Mariner Energy, Inc.has confirmed that a fire occurred at a production platform located on Vermilion Block 380. All 13 crew members have been evacuated and safely accounted for. One crew member had minor injuries, however, everyone else is completely fine. In the initial flyover, no hydrocarbon spill was reported. Mariner Energy has notified and...
Read more »
Environment
Oil Rig Explosion – An Environmentalist’s Nightmare?
MIT Researchers Unveil Seaswarm – Autonomous Oil Absorbing Robots That Can Clean Up Oil Spills
In Cambridge, Massachusetts researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have created a robotic prototype that could autonomously navigate the surface of the ocean to collect surface oil and process it on site. This enables these robots to clean up oil quickly and efficiently. The system is called Seaswarm. It’s a fleet of vehicles...
Read more »
Bacteria Discovered that Eats the Oil Spill
A group of scientists, lead by Terry C. Hazen, from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, published an article titled Deep-Sea Oil Plume Enriches Indigenous Oil-Degrading Bacteria in Science. The article describes the results of measurements by the scientists from samples taken from the underwater oil plume which resulted from the BP oil...
Read more »
High Tech Recycling Bins Tell City Officials When People Aren’t Recycling
In Cleveland, Ohio a new move is being undertaken to try to get the citizens recycle. Next year the city will roll out a high-tech collection system with new trash and recycling carts embedded with radio frequency identification chips (RFID) and bar codes. The chips will allow city workers to monitor how often residents...
Read more »
Hurricane Katrina Fifth Anniversary, Remembrance
This coming week is the fifth “anniversary” of the costliest Hurricane in American History. It first struck South Florida, then it nearly destroyed New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina formed on August 23rd 2005, it dissipated on August 30th 2005. Hurricane Katrina will be remembered for a long time as one of the most devastating hurricanes...
Read more »
World’s First Hybrid Tugboat is Getting a Sister
Foss Maritime Company, the builder and operator of the world’s first hybrid tugboat, will soon be adding another pioneering vessel to its Southern California fleet. They will be doing this will the help of an air quality grant obtained by the Port of Long Beach. Foss’ Carolyn Dorothy, their first hybrid tug, was launched...
Read more »
74% of Oil in BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Supposedly Gone
Most of the oil is supposedly gone. In a report from scientist paid by the government it was reported today that the vast majority of the oil either evaporated, been burned, skimmend or recovered from the wellhead, which was leaking most of the time. Yes, right, heavy crude oil evaporates and you can burn...
Read more »
BP Starts To Seal Well With Cement
BP announced today, that they started pumping cement into the well as part of the static kill procedure. As usual they add a disclaimer showing how they are not responsible and daddy is watching: “All operations are being carried out with the guidance and approval of the National Incident Commander and other government officials”....
Read more »
Shark Week 2010: Happy Shark Week
Shark Week 2010 is now nicknamed “Happy Shark Week” and it is beginning today, August 1 on Discovery Channel. This season will be featuring six brand-new shark specials. Craig Ferguson will be hosting the show. After one year, the episodes of the Shark Week of the prior year are usually released on DVD. The...
Read more »
Preliminary Litigation Over BP’s Gulf Spill Opens With Venue Dispute
The first salvo over the gulf spill litigation involves a dispute over venue – basically, this is where both sides are petitioning the court where the case should be tried. Bloomberg is reporting that the United States government prefers the cases to be tried in New Orleans, as the majority of those who suffered...
Read more »
