Newfoundlander Howard Pike’s excellent tribute to my former colleague Charles Smith can be viewed from minutes 26 to 36 of this video.
Archive for October, 2022
Tribute to Dr. Charles E. Smith
Posted in Canada, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged Charles E. Smith, Newfoundland, offshore safety on October 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Louisiana to BlackRock: We’re out!
Posted in climate, energy policy, tagged BlackRock, Jeff Landry, John Schroder, Louisiana on October 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Louisiana treasurer John Schroder said Wednesday he would pull $794 million of state money from BlackRock Inc. funds.
“Your blatantly anti-fossil fuel policies would destroy Louisiana’s economy,” Mr. Schroder wrote.
WSJ
Here is the pertinent guidance from Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry:
Just as the comment period on BOEM’s 5 year leasing program closes (today), OPEC (again) reminds us of the importance of US production
Posted in climate, energy policy, Gulf of Mexico, Offshore Energy - General, tagged 5 year leasing plan, OCSLA, OPEC on October 6, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Planned obsolescence, as justification for the minimalist leasing program (see below), is neither prudent nor consistent with the OCS Lands Act.
“The long-term nature of OCS oil and gas development, such that production on a lease can continue for decades makes consideration of future climate pathways relevant to the Secretary’s determinations with respect to how the OCS leasing program best meets the Nation’s energy needs.“
5 Year Leasing Program, p.3
Basing offshore leasing decisions on “future climate pathways” is a high risk strategy that may be inconsistent with the recent SCOTUS decision in West Virginia vs. EPA. A planned or phased shutdown of the offshore oil and gas program would dramatically increase economic and security risks, and has not been authorized by legislation.
Updated OPEC+ production table as a result of today’s 2 million bopd reduction
Posted in energy policy, tagged decrease, oil production, OPEC+ on October 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Updated Strategic Petroleum Reserve “milestones”
Posted in energy policy, tagged dubious milestones, SPR depletion, Strategic Petroleum Reserve on October 5, 2022| Leave a Comment »
- Largest-ever one year SPR decline – 203 million bbls or 32.8% (9/24/2021 to 9/30/2022)
- 42.8% decline since 2010
- 78 consecutive weeks of decline – 4/9/2021 to 9/30/2022
- 84 million bbls below the strategically important 500 million barrel threshold which was first breached (on the downside) on 6/24/2022
- Lowest inventory since 7/6/1984 when the SPR was being filled
Give it up Coast Guard. It’s time to drop the vaccine mandate.
Posted in Florida, hurricanes, tagged Admiral William Lee, Coast Guard, hurricane hero, vaccine mandate, Zach Loesch on October 4, 2022| Leave a Comment »
“The American people have moved on. The President himself has declared ‘the Pandemic is over.’ Yet, we continue holding fast to an outdated mandate, purging hundreds of dedicated sailors, even though we struggle to meet our recruiting goals. It is now time to take a pause, reevaluate, and assess what this is costing readiness, the taxpayer, and the public perception of how we treat our people,” he wrote in the letter.
Retired Coast Guard Vice Admiral William “Dean” Lee
Meanwhile, a Coast Guard hero during Hurricane Ian is about to be discharged for refusing the vaccine. He is one of 2632 Coast Guard members who refused the shots.
As previously noted, the Coast Guard expelled 7 cadets from the Academy over their Covid vaccination status.
Nord Stream methane release – some perspective
Posted in climate, pipelines, seeps, tagged methane inputs, NordStream, Oil in the Sea, pipeline leaks on October 4, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Sept 30 (Reuters) – The ruptures on the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline system under the Baltic Sea have led to what is likely the biggest single release of climate-damaging methane ever recorded, the United Nations Environment Programme said on Friday.
“This is really bad, most likely the largest emission event ever detected,” Manfredi Caltagirone, head of the IMEO for UNEP, told Reuters. “This is not helpful in a moment when we absolutely need to reduce emissions.”
Researchers at GHGSat, which uses satellites to monitor methane emissions, estimated the leak rate from one of four rupture points was 22,920 kilograms per hour. That is equivalent to burning about 630,000 pounds of coal every hour, GHGSat said in a statement.
The Nord Stream methane release, while puzzling and rather frightening given the potential for escalating international tensions, was not an environmental disaster or even a major environmental setback.
Some perspective:
- estimate for the main Nord Stream leak (likely the maximum or near-maximum rate) = 22,930 kg/hr
- 22,930 kg/h = 550,320 kg/day = 550.320 x 106 g/day
- total methane source for North American coastal waters (NASEM, Oil in the Sea, p. 63) = 4 – 20 Tg/yr
- 10 Tg/yr (i.e. 10 x 1012 g/yr) = 0.027 x 1012 g/day = 27000 x 106 g/day
- This is ~50 times the temporary (maximum?) daily rate for the Nord Stream leak
- North American input from seafloor seepage only (NASEM, Oil in the Sea, p. 63) = 2 – 9 Tg/yr
- assuming 5 x 1012 g/year or 13700 x 106 g/day
- This is ~25 times the temporary (maximum?) daily rate for the Nord Stream leak
Oil in the Sea IV
Posted in offshore, Offshore Energy - General, oil spill response, tagged NASEM, Oil in the Sea IV, oil inputs, oil seeps, oil spills on October 3, 2022| Leave a Comment »
The National Academies have released Oil in the Sea IV, which updates estimates of oil entering North American seas. This is the third update since the publication of Oil in the Sea in 1985.
The updated inputs and seeps summary tables are pasted below. Some comments:
- The Oil in the Sea reports are important in that they provide perspective on natural inputs and those associated with man’s activities. The estimates generate informed discussion about the relative significance of the various inputs.
- The estimate for land-based sources, which far outweigh all other sources, increased dramatically from the previous report.
- The oil seepage estimate was reduced by 37.5%, owing to methodology.
- The difference between the itemized seepage total in Table 3.2 (109,000 mta) and the seepage total in Table 3.1 (100,000 mta) is not explained.
- The authors assume zero oil seepage in the entire US and Canadian Atlantic, and Arctic offshore. This is highly unlikely given the widespread presence of methane seeps in the Atlantic, the numerous oil seeps identified offshore Labrador, and the MMS/BOEM report on Arctic seepage.
- The estimate for platform spills (excluding Macondo and the MC-20 seepage) was significantly and inexplicably increased from the previous report, and is well above what BSEE data indicate for that period. No data or justification are provided.
- The statement (p. 58) that “spills occurred more frequently in offshore waters than nearshore waters” is puzzling and unsubstantiated.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 