New U.S. Offshore Oil Drilling Rule Planned to tighten safety requirements on blowout preventers

Published in Oil Industry News on Saturday, 11 April 2015

The United States is planning to impose a major new regulation on offshore oil and gas drilling to try to prevent the kind of explosions that caused the catastrophic BP Plc (BP.L) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing Obama administration officials.

The Interior Department could make the announcement as early as Monday, the paper said. It is timed to coincide with the five-year anniversary of the BP (BP.L) disaster, which killed 11 men and sent millions of barrels of oil spewing into the gulf.

The rule is expected to tighten safety requirements on blowout preventers, devices that are the last line of protection to stop explosions in undersea oil and gas wells, the Times reported.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in 2010 was caused in part when the buckling of a section of drill pipe led to the malfunction of a supposedly fail-safe blowout preventer on a BP well, the paper said.

The regulation comes as the Obama administration is taking steps to open up vast new areas of federal waters off the southeast Atlantic Coast to drilling, a decision that has infuriated environmentalists, the Times reported.

It will be the third and biggest new drilling-equipment regulation put forth by the Obama administration in response to the disaster, the Times said. In 2010, the Interior Department announced new regulations on drilling well casings, and in 2012, it announced new regulations on the cementing of wells.

Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com

Riser Problems Force Cobalt to Plug Gulf of Mexico Well

Published in Oil Industry News on Saturday, 11 April 2015

Cobalt International Energy, Inc. has plugged and abandoned its North Platte #2 appraisal well in the deepwater U.S. Gulf of Mexico due to a seal failure in the riser connection system.

The well, which was being drilled with the Rowan Reliance drillship, was at a depth of 20,701 feet when the problem with the riser was detected. 

The well was permanently abandoned prior to reaching any geological targets.

Cobalt is currently permitting the North Platte #3 well approximately 200 feet from the surface location of the North Platte #2 well. Assuming timely receipt of permit approval, Cobalt anticipates spudding the North Platte #3 well within two weeks and continues to expect well results in the second half of 2015.

The North Platte #1 discovery well was drilled in 2012 and encountered over 550 net feet of oil pay in multiple high-quality Inboard Lower Tertiary reservoirs. 

Cobalt, as operator, holds a 60% working interest in North Platte.
Source: www.offshoreenergytoday.com

2 KILLED ON STATE ROAD 54, WHEN THEIR STOPPED CAR WAS REAR-ENDED BY A SEMI-TRACTOR TRAILER IN PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA

SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2015

PASCO COUNTY, FLORIDA

A New Port Richey man and woman were killed when their car was struck from behind by a semitrailer truck Sunday morning on State Road 54 in Pasco County, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Daniel Ciccone, 83, and Joan Ciccone, 78, were driving east on SR 54 in the center lane around 6:55 a.m. and stopped at a red light at Crossing Boulevard, authorities said.  

The truck driver, Phillip Starling, 48, was also traveling east on SR 54 in the center lane in the truck with an open bed hauling tires and failed to stop, according to the Highway Patrol.

Daniel died at the scene of the crash, and Joan was transported to St. Joseph's Hospital, where she died as a result of her injuries, according to the Highway Patrol. Starling was not injured, authorities said.

2 dead after kayak church group was hit by high winds near Dungeness Bay in Washington

APRIL 12, 2015

(Photo: WSCC)

PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON

Two people died after a kayaking accident near Dungeness Bay.

The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy rescued three kayakers on Saturday.

Hospital officials confirm one kayaker, identified as 39-year-old Mandi Walkley, died after being airlifted from Dungeness Bay Saturday night. Another kayaker, 52-year-old Jacob Austin from Lacey, also died after a wind gust hit their church kayaking group.

Another man was injured, he was stabilized overnight.

Four other people in the church group were able to swim to shore safely.

Authorities said winds were reported at 35 mph with 3-foot high seas at the time of the rescue. It's not clear yet if anyone in the group was wearing life jackets.

THE TYPICAL WEEKEND DRUNK DRIVER TOLL : 1 DEAD, 3 HURT AFTER SUSPECTED DRUNK DRIVING CRASH VIRGINIA BEACH, VA

APRIL 12, 2105

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. (WAVY)

Drunk driving may be to blame for a two-car crash that killed a woman and sent three others to the hospital early Sunday morning, according to police.

Officer Kathrin Lobaugh, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Beach Police Department, said emergency communications took the call around 2:30 a.m. and responded to Newtown and Greenwich roads.

On the scene, emergency responders found a Ford sedan and a Chevrolet sedan carrying a total of five people had crashed.

A woman riding in the Chevrolet died at the scene. Another woman riding in that car went to the hospital with serious injuries. The driver also went to the hospital, but police did not provide his condition.

The driver of the Ford went to the hospital, but he is expected to be okay. A man riding in the car refused medical treatment.

Lobaugh said investigators on the scene believe the Chevrolet was traveling south on Newtown Road. As it attempted to turn left onto Greenwich Road, the Ford was traveling north on Newtown Road and struck the Chevrolet on the passenger side.

Investigators do believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, although Lobaugh would not say who was drinking or whether anyone had been arrested.

Police do plan to file charges, she said.

Investigators closed the intersection for about six hours while they investigated.

1 MOTORCYCLIST WHO WAS NOT WEARING A HELMET DIED IN A CRASH IN PINELLAS PARK WHEN A CAR RAN A RED LIGHT

APRIL 12, 2015

PINELLAS PARK, FLORIDA

A motorcyclist has died in three-vehicle accident in Pinellas Park on Saturday evening.

Around 10:51 p.m., Pinellas Park Police officers responded to reports of a serious injury crash at 66th Street and 78th Avenue.

A 16-year-old was traveling east on 78th Ave driving a 2008 Dodge Charger. She stopped at the red light and then for an unknown reason traversed the intersection while her signal was still red. She then entered into the intersection and was struck by two southbound motorcycles.

35-year-old Michael Kerr and 36-year-old Casey Hahn struck the left side of the Dodge Charger causing both men to be ejected from their motorcycles. Kerr sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to an area hospital. 

Hahn, who was not wearing a helmet, was transported to an area hospital.

Hahn died a short time later as a result of the injuries he sustained in the crash.

The roadway was closed for several hours while traffic homicide investigators conducted their investigation. The investigation is still ongoing.

Source: http://www.wtsp.com

THE TYPICAL WEEKEND DRUNK DRIVER TOLL: 1 TEEN DEAD, 2 INJURED IN SPARTANBURG CO, SC SINGLE VEHICLE DUI CRASH.

APRIL 12, 2015

SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C.

The SC Highway Patrol and Spartanburg County Coroner's Office states that one teen is dead and two more are injured after a single car wreck Sunday morning.

Brandon Wade Stites, 17 of Woodruff was pronounced dead at the scene of a crash on Trammel Rd in Spartanburg County.  Troopers said Stite was entrapped and not wearing a seatbelt.

Officials report that the crash happened around 3:14 a.m., and involved three teenagers from Woodruff.

The report claims that the driver of the car Noah Lathern Lambert, 18 ran off the side of the road and struck a tree.  He was driving a 2006 BMW.

SC Highway Patrol also reports that Lambert has been charged with two counts of felony DUI, one resulting in death and another in great bodily injury.

A toxicology exam and autopsy will be performed on the victim Sunday afternoon.

Source:www.foxnews.com

DEADLY TEXAS ROADS, LEAD THE NATION IN FATALITIES: ANOTHER 5 LIVES GONE, 12 INJURED IN FORT WORTH I-30 FREEWAY MULTI-VEHICLE FIERY CRASHES. 18-WHEELER AGAIN TO BLAME FOR MUCH OF THE CARNAGE

APRIL 12, 2015

FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Police said Good Samaritans were among the five people who died and 12 others who were hurt in a fiery wreck on a Fort Worth freeway early Sunday morning.

Investigators said the accident in the westbound lanes of Interstate 30 involved an 18-wheeler and several other vehicles near the Oakland Boulevard exit.

Police spokesman Officer Daniel Segura said the chain of events started with a single-vehicle accident around 2:30 a.m. Other drivers stopped to help.

Then — an 18-wheeler carrying the Sunday edition of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram — crashed into the vehicle involved in the original accident. The truck hit several other cars and people, and the big rig erupted in flames.

MedStar spokesman Matt Zavadsky said four people were pronounced dead at the scene near the Oakland Boulevard exit. Police said a fifth victim died later at a hospital.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office identified two of the dead as:

Veronica Gonzalez, 43, of Fort Worth

Mary Hernandez, 42, of Fort Worth

At least one other person was hospitalized in critical condition, and another suffered serious injuries but is expected to survive.

Zavadsky said 10 other patients had minor injuries. Police said the truck driver was among those hurt, "but he did not appear to have serious injuries," Segura said in a written statement.

Star-Telegram director of operations Paul Keese confirmed that a Ryder truck transporting the newspaper was involved in the crash after it "was already in progress." The Star-Telegram was working to obtain reprints and get them delivered, Keese said.

The westbound lanes of I-30 remained closed to traffic six hours after the 2:30 a.m. crash.

Source: http://www.wfaa.com

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http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2015/03/united-states-still-has-one-of-highest.html

UNITED STATES STILL HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST ROAD ACCIDENT DEATH AND INJURY RATES IN THE WORLD: 34,000 DIE AND 2.5 MILLION INJURED EACH YEAR.

Despite the improvements in road safety, the United States has one of the highest death rates at about 1 person dead per 10,000 people. Unfortunately, only undeveloped countries have higher death rate.

Some states, such as Texas and West Virginia (sorry, WV, despite your tremendous progress in traffic safety, you are still at the top of the worst-death-rate list) have death rates of nearly 1.5 percent, i.e., fifty percent more people die compared to the national death rate.

Approximately 34,000 people are getting killed each year.  In the 1950s and 1960s, about 55,000 people used to die on the roads – so, there has been improvement in the number of dead. 

However, the number of injured is rising.  Roughly 2.5 million are injured (yes, you read it correctly – 2.5 million injured) per year.  That is, 1 percent (1%) of the population that is eligible to drive is injured every year.

It is worse than a war zone out there.  

So, please be safe and be on the lookout for weaving-through-the-traffic drivers, crazy drivers, reckless drivers, sick drivers, medical-condition drivers, sleepy drivers, negligent drivers, stupid drivers, careless drivers, drunk drivers, speeding drivers, drugged drivers, texting drivers, talking-on-the-phone drivers, looking-at-the-GPS drivers, hurry-hurry drivers, tailgating drivers, upset drivers, eating-while-driving drivers, putting-the-lipstick-on-while-driving drivers, elderly drivers, and so on.