Friday, September 26, 2008

From the Industry - 179 Gulf Platforms Still Evacuated, 59.3 % Production Shut-in

MMS: '179 Gulf Platforms Still Evacuated, 59.3% Oil Production Shut-in'
Minerals Management Service 9/25/2008
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=67132

MMS has recalculated the number of manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico since 23 manned platforms have been confirmed destroyed from Hurricane Ike. The new figure of 694 manned platforms was used to calculate today’s percentage of manned platforms evacuated. Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel are evacuated from a total of 179 production platforms, equivalent to 25.8 % of the 694 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

The total number of rigs currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico has been recalculated to allow for the number of rigs destroyed or severely damaged as a result of Hurricane Ike. The recalculated figure is 116 rigs. This number was used in calculating today's percentage of rigs evacuated. Personnel from 3 rigs are evacuated; this is equivalent to 2.6% of the 116 rigs currently operating in the Gulf.

From the operators' reports, it is estimated that approximately 59.3% of the oil production in the Gulf is shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated oil production from the Gulf of Mexico is 1.3 million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that approximately 56.4% of the natural gas production in the Gulf is shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico was 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas per day. Since that time, gas production from the Independence Hub facility has increased and current gas production from the Gulf is estimated at 7.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Dave is Pissed!

For those that havne't heard yet, David Letterman is upset. John McCain cancelled on him. Then he finds out that McCain is doing an appearance on the CBS News next door. Not a good thing for McCain.

Afterward, Keith Olberman was called in to be a replacement. It was then that Dave found out that the good Senator was doing an appearance next door.

Sen. Obama Introduces NGV Incentive Legislation

Sen. Obama Introduces NGV Incentive Legislation

Source - NGV Global
Monday, 22 September 2008 00:00

USA, Washington DC

He may only have six weeks to go till the US Presidential election but Democrat candidate and Illinois Senator, Barack Obama, still found time las week to introduce legislation (S.3506) that would increase the tax credit for individuals that purchase natural gas vehicles and extend the credit through to the end of 2017. The Senator proposes increasing the incremental price eligible for a credit from 50/80 percent to 100 percent for all weight classes of vehicle, and a doubling of the tax credit for fleets that purchase more than 100 NGVs in a year. This last provision is identical to one proposed by Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) in the Congressman’s NAT GAS Act (HR 6570). In addition, the Senator proposed increasing the amount the EPA can pay for alt fuel school bus from 25 and 50 percent to 50 and 75 percent (depending on the vehicle’s emissions), and reauthorizing the Clean School Bus Program at $110 million per year from 2010 through 2015. The program is currently authorized to be funded at “such sums as are necessary” until 2010.

Toyota Getting back into CNG

CNG Toyota Camry Hybrid for LA Auto Show
Technology
Source - NGV Global
Wednesday, 24 September 2008 00:00

Toyota Camry HybridUSA, Portland

The CNG fuelled Honda Civic GX, could soon have company on the OEM compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle list in the US with Toyota 'confirming interest' in CNG vehicles. Continuing down the popular Toyota hybrid path Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., will test the waters with a compressed natural gas (CNG) Camry Hybrid concept vehicle to go on show at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. “With the combination of plentiful long-term supplies in North America, improved and more efficient recovery methods, favorable pricing and clean-burn/low emissions characteristics, CNG has become a prime energy-source for the future,” said Irv Miller, group vice president, TMS Corporate Communications. “With this concept, we are confirming our interest in pursuing CNG within our broad and comprehensive R&D scope.”

In 1999 Toyota marketed a CNG-powered four-cylinder Camry to fleet customers in California. However, in an era of relatively cheap gasoline, customers were not attracted to a vehicle that required special refueling techniques and a limited refueling infrastructure and the program was discontinued a year later. Currently, there are only about 1,000 CNG refueling stations nationwide, with less than half open to the public.

The benefits of CNG are currently being amplified by rapidly changing market conditions and an increase in consumer environmental awareness. At the same time its drawbacks are being mitigated by a growing awareness that advanced technologies will require investment in appropriate infrastructure. The U.S. CNG pipeline system is an approximately 1.8 million mile network and expanding.

“Natural gas,” adds Miller, “and an expanded retail-friendly CNG infrastructure could be seen as a model for future hydrogen infrastructure.”

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

ISS Access - INKSNA waiver granted

Some of you may recall my blogs in the past concerning the fact that the Russian activites in Georgia would result in problems with access to the International Space Station. Today brings news that the status quo is being maintained.

CBS NEWS Coverage of Breaking Space News
Posted: 8:00 PM, 9/24/08

By William Harwood
CBS News Space Consultant


House includes waiver extension to Iran-North Korea-Syria Nonproliferation Act in continuing resolution; would permit continued NASA purchases of Soyuz flights to space station

=================================



The U.S. House of Representatives today, as part of a continuing resolution needed to fund government operations past the upcoming elections and into 2009, extended a waiver to the Iran, North Korea and Syria Nonproliferation Act that would allow NASA to purchase seats on Russian Soyuz spacecraft after the current waiver expires at the end of 2011.

"I'm thrilled! Couldn't be more pleased. Now, the Senate..." NASA Administrator Mike Griffin said in an email exchange with CBS News.

Because it takes three years to build a new Soyuz, an INKSNA waiver extension is required for NASA to avoid unmanning the station starting in 2012. If the Senate goes along and the extension becomes law, NASA would be able to maintain an uninterrupted presence on the lab complex and bridge the gap between the end of shuttle operations in 2010 and the debut of its replacement in 2014 or 2015.

The extension would go into effect Jan. 1, 2012, and run to July 1, 2016. It is intended to "allow NASA to continue to purchase needed ISS-related goods and services from the Russians and ensure that U.S. astronauts will continue to have access to the ISS after the current waiver expires," according to a statement released by the Committee on Science and Technology. "The House passed the CR by a vote of 370 to 58."

"While I regret that it is necessary, passage of the waiver helps ensure uninterrupted access for U.S. astronauts to the international space station until our new American crew transfer and rescue systems are developed, by allowing us to contract with Russia," committee Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) said in the statement.

The Iran, North Korea, Syria Nonproliferation Act forbids U.S. purchase of high technology goods from Russia, primarily because of Russia's past support of nuclear power initiatives in Iran. NASA has been able to buy Soyuz seats for U.S. and international astronauts under waivers granted by Congress.

NASA relies on the three-seat Russian spacecraft to occasionally carry U.S. and international astronauts to and from the space station and to provide emergency return capability between shuttle visits. NASA also is counting on using Soyuz seats to bridge the five-year gap between the end of shuttle operations in 2010 and the debut of the shuttle's replacement.

In recent weeks, an extension to the waiver appeared stalled, thanks in large part to Russia's conflict with Georgia. In an interview earlier this month, Griffin told CBS News he was not optimistic legislation could be passed before lawmakers adjourned for the fall elections.

Without a waiver, Griffin said "the first and most obvious possibility is there won't be any American or international partners on the space station after Dec. 31 of 2011. That's a possibility. Another possibility is that we will be told to continue flying shuttle and we would be given extra money to do so, in which case our Ares and Orion could be kept on track and we would no longer have a dependence on Russia.

"A third possibility is we could be told to keep flying shuttle, not be given any extra money, in which case we don't get Ares and Orion anytime soon and we still have a gap, it's just further out in time. And all of these things ignore the fact that flying shuttle does not ameliorate in truth our dependence upon the Russians because we still need them for crew rescue."

But in a statement today, Gordon said "the American taxpayers have made a significant investment in the ISS. It is important that we be able to use it productively once it is assembled, and for that we needed to have the INKSNA waiver extended."

=================================

Representative Marcy Kaptur (D) Ohio on the Wall Street bailout reality game

THE LATEST REALITY GAME--WALL STREET BAILOUT -- (House of Representatives - September 22, 2008)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, here is the latest reality game. Let's play Wall Street Bailout.

Rule one: Rush the decision. Time the game to fall in the week before Congress is set to adjourn and just 6 weeks before an historic election so your opponents will be preoccupied, pressured, distracted, and in a hurry.

Rule two: Disarm the public through fear. Warn that the entire global financial system will collapse and the world will fall into another Great Depression. Control the media enough to ensure that the public will not notice this.

Bailout will indebt them for generations, taking from them trillions of dollars they earned and deserve to keep.

Rule three: Control the playing field and set the rules. Hide from the public and most of the Congress just who is arranging this deal. Communicate with the public through leaks to media insiders. Limit any open congressional hearings. Communicate with Congress via private teleconferencing calls. Heighten political anxiety by contacting each political party separately. Treat Members of Congress condescendingly, telling them that the matter is so complex that they must rely on those few insiders who really do know what's going on.

Rule four: Divert attention and keep people confused. Manage the news cycle so Congress and the public have no time to examine who destroyed the prudent banking system that served America so well for 60 years after the financial meltdown of the 1920s.

Rule five: Always keep in mind the goal is to privatize gains to a few and socialize loss to the many. For 30 years in one financial scandal after another, Wall Street game masters have kept billions of dollars of their gain and shifted their losses to American taxpayers. Once this bailout is in place, the greed game will begin again.

But I have a counter-game. It's called Wall Street Reckoning. Congress shouldn't go home to campaign. It should put America's accounts in order.

To Wall Street insiders, it says ``no'' on behalf of the American people. You have perpetrated the greatest financial crimes ever on this American republic. You think you can get by with it because you are extraordinarily wealthy and the largest contributors to both Presidential and congressional campaigns in both major parties, but you are about to be brought under firm control.

First, America doesn't need to bail you out, it needs to secure the real assets and property, not your paper, that means the homes and properties of hardworking Americans who are about to lose their homes because of your mortgage greed. There should be a new job for regional Federal Reserve Banks. We want no home foreclosed if a serious work-out agreement can be put into place. And if you don't do it, we want a notarized statement by a Federal Reserve official that they tried and failed.

Second, taxpayers should directly gain any equity benefits that may flow from this historic bailout. We want the American people to get first priority in taking ownership of the institutions that want to pass their toxic paper onto the taxpayers.

Third, before any bailouts for Wall Street, America needs major job creation to rebuild our major infrastructure. America needs assets, not paper. We need working assets.

Fourth, the time for real financial regulatory change is now, not next year. A modernized Glass Eagle Act must be put in place. We need to reestablish locally-owned community savings banks across this country and create within the Justice Department a fully funded unit to prosecute every single high-flying thief whose fraud and criminal acts created this debacle and then forced their disgorgement of assets going back 15 years.

Fifth, any refinancing must return a major share of profits to a new Social Security and Medicare lockbox, where the monies can go to pay for a dignified and assured retirement for every American. This Member isn't voting for a penny of it. Those who created and profited from this game of games must be brought to justice. The assets they stole must be returned to the American taxpayers, right down to the tires on their Mercedes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring my bill to create an independent commission to investigate these well-heeled wrongdoers. Real reform now, or nothing.

Wanda Sykes for President!

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

News from the Industry - 23 platforms destroyed by Ike

MMS: '23 Platforms Destroyed By Ike, 66.8% Oil Production Still Shut-In'
Minerals Management Service 9/23/2008
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=67009

Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are reboarding platforms and rigs and restoring production following both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. The Minerals Management Service is monitoring activities for both hurricanes through its Continuity of Operations Plan team. This team will be activated until operations return to normal.

MMS has recalculated the number of manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico since 23 manned platforms have been confirmed destroyed from Hurricane Ike. The new figure of 694 manned platforms was used to calculate today’s percentage of manned platforms evacuated. Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel are evacuated from a total of 203 production platforms, equivalent to 29.3% of the 694 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.

The total number of rigs currently operating in the Gulf of Mexico has been recalculated to allow for the number of rigs destroyed or severely damaged as a result of Hurricane Ike. The recalculated figure is 116 rigs. This number was used in calculating today’s percentage of rigs evacuated. Personnel from 4 rigs are evacuated; this is equivalent to 3.5% of the 116 rigs currently operating in the Gulf.

From the operators' reports, it is estimated that approximately 66.8% of the oil production in the Gulf is shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated oil production from the Gulf of Mexico is 1.3 million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that approximately 61.6% of the natural gas production in the Gulf is shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico was 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas per day. Since that time, gas production from the Independence Hub facility has increased and current gas production from the Gulf is estimated at 7.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

What religion should I be?

You Should Follow Unitarian Universalism
For you, religion is about asking questions. Questions that might never be answered.
In fact, you're more likely to consider yourself spiritual than religious.

You don't have any set beliefs, besides the belief that you should work to improve the world.
You are a true humanist who works for social justice and world peace.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Evolution?


From the Falklands War in 1982, a Penguin and a sheep look at the conflict from a different perspective.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Public service announcement - Shopping and Security

As a security officer myself, its time to start thinking about Christmas shopping. Yeah, I know its a little early, but they got us starting to think about these things at work, so I thought I would add my take as a security professional without giving away all the tricks of our trade.

I want to say these are good tips. One thing emphasised below and it keeps your car from being broken into is to not leave items on the seats and have them visible. Thieves look for stuff on the seats. Place items while shopping in your trunk always being sure to check your surroundings while doing so.

One thing to remember is that even if a shopping mall or other such retail environment has a camera system, there are many such cameras (sometimes in the hundreds) and all cannot be under observation at any one time. They can catch someone if that particular camera is under observation at a particular moment, but don't assume that since they have cameras that it is under observation. However, all cameras are recording and those tapes or digital recordings can be run back up to a month on many systems. Officers observing camera systems are trained to look for trends and activities which might lead to criminal activity. However, input from the public is necessary and one is encouraged to notify security at the retail facility you are at if you observe suspicious activity.

Remember, we are all in this and anything you can do to help security staff helps to reduce costs to you. For each item stolen, the costs to honest individuals increase in order to cover the losses from theft. Also, there are huge losses from organized retail theft rings with gangs of individuals going after a particular mall or large retail venue. Those losses cost YOU!

Retail theft gangs more often than not do not fit the stereotype of a shoplifter. They come from all races, creeds, colors and sexes. They are there to fleece the mall and sometimes are as trained as the security officers. They case a mall, looking for gaps in the security, camera placement, and other general items to make their job easier. They specialize in gathering large numbers of items from stores at one time and returning to other stores in a retail facility to gather more. Many strip malls have no organized security except for individual venues so in many cases they may not recognize such gangs, especially in rural areas. Thieves will hit "soft targets" so if you see things that you think are suspicious, by all means, notify on site security (if any) or law enforcement.

With the economy going south, the likelihood is that retail theft this year is likely to be astronomical. You can assist the security professionals by being observant.

It is also important to remember that you are the first line in your own defense. If you don't feel comfortable, by all means let the people that are there to help you know. We are all in this together and by working together we can help each other.

Safety tips from a professional bodyguard

Avoid being chosen. Criminals choose their victim in 7 seconds by their demeanor. You should walk confidently - don't shuffle along with your head down. Next time you take a break in a mall watch people and see who you think would be an easy target and why. Is their purse open or wallet sticking out of the pocket, are they loaded down with packages, talking on a cell phone, distracted?

Don't be task-fixated.
Be aware of what and who is around you when you are shopping, getting gas, parking, putting packages or a child in the car. You are a target when you aren't paying attention to your surroundings.

Trust your instincts. If you think someone is following you don't run - they will chase (think wild kingdom). Instead, consider turning around and returning to where you left. Make eye contact and speak to them (hello, not a confrontation). That is an unexpected move and will throw them off. It also gives you a chance to get a description of the person.

When you are parking or leaving a building take 5 seconds and take in your surroundings before heading out. Who is around you, what type of vehicles. Avoid parking next to vans with sliding doors (you can be grabbed quickly). Check your backseat when you approach your car.

When you return home take 5 seconds and look at your house and the area around it
before you get out of your car. Is it as you left it or is something different?
Lock your doors (car and house) within 3 seconds of entering them.

Know where there are safe havens along the routes you travel frequently - fire, police, hospital, 24 hour businesses with staff like a gas station, grocery store, or restaurant. If you think someone is following you don't go home. Go to one of the safe havens instead - go where there are other people.

Never let your gas tank get less than 1/2 full.

Never allow yourself to be taken from one location to a second location where you will be isolated.

Sanitize your vehicle. What can someone tell about you if they look at your car. Can they tell if it belongs to a male or female by the bumper stickers or what's inside? Don't leave mail or magazines with your address visible.

Use the buddy system whenever possible. Run errands together, walk with a buddy. There is safety in numbers.

These were some of the important points. Use your best judgement - not everything works in every situation. Trust your instincts, your gut. The few seconds you spend checking out your surroundings and taking precautions may save you from being a victim. Be safe.

MMS Update on Shut-in Rigs - from Rigzone.

MMS Updates Gulf of Mexico Shut-in Statistics
MMS 9/17/2008
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66768

Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are reboarding platforms and rigs and restoring production following both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. The Minerals Management Service is monitoring activities for both hurricanes through its Continuity of Operations Plan team. This team will be activated until operations return to normal.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel are evacuated from a total of 425 production platforms, equivalent to 59.3% of the 717 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced. These structures remain in the same location throughout a project's duration unlike drilling rigs which typically move from location to location.

Personnel from 50 rigs are evacuated; this is equivalent to 41.3% of the 121 rigs currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can include several types of self-contained offshore drilling facilities including jackups, submersibles and semisubmersibles.

From the operators’ reports, it is estimated that approximately 95.9% of the oil production in the Gulf is shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated oil production from the Gulf of Mexico was 1.3 million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that approximately 82.3% of the natural gas production in the Gulf is shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico was 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas per day. Since that time, gas production from the Independence Hub facility has increased and current gas production from the Gulf is estimated at 7.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day.

As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the shut-in procedure, which can also be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the safety valves located below the surface of the ocean to prevent the release of oil or gas. During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time, efficiently closing in production from wells and resulting in no major spills from the Outer Continental Shelf. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.

The production percentages are calculated using information submitted by offshore operators in daily reports. Shut-in production information included in these reports is based on what the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which the MMS compares to historical production reports to ensure the estimates follow a logical pattern.

After the hurricane has passed, facilities will be inspected. Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back on line immediately. Facilities sustaining damage may take longer to bring back on line. The MMS will continue to update the evacuation and shut-in statistics at 1:00 p.m. CDT each day until these statistics are no longer significant.

Districts
Lake
Jackson
Lake
Charles
Lafayette
Houma
New
Orleans
Total
Platforms
Evacuated
76
107
110
68
64
425
Rigs
Evacuated
6
13
11
12
8
50
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in
69,521
35,595
142,151
433,535
565,668
1,246,470
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in
1003
804
1170
1004
2106
6087

This survey information is reflective of 83 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CST.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Ike and Gas Prices - News from the industry

Rigzone is one of the newsletters I subscribe to. Rigzone is the industry newsletter for the Oil Rig industry which tracks the markets for oil rigs and the oil industry. Ike hit pretty hard, but a lot of the assessment is still underway. I post here several stories from the newsletter today.

MMS Reports 28 Platforms Destroyed by Ike
MMS 9/16/2008
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66726

Minerals Management Service (MMS) reports that as of September 15, 2008, 28 of the 3,800 offshore oil and gas production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico have been destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Several other platforms have been reported as significantly damaged; information on those facilities is being compiled and will be released in the near term.

Initial estimates are that the destroyed production platforms produced a total of 11,000 barrels of oil per day and 82 million cubic feet of gas per day. (See table below.) The damage has been reported through over flights by MMS, the oil and gas industry and the U.S. Coast Guard.
Additional damage reported includes three jack-up drilling rigs destroyed and one jack-up drilling rig with extensive damage. In a separate matter, two drilling rigs that had been reported drifting on September 13, 2008 have been secured by tugs.
“To date, most of the destroyed platforms include older facilities with small levels of production,” said Lars Herbst, regional director, MMS Gulf of Mexico Region. “We expect additional reports of damage as the weather allows more flights and operators are able to board the platforms and begin inspections.”
Early reports indicate that there is some pipeline damage. The full extent of damage will not be available until operators are able to test the systems.
MMS has been conducting helicopter fly-overs to investigate reports of oil spills/sheens. While it is too early for definitive reports, there was one reported sheen as of September 15, 2008 estimated to be nine barrels; subsequent investigations showed that the sheen had dissipated.
Production from the Gulf of Mexico accounts for 25 percent of the oil produced domestically and 15 percent of the natural gas produced domestically. As of June 2008, daily production estimates for the Gulf of Mexico were 1.3 million barrels of oil and 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas. Since that time, gas production from the Independence Hub facility increased and in August 2008 gas production from the Gulf was estimated at 7.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day.
As of August 2008, there were more than 3,800 production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico; these structures range in size from single well caissons in water depths of ten feet to a large complex facility in water depth greater than 7,000 feet.

Number of Destroyed Platforms as of 9/15/08
Classified by Daily Oil Production Rates
24
Less than 1,000 barrels per day
4
1,000 to 5,000 barrels per day
0
Greater than 5,000 barrels per day

MMS: Crews Returning, But Production Still Mostly Shut-in
MMS 9/16/2008
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66717

Offshore oil and gas operators in the Gulf of Mexico are reboarding platforms and rigs and restoring production following both Hurricane Gustav and Hurricane Ike. The Minerals Management Service is monitoring activities for both hurricanes through its Continuity of Operations Plan team. This team will be activated until operations return to normal.

Based on data from offshore operator reports submitted as of 11:30 a.m. CDT today, personnel have been evacuated from a total of 498 production platforms, equivalent to 69.5 % of the 717 manned platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. Production platforms are the structures located offshore from which oil and natural gas are produced. These structures remain in the same location throughout a project’s duration unlike drilling rigs which typically move from location to location.

Personnel from 71 rigs have also been evacuated; this is equivalent to 58.7 % of the 121 rigs currently operating in the Gulf. Rigs can include several types of self-contained offshore drilling facilities including jackups, submersibles and semisubmersibles.
From the operators’ reports, it is estimated that approximately 97.2 % of the oil production in the Gulf has been shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated oil production from the Gulf of Mexico is 1.3 million barrels of oil per day. It is also estimated that approximately 84.2 % of the natural gas production in the Gulf has been shut-in. As of June 2008, estimated natural gas production from the Gulf of Mexico was 7.0 billion cubic feet of gas per day. Since that time, gas production from the Independence Hub facility has increased and current gas production from the Gulf is estimated at 7.4 billion cubic feet of gas per day.
As part of the evacuation process, personnel activate the shut-in procedure, which can also be accomplished from a remote location. This involves closing the safety valves located below the surface of the ocean to prevent the release of oil or gas. During Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the shut-in valves functioned 100 percent of the time, efficiently closing in production from wells and resulting in no major spills from the Outer Continental Shelf. Shutting-in oil and gas production is a standard procedure conducted by industry for safety and environmental reasons.
The production percentages are calculated using information submitted by offshore operators in daily reports. Shut-in production information included in these reports is based on what the operator expected to produce that day. The shut-in production figures therefore are estimates, which the MMS compares to historical production reports to ensure the estimates follow a logical pattern.
After the hurricane has passed, facilities will be inspected. Once all standard checks have been completed, production from undamaged facilities will be brought back on line immediately. Facilities sustaining damage may take longer to bring back on line. The MMS will continue to update the evacuation and shut-in statistics at 1:00 p.m. CDT each day until these statistics are no longer significant.

Districts
Lake
Jackson
Lake
Charles
Lafayette
Houma
New
Orleans
Total
Platforms
Evacuated
84
113
119
99
83
498
Rigs
Evacuated
9
14
14
20
14
71
Oil, BOPD
Shut-in
69,367
35,263
160,059
433,645
565,396
1,263,730
Gas,
MMCF/D
Shut-in
1,200
816
1,211
992
2,012
6,231

This survey information is reflective of 84 companies’ reports as of 11:30 a.m. CST.

As US Gulf Oil, Gas Output Restarts After Ike, Cracks Appear
by Isabel Ordonez and Jason Womack
Dow Jones Newswires 9/16/2008
URL: http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=66704

HOUSTON (Dow Jones Newswires), September 16, 2008

As crude oil and natural gas output in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico began to show signs of life, damage to offshore platforms became more evident.

Chevron Corp., the third-largest producer in the Gulf, said Monday that Hurricane Ike toppled several platforms, although it didn't say which ones. Before the hurricane hit, Chevron was close to starting production at its massive 125,000-barrel-a-day offshore Tahiti project.

Eileen Angelico, spokeswoman for the U.S. Minerals Management Service, a federal agency that oversees oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico, said flyovers revealed that at least 10 platforms have been affected by the storm "but that number could grow."

There are 717 manned platforms in the Gulf, most of which are still evacuated following Hurricane Ike. There are also hundreds of unmanned platforms.

The damage wreaked by Ike, which made landfall Saturday in Galveston, Texas, as a Category 2 hurricane, is the worst the Gulf Coast region has seen in three years. While the extent of the damage still pales in comparison to that caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ivan in 2004, it may delay the restart of output in the Gulf, home to a quarter of the nation's oil and about 13% of its natural gas production.

The MMS said Monday that virtually all oil output and more than 90% of gas output remain offline due to Ike, which ravaged the Texas coastline and knocked out power to millions of households and refineries.

Oil futures have discounted a long-term supply disruption. Benchmark crude futures fell below $94 in electronic trading following the end of the floor session. Natural gas futures ended flat at $7.374 a million British thermal units.

Independence Hub Restarts

The MMS, which didn't provide additional information about which platforms are affected, said it needs to finish analyzing the data collected and that more details would emerge Tuesday morning.

The positive news of the day came from Anadarko Petroleum Corp., which said Monday it restarted production from its Independence Hub and is performing minor repairs to two other platforms that were damaged by Hurricane Ike.

The Houston-based independent oil and gas company operates eight platforms in the Gulf of Mexico - including the Independence Hub, a massive production platform with a capacity of a billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. Anadarko was also returning some workers to its Marco Polo and Constitution platforms in the Gulf, which sustained some minor damage in the storm, the company said. But Anadarko's western Gulf facilities remain shut in, pending flyover assessments, the company said.

Heavyweight oil and gas Gulf producer, Royal Dutch Shell, said it was redeploying workers in the eastern Gulf of Mexico to restart production, a process that will continue until Sunday.

BP PLC, another large producer of oil and gas in the Gulf, said Sunday it expects to progressively restart production over the next week.

The speed of the production ramp-up depends not only on the ability of oil companies to resume operations but also on the capacity of pipelines to start working.

'Moderate' Damage At Shell

Shell said Sunday it had found "moderate" damage to some platforms, although there didn't appear to be any structural damage.

Exxon Mobil Corp., Apache Corp. and BHP Billiton Ltd. deployed personnel to evaluate their platforms but haven't released the results of the inspections.

"Getting out is a challenge," said Bill Mintz, Apache's spokesman. "We are doing it safely and expeditiously and it's going to take some time."

Tim Evans, an energy analyst at Citi Futures Perspective in New York, said that despite the damage to rigs and platforms, production losses from Hurricane Ike wouldn't be as prolonged as those experienced after hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast.

"I don't think we are talking about anything that severe," he said. Evans anticipates that 80% of production affected by Ike will be restored within two weeks, unlike the nine months that it took to restore production following Katrina.

Copyright (c) 2008 Dow Jones & Company, Inc

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Ike plays St. Louis.

Well, Ike has come through and boy was he pissed. I have just got home, and I had to go through numerous flooded roads. One was literally a river and I foolishly drove through it. I was so blessed that I got through it. Fenton Creek has overflowed and is blocking off Highway 141 as you exit off of Highway 30. This is an area that doesn't normally flood. I have not seen this kind of flooding since I have moved back here. This is really flash flooding. There is also high wind as well, the trees bending and there is a lot of debris in the roads. Whats really surprising is the rocks and other things that make it into the road.

The Mall is leaking like a sieve and I had to stay late to help them deal with problems. I finally got out after staying over 45 minutes. Because this is Sunday, we lack the staff to deal with a lot of problems. I know the mall will open up. Its no question there.

I am listening to the scanner and there are a whole bunch of reports of flooded roads and water rescues and its just a madhouse. There is one straight truck, (six wheel bobtail delivery truck) which is flooded to its axle and the driver was being rescued by the Fire Department. This is just one of the many water rescues that are being run at the time I am writing. One dispatcher is trying to get hold of a missing officer. Hopefully he isn't washed away. One policy car got flooded out trying to rescue someone. The officer was able to get his car restarted and get out, and was still able to complete the rescue.

I better save this cause I don't know if I will have power for long with the wind being what it is. Hopefully we will be through this by noon like they are saying. I bet it was like this all through the zone where Ike moved through.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

The 9-11 blog

Seven years ago, I spent the night at my job which was data entry in Air Cargo. I caught up on some paperwork when one of our drivers came in and announced that a plane had struck the World Trade Center. I called the people that meant the most in my life to assure myself where they were and that they were safe. I went back to my job and then they shut the airlines down. The world stopped for us, and we were faced with many days of working around the industry we so depended on. Living near the airport, the silence was so palatable, like a tomb. The highways were quiet, the plants were shut down (because they depend so much on the just-in-time deliveries that air cargo offers). Everyone seemed to be camped out in front of their televisions.

The thing today is to think about what happened this day 7 years ago. Many things changed. I know I probably would still have a good job if it hadn't happened. TWA might still be around. Our airport experience might be a little more pleasant. We wouldn't have to remove our shoes to have them x-rayed before we get on a plane. We wouldn't live in fear. We certainly would not be in Iraq or Afghanistan for sure. Our military would not be bogged down in a war that doesn't look like its going to end any time soon. There would be at least 7000 more happy families who haven't lost loved ones in the United States. Saddam Hussein might still be in power or overthrown in a coup.

There are many things that didn't change. One thing is that Air Cargo still is not screened in the US, even though it has in Europe for many years even before 9-11. The only things needed to ship air cargo in the US is a "trusted shipper" declaration which is established from previous business that the carrier has done with his customer. Basically a system based on trust that the customer or shipper is not a terrorist. No air cargo is inspected that goes on airliners in the US. This, in spite of the fact that we are not allowed to carry more than 3 ounces of liquids on our carry on luggage. This is a system that is ripe for abuse and is the largest hole in aviation security.

Our ports are wide open. There are hundreds of thousands of cargo containers that go uninspected entering the United States every day. If one can get a bale of marijuana or a brick of cocaine into the US, then certainly a terrorist or device can get past the our borders as well.

The is much to worry about and we will never really be secure in this land unless we want to take steps that turn this land of the free into a prison. We are already taking such sad steps and over the seven years since that event, our civil liberties have eroded. We are told that such things are a relic of the past. So the next 7 years may bring even more drastic changes in our society. We can't know what those changes are, but there will be change. We, as a society have to understand those changes and make the changes we need to secure our society, yet preserve our freedoms. Let us hope that wisdom in our leaders prevail and that we as a society make the correct decisions.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Some Observations.

Someday we may be all rounded up if we don't stand for our convictions. What really terrifies me is that we on the left tend to be too nice and not want to play the gutter snipe. We like to think of ourselves as better than that. What we end up being is perceived as weak and not standing up for our convictions. We are just as right or even more so than they are. We have our convictions and need to stand up for them. We can't let those people win or else our rights and liberties that our forefathers fought for will die a slow miserable death.

There has been a slow erosion of our civil liberties in the name of Homeland Security of late and that is not what we need. We need to think of Osama bin Laden as the criminal he is rather than an enemy to be dealt with militarily. We cannot face him entirely on the battlefield. We have to deal with him with the same tactics of guile and subterfuge that he uses. During the Cold War, these were the tactics we used in combatinb terrorism to moderate success and they worked.

The military has already taken the "War on Terror" as a term and is now calling it "The Long War" which has lasted (and continuse to last) longer than any conflict the US has ever faced. The military knows what its capabilities are and as of this time they are being overtaxed and our leaders just can't seem to realize it. The kind of change we need is not another version of Bush (McCain = "Bush lite") but a real change in the strategy of dealing with al Queda as a movement. All that our efforts in dealing with al Queda on the battlefield has doing is undermined the conflict itself. With every civilian we accidentally kill, we are creating more martyrs for the cause and swelling the ranks with fresh recruits filled with the resolve that comes with the death of a loved one. It undermines itself with every ally we alienate. Also, as our military is taxed, it weakens our ability to deal with other growing powers like China and a resurgent Russia.

What Bush has done is the same thing that let the Soviets run rampant in the 70's because Vietnam had weakened and taxed our military to death. Reagan took what Carter's DOD had planed and ran with it, expanding our military and spending furiously. What eventually killed the Soviet Union was not Regan, although his administration kept up the policies that did. What killed them as a nation was that they couldn't exist as a society because technological advancement had caught up with them. You can't have computers and have a censored, secretive society. Not when any computer can become a copier and disseminate information in a city, province, or the world. Even the Chinese are discovering this. You can't have advancement without a free exchange of information. When censorship exists in art, music, science and so forth, advancement is stilted and chaotic. The Chinese are experimenting with a censored internet. Its an ongoing expriment that probably will not succede because without that free exchange of ideas, society will become stagnent and the advancement that the Chinese economy has experienced will eventually slow. However, I could be wrong. In that case, this does not bode well for our future and if the Chinese are successful, then we face a dark future in which information will be supressed for the convienence of political and economic expeciency.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Sarah Palin - Another one

Here's another item I came across concerning Sarah Palin. This e-mail she sent to a friend has gone viral and was featured on NPR among other media.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=94332543

I am forwarding this in the way requested. It is long, but I think I would add to that it should be forwarded without editing. No cutting, pasting, adding or changing the e-mail. To do so would be dishonest and dishonorable.

Subject: re: SARAH PALIN

Dear friends,

So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in the last 2 days that I decided to write something up . . .

Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only 2 things in common: their gender and their good looks. :)

You have my permission to forward this to your friends/email contacts with my name and email address attached, but please do not post it on any websites, as there are too many kooks out there . . .

Thanks,

Anne

ABOUT SARAH PALIN

I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992. Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a first name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the residents of the city.

She is enormously popular; in every way she's like the most popular girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because she is a "babe".

It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents for seven months.

She is "pro-life". She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby.There is no cover-up involved, here; Trig is her baby.

She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.

She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.

Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin's kind of job is highly sought-after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major source of income. Nor has her life-style ever been anything like that of native Alaskans.

Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.

She's smart.

Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000 (at the time), and less than 2 years as governor of a state with about 670,000 residents.

During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had given rise to a recall campaign.

Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative" . During her 6 years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over 33%. During those same 6 years the amount of taxes collected by the City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they benefited residents.

The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list though, borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt, but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant that the city lacked? or a new library? No. $1m for a park. $15m-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't even have clear title to, that was still in litigation 7 yrs later--to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds for $5.5m for road projects that could have been done in 5-7 yrs without any borrowing. While Mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office redecorated more than once. These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.

As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state. In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's surplus, borrow for needs.

She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas or compromise. As Mayor, she fought ideas that weren't generated by her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the basis of who proposed them.

While Sarah was Mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.

Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for Mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys". Palin fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people, creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally grateful and fiercely loyal--loyal to the point of abusing their power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened in the case of pressuring the State's top cop (see below).

As Mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's Police Chief because he "intimidated" her, she told the press. As Governor, her recent firing of Alaska's top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a State Trooper. Under investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than 2 dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in- law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public furor, she withdrew her support.

She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in help. The City Council person who personally escorted her around town introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council became one of her first targets when she was later elected Mayor. She abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn't like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness. Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything publicly about her.

When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah got the best, Chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission: one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid.

She had no background in oil & gas issues. Within months of scoring this great job which paid $122,400/yr, she was complaining in the press about the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this Commission (who was also the State Chair of the Republican Party) engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically quit, exposing this man's ethics violations (for which he was fined).

As Mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.

As Governor, she gave the Legislature no direction and budget guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative action restored most of these projects--which had been vetoed simply because she was not aware of their importance-- but with the unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork".

She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The State party leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a fiscal conservative.

Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah. They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced manager, ran for Mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her. As Governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies to march to the beat of her drum.

Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a state initiaitive that would have either a) protected salmon streams from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the State's lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar bears as threatened species.

McCain is the oldest person to ever run for President; Sarah will be a heartbeat away from being President. There has to be literally millions of Americans who are more knowledgeable and experienced than she. However, there's a lot of people who have underestimated her and are regretting it.

CLAIM VS FACT

."Hockey mom": true for a few years

."PTA mom": true years ago when her first-born was in elementary school, not since

."NRA supporter": absolutely true

.social conservative: mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships (said she did this because it was unconsitutional) .

.pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to promote it.

."Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life legislation

."Experienced" : Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska. No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city administrator to run town of about 5,000.

.political maverick: not at all

.gutsy: absolutely!

.open & transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at explaining actions.

.has a developed philosophy of public policy: no

."a Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling off-shore and in ANWR.

.fiscal conservative: not by my definition!

.pro-infrastructure : No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built streets to early 20th century standards.

.pro-tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden on residents

.pro-small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city government in Wasilla's history.

.pro-labor/pro- union. No. Just because her husband works union doesn't make her pro-labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim that she is pro-labor/pro- union.

WHY AM I WRITING THIS?

First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting programs in the schools. If you google my name (Anne Kilkenny + Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.

Secondly, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad things happen when good people stay silent". Few people know as much as I do because few have gone to as many City Council meetings.

Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But, I am no fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will cost me somehow in the future: that's life.

Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100 or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah's attempt at censorship.

Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.

CAVEATS

I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in spending & taxation 2 years ago (when Palin was running for Governor) from information supplied to me by the Finance Director of the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for: did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall--they are swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.

You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000", up to 9,000. The day Palin's selection was announced a city official told me that the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was Mayor from 1996 to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90's.

Anne Kilkenny

annekilkenny@ hotmail.com

August 31, 2008

About Me

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I am interested in CNG vehicles because they are good for the environment and aren't powered by dead Marines. I still have a little hope for the world. Read the musings and enjoy.

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