Posted in energy, Offshore Energy - General, tagged energy, offshore drilling, offshore oil, President Obama on March 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Previewing his speech at a New York City fundraiser last night, Obama said he wants to break “the pattern of being shocked at high prices and then, as prices go down, being lulled into a trance.”
“Let’s actually have a plan,” he said. “Let’s, yes, increase domestic oil production, but let’s also invest in solar and wind and geothermal and bio-fuels and let’s make our buildings more efficient and our cars more efficient.” USA Today
Encouraging.
Posted in conferences, drilling, oil, tagged Department of the Interior, offshore drilling, Salazar, well containment on March 29, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in gas, offshore, Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged Canada, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Old Harry, Quebec on March 28, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Quebec and Ottawa have struck a “historic” deal to allow the province to draw oil and natural gas royalties from the disputed Old Harry area of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, says Quebec Premier Jean Charest.
…The new deal is expected to give Quebec 100 per cent of the royalties from offshore resources. CBC News
Posted in drilling, offshore, Offshore Energy - General, Uncategorized, tagged automated drilling, Deepwater, offshore drilling, Seabed Rig on March 22, 2011| 1 Comment »
from SeabedRig.com
Advances in drilling technology tend to be evolutionary, not revolutionary. Floating rigs, dynamic positioning, top-drive systems, measurement-while-drilling, automated rig floors, and other important advances were logical next steps, not radical makeovers.
Many of us have long been fascinated by the possibility of locating drilling equipment on the seafloor, particularly for deepwater wells. Why operate from a massive floating vessel that requires a sophisticated stationkeeping system and a long riser to connect to the wellhead? Why link surface personnel to seafloor risks? Why increase the complexity of balancing well pressures (without fracturing formations) by adding thousands of feet to the mud column? Why heave and roll on the surface when you can operate from the seafloor?
It’s not that easy, of course, and there are many questions and issues. While fully automated drilling systems are no longer a reach, what about reliability and repairs? How will casing be set and cemented? How will downhole measurements be transmitted to the control center? Cuttings samples? Coring? Well testing? The list of challenges is daunting.
At least one company, Seabed Rig, is committed to developing and demonstrating seafloor drilling technology. Earlier this month, Seabed Rig reached agreement with NASA to create the first autonomous drilling rig. While a lot of work remains, Seabed Rig and other pioneering companies are applauded for their innovative thinking and willingness to challenge conventional practices and wisdom.
Posted in Offshore Energy - General, oil, tagged Brazil, Cascade Chinook, FPSO, offshore oil, Petrobras on March 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Posted in gas, natural gas, Offshore Energy - General, tagged Australian, China, Japan, natural gas, nuclear energy on March 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I just sent someone an email commenting that demand for Australian LNG (and their offshore gas production) was about to soar, but it looks like the Wall Street Journal is already on this story.
A global shift away from nuclear power in response to the atomic plant crisis unfolding in Japan will likely spur a scramble for Australian energy, catapulting the country ahead of Qatar as the world’s biggest supplier of liquefied natural gas in the near future.
![[OZLNG]](https://i0.wp.com/si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/AM-AM993_OZLNG_NS_20110316055703.jpg)
Posted in energy, Offshore Energy - General, tagged energy, Gulf of Mexico, House Energy and Commerce, offshore drilling, offshore oil on March 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Speakers list and link to live streaming
The Subcommittee on Energy and Power announces a multi-day hearing on “The American Energy Initiative.” The first day of the hearing will be on Thursday, March 17, 2011, at 9:00 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn House Office Building. It will focus on oil supplies, gasoline prices, and jobs in the Gulf of Mexico.
Posted in drilling, Offshore Energy - General, tagged Gallup poll, support for offshore drilling on March 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Comments:
Other interesting Gallup findings:
Posted in Offshore Energy - General, tagged floating nuclear plant, France, Russia, subsea nuclear plant on March 14, 2011| Leave a Comment »
I’ll hold my opinions about nuclear power until the crisis in Japan eases. Instead, I thought I’d check on the status of offshore nuclear plant proposals.
Nuclear powered submarines date back to 1954 when the USS Nautilus was launched, and offshore nuclear plant concepts are almost as old. No such facilities have been built, but French companies are studying a subsea nuclear plant concept (see picture), and Russia has launched a floating nuclear plant prototype.
Less than a month ago, the Ecologist provided an update on the French and Russian projects. These plans will no doubt receive much more public attention as a result of the tragedy in Japan, but the French concept is quite interesting.
Pros:
Cores would be protected by three barriers: fuel cladding, reactor vessel and hull. The designers argue that immersion in sea water would ensure an infinite natural means of passive cooling and permit inherent safety and security. In addition, each plant would also be protected against potential intruders. The French argue that a submerged power plant would be less vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis, or floods, and would be far less vulnerable to terrorist attack.
Cons:
Sceptics are concerned that warmer water released from the reactors could be dangerous for local ecosystem. And, should there be a nuclear accident ‘the sea will be destroyed,’ according to the President of Anti-nuclear organisation Crilan, based in Cherbourg. ‘The fierce warming-up of the water will cause a massive thermal shock that will destroy sea life.’
Posted in drilling, energy, Offshore Energy - General, tagged Bill Clinton, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, IHS CERA, offshore oil on March 13, 2011| 1 Comment »
Former President Bill Clinton said Friday that delays in offshore oil and gas drilling permits are “ridiculous” at a time when the economy is still rebuilding, according to attendees at the IHS CERAWeek conference. Politico.com
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 