A helideck incident killed 4 workers in 2022. Why are we still waiting for the final NTSB report?
The most recent Coast Guard – BSEE MOA for fixed platforms added to helideck regulatory uncertainty by assigning decks and fuel handling to BSEE and railings and perimeter netting to the Coast Guard. How does that make sense?
As is the case with all safety regulations, a systems based approach is needed.
Despite the muddled regulatory regime, BSEE is showing strong leadership in addressing helideck safety.
The broader issue of regulatory fragmentation is an important risk factor that needs to be addressed.
David Scarborough, Island Operating Co., was one of the 4 workers who died in the 2022 crashat a West Delta 106 platform.
The California Coastal Commission, which exercises enormous power and limited restraint, is making headlines for preventing SpaceX, arguably America’s most extraordinary company, from increasing the number of satellite launches from the Vandenberg Space Force Base, a Federal facility. The Coastal Commission made this decision just 3 days before SpaceX’s awe inspiring rocket booster catch in Texas:
Sable Offshore, despite being spawned by super-major Exxon, is a relative minnow compared to SpaceX, at least politically. The restart of production from Sable’s Santa Ynez Unit is facing another obstacle now that the Coastal Commission has entered the fray.
Sable argues that repair and maintenance activities are exempt from Coastal Act permitting requirements, and have been conducted under their existing permits for 35+ years.
The Commission does not like to see its authority questioned, and is influenced by groups whose sole objective is to prevent the restart of production. We’ll see how this sorts out.
Center for Biological Diversity photo of pipeline repair work as published by Noozhawk
Meanwhile, Elon Musk did not hold back after the Commission’s decision not to allow an increase in the number of launches from Vandenberg:
“The California Coastal Commission should be dissolved as an organization. An utterly insufferable and misanthropic group of Karens if there ever was one! Their idea of the perfect coastline is one where there are zero humans or even signs of human! Anyone who has had any dealings with them will attest to this. They should not exist.”
Particularly noteworthy is Nord Stream’s response to the insurers’ claim (par. 22.2 (a) of their filing) that the pipeline damage was the result of “the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.” In par. 13.1 of their response (attached), Nord Stream called the insurers’ assertion “embarrassing for want of particularity.” (clever wording that may prove useful in the future 😉)
Nord Stream AG calls the insurers (Lloyd’s and Arch) failure to provide evidence for the country that blew up the pipelines “embarrassing.” (See above comment.)
Mahmoudi: “The defendants’ argument is prima facie irrelevant if one cannot prove that the damage is caused by a named government that has been directly involved in a war in the area. The burden of proof in this case is…on the defendant.”
Mahmoudi: “Even if the sabotage is an act of terrorism, the author of the act can be a state or a private entity.”
Mahmoudi: “If a private entity, the insurance company, is the only source for the compensation; if a state is responsible for the terrorist act, it is the insurance company & that state that have a legal obligation to compensate for the damage.”
Related comment by Erik Andersson: Nord Stream AG has consistently claimed they should receive compensation regardless of whether or not a government was responsible for the sabotage. Nord Stream AG does not seem interested in providing an alternative to Lloyds’ claim that Ukraine did thisas an act of war. (That horse might be too big to ride 😉)
The author of the New Bedford Light article about turbine blades being transported from New Bedford to Cherbourg posted (below) that there are six blades on the vessel.
It looks like she may get some help from French journalists who have picked up on this story. The Rolldock Sun is scheduled to arrive in Cherbourg on Oct. 16.
GE Vernova or Vineyard Wind could simplify things by explaining the shipment.
A French outlet has picked up on the GE blades en route to France since @NewBedfordLight first reported it. Here's the rough translation from Google; the outlet is reporting 6 blades. Only 2 were visible departing New Bedford more than a week ago: https://t.co/C7dRMHg3Jgpic.twitter.com/ZsaJOTgYfF
In a previous post, I mentioned the plight of my wife’s 80 year old friend who lost her home and car in the Asheville area. She was rescued by her brother Jim, who lives in Franklin, NC, and was taken in by some good folks who live in the upper hills. She is now living with her brother until she can find a rental.
Her most recent update (below) discusses her frustrations in dealing with FEMA. This is not intended as a broad indictment of FEMA, but as a reflection of the challenges individuals, particularly the elderly, can face in trying to recover from a natural disaster like Hurricane Helene.
Hello-
It’s almost 5am Saturday. Yesterday was a disaster! Some early morning calls to insurance and that sort of thing. Those followed by tying to reach FEMA helpline by phone. Was on hold waiting for an agent for more than an hour before giving up. Jim looked up the locations for face to face FEMA: none within 25 miles or 50 miles and only 3 in 100 miles. The closest being in Asheville about 4/5 miles from my house. Off we went with documents that needed correcting from the ones originally submitted. Their internet was down when we got there and remained down until leaving at 4:30ish. It was hot, no shade, no where to sit. I got over-heated and feeling faint; almost hit the ground before getting to a picnic area where i could lie down on a bench. Medical people were there; 2 doctors and several nurses. Eventually I was moved to an ambulance to be monitored for a good while. Given a IV drip then allowed to leave. They really, really wanted to take me to the hospital but I refused. I said the Franklin hospital was close to Jim’s if needed. So, that is the big thing to end the week.
I am sure other stuff was accomplished but don’t remember.
Love and many thanks to everyone for the support, cards and packages. So very grateful. ♥♥
The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) is sending the attached letter to Maine Gov. Janet Mills along with a petition with over 2,500 signatures urging her to halt the development of offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Maine.
A Gulf of Maine wind lease sale is scheduled for Oct. 29.
As indicated in the leasing schedule (above), a Hawaii offshore wind sale is scheduled for 2028. A recent article points to concerns from native Hawaiian communities about areas now under consideration. Presumably the concerns are with the potential for leasing in the Kaiwi (Molokai) Channel.
John Smith was the lead BOEM coordinator on the Hawaii task force before he retired in 2017. He is very familiar with the OCS wind potential offshore Hawaii. John worked with Progression, Alpha Wind and the Dept. of Defense on evaluating the best wind energy areas.
John and others on the task force agreed that the best location by far for Hawaiian wind development is 20-30 miles south of Oahu. However, the US Navy strongly opposed leasing there for national security reasons. Alternative locations in the Kaiwi channel between Oahu and Molokai are okay with the USN, but are otherwise problematic.
An informed Hawaiian oceanographer and ocean policy expert offered the following:
“As the Kaiwi Channel is a sacred fishing ground for native Hawaiians, this (wind leasing in the channel) is never going to happen. Sad to waste so much money on it.”
Kaiwi (Molokai) Channel
“Translated as “the bone,” Kaiwi recalls Hawaiians’ reverence for human bones as objects of great spiritual significance and symbols of connection. The word is used to fondly describe such concepts as homelife, family, and growing older. The saying “ho‘i hou i ka iwi kuamo‘o”—which literally translates to “return to the backbone”—expresses the joy of coming back to one’s family or homeland after being away.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, the Kaiwi Coast on O‘ahu’s southeast side provided thriving Native Hawaiian communities that called it home with abundant fishing, farming, ranching, and recreation. Maunalua Bay, which fronts the modern town of Hawai‘i Kai on the coast’s southern end, once housed the 523-acre Kuapā fishpond, the largest fishpond in Hawai‘i and the site of a massive annual migration and regeneration of mullet fish.“
199 oil and gas leases were wrongfully acquired at Sales 257, 259, and 261 with the intent of developing these leases for carbon disposal purposes. Repsol was the sole bidder at Sale 261 for 36 nearshore Texas tracts in the Mustang Island and Matagorda Island areas (red blocks at the western end of the map above). Exxon acquired 163 nearshore Texas tracts (blue in map above) at Sales 257 (94) and 259 (69).
Despite false starts by Exxon and Repsol (see above summary), no carbon sequestration (disposal) leases may be issued or developed until implementing regulations have been promulgated. In that regard, no news is good news for those who are less than enamored with CO2 disposal in the Gulf of Mexico.
The implementing regulations will be controversial. Most operating companies prioritize GoM production over GoM disposal. Most environmental organizations are strongly opposed to CO2 disposal schemes that sustain fossil fuel production and benefit fossil fuel producers. Taxpayers are leery of subsidizing these projects and absorbing increased costs for energy and consumer goods.
The Administration is, of course, well aware of this opposition and will not be publishing implementing regulations prior to the election. The next Administration, regardless of the election outcome, will no doubt take a hard look at these issues before proposing regulations.
The few oil and gas producers that are rather cynically hoping to cash in on CO2 disposal in the GoM will therefore have to wait, perhaps for a long time.
New Bedford Light: The Rolldock Sun leaves New Bedford on Friday with two blades visible. Credit: Courtesy of West Island Weather
Per the New Bedford Light, the turbine blade delivery vessel Rolldock Sun was seen on Friday carrying at least two blades out of New Bedford. It was not headed for the Vineyard Wind site. According to vessel tracking websites, the Rolldock Sun was en route to the Port of Cherbourg, where GE Vernova has a blade manufacturing facility.
The most likely explanation for returning the blades to Cherbourg is that defects were detected or suspected. The blade that failed, reportedly as a result of a manufacturing issue, is probably not the only one that was defective.
The New Bedford Light asked GE Vernova, Vineyard Wind, and the Federal regulator BSEE why the blades were being transported to Cherbourg. They received the following responses (my comments in parentheses):
GE Vernova: “No comment on this matter.” (This is the worst possible response. In the absence of information, people are left to speculate. If there was no problem with the blades, why wouldn’t GE simply provide an explanation? Their non-response simply reinforces suspicions that the blades were defective. If that is the case, why not take credit for procedures that identified the suspect defects, albeit belatedly?
Vineyard Wind:“The weekend has gotten in the way of the information flow,” and they would share information should they hear anything. Another request for information was not answered as of noon Monday. (Not exactly confidence inspiring from the company whose blade failure littered beaches and the offshore environment. They are deservedly being watched, and need to be more transparent and responsive.)
BSEE:A BSEE spokesperson did not answer questions and said by email that the agency has no new information. (Disappointing, but not surprising.)
In light of Hurricane Milton’s more southerly and easterly track, Chevron’s Blind Faith floating production unit is the only GoM platform reported to be shut-in at this time. Blind Faith was installed in 2008 in 6480′ of water in the Mississippi Canyon area, and is reportedly producing 65,000 bopd.
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 