Secrecy shrouds decade-old oil spill in Gulf of Mexico

This is the first I have heard about this so I suppose the title is actually correct about the secrecy.... I did the bold part of the article about the company being down to one employee.. I bet he makes one heck of a salary ?

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and JEFF DONN

OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO (AP) — Down to just one full-time employee, Taylor Energy Company exists for only one reason: to fight an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico that has gone largely unnoticed, despite creating miles-long slicks for more than a decade.

The New Orleans-based company has downplayed the leak's environmental impact, likening it to scores of minor spills and natural seeps that the Gulf routinely absorbs.

But an Associated Press investigation has revealed evidence that the spill is far worse than what Taylor — or the government — has publicly reported. Presented with AP's findings, the Coast Guard provided a new leak estimate that is about 20 times greater than one recently touted by the company.

Outside experts say the spill could be even worse — possibly one of the largest ever in the Gulf, albeit still dwarfed by BP's massive 2010 gusher.

The roots of the leak lie in an underwater mudslide triggered by Hurricane Ivan's waves in September 2004. That toppled Taylor's platform and buried 28 wells under sediment about 10 miles off Louisiana's coast at a depth of roughly 475 feet. Without access to the buried wells, traditional "plug and abandon" efforts wouldn't work.

The Coast Guard said in 2008 the leak posed a "significant threat" to the environment, though there is no evidence oil from the site has reached shore. Ian MacDonald, a Florida State University biological oceanography professor and expert witness in a lawsuit against Taylor, said the sheen "presents a substantial threat to the environment" and is capable of harming birds, fish and other marine life. Even after spending tens of millions of dollars to contain and stop the leak, Taylor says nothing can be done to completely halt the chronic oil sheens.

newsletter.thaivisa.com...

Unpredictable stuff like the effects of Hurricanes on wells are predictable. There should be safeguards in effect in case things like that happens. The thing is that this could happen anytime a hurricane hits. But of course, they probably did nothing to ensure that things like this never happen again, calling it a fluke of nature. If they are going to drill in the sea, they should take precautions for things like this.

a reply to: rickymouse
Or better yet, stop doing it.
We are at a critical point with the oceans. All the oil at the bottom from the "clean up efforts" from BP
Plus this, plus Japans radiation, we have floating piles of trash, ect., ect.
I'm no scientist, but I think oceans are pretty important.
Make sure you have a nice umbrella for the acid rain coming.

If nothing can be done about the present leaks there should be a major effort to do an offset well (S) and try and drain the reservoir of oil and pressure. Obviously there is enough oil and Gas Pressure to make it worth someones time and effort judging by the leaks, no ...?

a reply to: 727Sky

Hard to keep a straight face telling the DIY mechanic to properly dispose the oil , after the Gov't states that the billions of barrels dumped by BP have no effect on the environment.


Scumbags , can't understand why people still believe the gov't is working for the best interest of the people , and not the corporations that draft the laws and finance our politicians?

a reply to: interupt42

Does anyone remember the story by a person who studied some kind of worm on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and found thousands of blue barrels full of oil down there.

After it came out the net was scrubbed of that story and I never heard of him again.

Talk about spooky

VICE News does a nice piece on the BP spill aftermath and how they used chemicals to make the oil sink, instead of actually cleaning it and how the chemical they used to do it, is just as bad as the oil itself. I highly recommend it.
Out of sight, out of mind. Sink the oil and forget about it. Screw the consequences.

This is scary. It's sad that companies accept "taking the zero" as an option.
In the small world I live in, you have to fix what you broke. Failure just isn't an option.

What is so secret, that they used corexit?

That BP oil are a bunch of irresponsible liars?

No it is no secret.

originally posted by: o0oTOPCATo0o
VICE News does a nice piece on the BP spill aftermath and how they used chemicals to make the oil sink, instead of actually cleaning it and how the chemical they used to do it, is just as bad as the oil itself. I highly recommend it.
Out of sight, out of mind. Sink the oil and forget about it. Screw the consequences.

Part of the plan. That oil glob is stifling the gulf stream. It's pretty much why they did it. Also to make tons of money.

Haliburton buys scoots and boots the week before. Trans union high ups exercised put options on all their stick the day before. It is obvious everyone knew what was going g to happen.