively low amount ...

The companies face fines of up to $35,000 a day per incident for the violations The U.S. offshore drilling regulator could issue sanctions as early as next week against BP and the major contractors involved in last year's Gulf oil spill, an agency official said on Thursday.Michael Bromwich, the head of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, told reporters at a congressional hearing the agency was preparing official notices for violations uncovered by a government probe of the spill.Bromwich said companies could be notified of infractions next week. The notices would kick off an administrative process that would likely conclude with civil fines against the companies.In its final report on the causes of the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management outlined a series of rule infractions committed by BP, Transocean and Halliburton related to the drilling disaster.The report, released on Wednesday, detailed violations of seven federal regulations by BP. Transocean, the owner and operator of the Deepwater Horizon rig used to drill the Macondo well, was also implicated for violations of four of those regulations.Halliburton, which was responsible for cementing on the well, was deemed jointly responsible for not adhering to three of ...

Investigating the causes and making recommendations for safe operations The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE)/U.S. Coast Guard Joint Investigation Team (JIT) released its final investigative report on the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill.The report is comprised of Volume I, covering the areas of investigationunder the jurisdiction of the Coast Guard; Volume II, covering the areas of the investigation under BOEMRE jurisdiction; and a supplement to Volume I - the Final Action Memo from Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp.The JIT was formed on April 27, 2010, by a convening order of the Departments of the Interior and Homeland Security to investigate the causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, loss of life, and resulting oil spill, and to make recommendations for safe operations of future oil and gas activities on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The JIT held seven sessions of public hearings, received testimony from more than 80 witnesses and experts, and reviewed a large number of documents and exhibits pertaining to all aspects of the investigation.Volume I, released April 22, 2011, includes findings on five aspects of the disaster under Coast Guard jurisdiction - including the ...

Federal investigators released their final report on the causes of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

BP bears ultimate responsibility for the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history BP bears ultimate responsibility for the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, a key government panel said Wednesday in a report that assigns more blame to the company than other investigations and could hurt its effort to fend off criminal charges and billions of dollars in penalties.The report concluded that BP violated federal regulations, ignored crucial warnings, was inattentive to safety and made bad decisions during the cementing of the well a mile beneath the Gulf of Mexico.Eleven rig workers were killed in the April 2010 explosion, and some 200 million gallons of crude spewed from the bottom of the sea.The investigation was conducted by a team from the two main agencies responsible for drilling and safety in federal waters: the Coast Guard and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Regulation and Enforcement.In the report, other companies shared some of the blame. Rig owner Transocean was accused of being deficient in preventing or limiting the disaster, in part by bypassing alarms and automatic shutdown systems. Halliburton, the contractor responsible for mixing and testing the cement, was faulted as well.But BP, as the designated operator of the ...