Shell's Alaska Drilling Plans are Already a Disaster and Concerned Citizens are Going for Coup De Grace

 

Green Groups Ask U.S. to Stall Shell's Final Arctic Permits

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

 

 Ten environmental groups say a missing icebreaker should be a deal-breaker for Arctic offshore drilling by Royal Dutch Shell PLC off Alaska's northwest coast and urged the U.S. government not to grant final permits to Shell, reports Reuters and AP.

 

The groups in a letter that under Shell's exploration plans, the U.S. Interior Department cannot allow it to begin exploring for oil in the Chukchi Sea off northern Alaska while the icebreaker, the Fennica, is unavailable.

 

The icebreaker is a key part of Shell's exploration plan and spill response plan, said attorney Mike LeVine of Oceana. "The Fennica plays an important role in protecting the entirety of Shell's fleet from ice," he said. "Without that protection, the oceans are at additional risk."

 

A sea depth that was supposed to be about 45 feet in that area is now 21 feet shallower than previously thought.  Looks like the original survey missed a high spot on the ridge. But the track also passes close to a 3 1/4 fathom spot as well. What was the point of doing that? Looks like they got screwed by the pilot of Fennica but they never should have agreed to the plan if they even had one.

 

If this is their A game they're fucked up. We don't think Shell knows how to run a tight program and this has the concerned citizens up in arms.

 

I doubt very many oil field vessels have sonar, but it would be an invaluable tool for transits in unfamiliar and poorly marked areas. Underwater channels and pinnacles are easy to see with sonar. Have used a scan from beam to beam with the tilt at 0 - 10 degrees - increasing range with increased depth. Navigation with gps and by sonar in the Arctic and most of Alaska is exactly a perfect fit for covering new ground. 

 

Shell is sending the Fennica to Portland, Oregon for repairs after crew discovered a 39 inch (1 meter) gash on the ship's hull last week.   It is believed that a shoal caused the rip, even though the Fennica was in charted waters.  The problem was that these morons used nautical charts dating back to 1930 and forgot to double-check the accuracy of the recordings.  This this an unprecedented blunder for a multi-billion dollar investment.  Basically the ship's captain wanted to cut 30 minutes or so in travel time and decided to take the shallower waters and now these Shell incompetent contractors are paying for it.

 

I don't understand why these large vessels are so fixated with the east side of Hog Island. This is also where the NOBLE DISCOVERER dragged anchor and ended up aground. It's a blow hole with plenty of foul ground and planes landing and taking off close overhead. Why go in there.

Which brings us to the problem of shortcuts that are plaguing the oil and gas industry.  In order for them to make a profit they take short cuts with safety; and the result is that the environment and people are and will be paying the price.  This is what the concerned citizens are fighting for:  to stop these environment raping clowns from doing any damage to pristine waters.

 

The company is hoping to return to Arctic drilling later this month for the first time since 2012, when it lost control of an oil rig forcing an evacuation of 18 workers in high seas by the Coast Guard. 

 

Arctic offshore drilling is strongly opposed by environmental groups that say oil drilling is too risky in a fragile environment that features brutal storms and sea ice.

 

The groups signing the letter to Jewell are the Alaska Wilderness League, Center for Biological Diversity, League of Conservation Voters, Oceana, Audubon Alaska, Greenpeace USA, Ocean Conservancy, Natural Resource Defense Council, Northern Alaska Environmental Center and Sierra Club.