At about 10:00 AM on September 2, 2010, an oil platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. No one died from the explosion but all 13 workers were forced to evacuate into the ocean. The platform, which is owned by Mariner Energy Inc., is approximately 93 nautical miles South of Vermillion Bay in Louisiana and 245 miles away from the site of BP’s Deepwater Horizon rig. Fortunately, this explosion is relatively minor because this rig only produces gas, it does not drill, and the explosion caused an estimated 10 gallons of gas to enter the ocean.
However, the effects on the energy industry could be quite large. After the BP spill, there has been a backlash against offshore drilling. Politicians are debating about whether or not to repeal a moratorium on the industry or simply regulating it more thoroughly. Now there is more talk of maintaining the moratorium in light of this explosion. If it stays, oil companies will have to pack up and shift their operations elsewhere. This would mean higher production costs passed onto consumers and huge job losses along the Gulf coast. Looking forward, this could diminish the presence of oil rigs around the country and perhaps push us away from oil consumption.
I hope that this accident will not take away from the current moratorium debate. The ban on deep water drilling seems like a knee-jerk reaction that will have significant consequences, like job losses, for the Gulf Coast and big energy companies. I support increased oversight on offshore platforms, not massive changes to a very important Gulf industry.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704206804575467600528128386.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEFTTopStories
I feel that it will have a significant effect on the debate over repealing the moratorium, although I wish it does not. It is a display of the fact that these drills still are not safe, even in the shadow of the Deepwater Horizon explosion. The moratorium is simply being done to buy time so regulations can be reformed and put into place. I feel the government should do everything possible to quicken this process up for it is greatly hurting this industry. I agree with you, i support increased oversight, not massive changes. In whatever way fits best, these drills need to be safer.
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