I have been too busy to do much blogging, but thought I would share some thoughts from the past week:
Media vacates Margaritaville
– Margarita consumption declines on Key West: Now that Federal scientists have determined that the Key West tar is NOT related to the Macondo blowout, the TV networks have ended their brave beach monitoring vigil on the island. I have volunteered to man the vacated outpost pictured to the left. Tough duty, but somebody has to do it! Cheers!
–Heard on the local news in Norfolk, VA: The slick has entered the Loop Current superhighway and Virginia Beach is in imminent danger. (I am not making this up!) By the way, when will we hear again from the “experts” who predicted that oil would arrive on Florida East Coast beaches 3 weeks ago?
–A Tale of Two Spills: Listen to the concerned but rational speakers at the daily Unified Command briefings; then tune-in to the evening news. You would think they were talking about entirely different events. Excellent work by the Unified Command, but we could do without the spam-like emails that track every move of the agency chiefs.
–How many times can you throw 1700 people under the bus? May we suggest a temporary moratorium on the MMS bashing? Does it make sense to at least find out what happened and why before demonizing a Federal agency and everyone who works for it? It’s amazing how much so many people suddenly know about oil and gas operations and how they should be regulated. We could have used their help for the past 30-years when the cameras were directed elsewhere.
Back to the Future: James Watt, perhaps the most controversial Secretary of the Interior in history, was best known for his attempts to accelerate resource development on Federal lands and for banning the Beach Boys (too vulgar :)) from Independence Day concerts on the National Mall. The Beach Boys decision was reversed after Nancy Reagan intervened, and the aggressive land use policies backfired in a big way. Watt’s personality and policies galvanized environmental opposition and led to 25 years of moratoria on most OCS exploration and development.
Less well known is Secretary Watt’s 1982 decision to form the MMS in response to concerns about royalty collection practices. Prior to the creation of MMS, the OCS regulatory functions were in the Conservation Division of the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the leasing program was in the Bureau of Land Management. 
The decision to once again split these functions, which I have long supported, recognizes the importance of function-based management and independent regulators. Rest in Peace MMS. The realignment will be better for the OCS program, the employees, the public, and the regulated industry.
–Macondo well flow rate exceeds national consumption: When this well is finally brought under control, there will be no need for oil imports. While I am of course exaggerating, the spill-rate speculation is as out-of-control as the well. Fortunately, Admiral Allen has promised an official estimate from the Unified Command. Hopefully, this estimate will include a list of assumptions and an uncertainty range.
-Lastly, beware of speakers who start by saying, “I’ll be brief.” 🙂
