Yesterday, along with news of two new oil spills along the coasts of the USA, I noted that the Montara oil drilling platform, which has now been spilling between 400 and 2,000 barrels of oil per day for two months and twelve days straight, caught fire over the weekend, forcing an abandonment of what became the 5th failed attempt to plug the leak.
Today, video footage of the fire on the platform, which includes the well head itself, is available. It shows gigantic flames that almost completely engulf the structure. It is predicted that the platform is likely to collapse into the sea.
The fire is described as completely out of control. Jose Martins, spokesperson for PTTEP Australasia, the company that owns and operates the offshore drilling rig, admits that “Measures which we have been able to take so far can only mitigate the fire. They cannot stop the fire.” There is supposed to be a 6th attempt to stop the oil leak today, which will involve dumping huge amounts of mud onto the ocean floor where the leak is thought to be taking place. However, PTTEP had been unable to successfully complete such operations even before the fire began.
The area where the oil spill and inferno are taking place is home to the world’s largest population of humpback whales, as well as an unusually diverse ecosystem of other marine species. The following are among the more recent video reports from Australia and Al Jazeera.
Here in the United States, CNN isn’t showing the footage, and hasn’t even reported on the spill since August 24. They’re too busy keeping track of which celebrities have the flu.
With this disaster happening along Australian shores, why are America politicians still pushing the drill baby drill policy of expanding offshore drilling in our own waters?
Holy crap. People, you’ve gotta watch these videos.
It only leaked for TEN WEEKS!!!??
With this disaster happening along Australian shores, why are America politicians still pushing the drill baby drill policy of expanding offshore drilling in our own waters?
Because groups like the Sierra Club and the EDF won’t allow us to drill within our own shores. Gotta get the oil from somewhere other than the Middle east. And don’t give me that alternative energy bull. Oil is used in every day products that fill YOUR closets and shelves in your home. Plastics, rubber etc. From your tootbrush to your sports water bottle to your reusable Green friendly grocery bag.
So, we should wreck tens of thousands of square miles of the ocean for sports bottles and plastic grocery bags? I don’t think so. These are things that we can get along without.
(By the way, most reusable grocery bags are made out natural fibers, not petroleum)
You confuse me “Tim.” It looks like you’re saying Politicians support the policy merely because environmental groups oppose it. ??
We should permanently damage fragile ecosystems (not a question of “If” but rather “How much” damage) for a few months worth of oil? Doesn’t sound like a good trade off to me. We’re well aware that petrol goes into Many non-energy products. The alternatives for those products are even more varied than the alternative energy sources.
green man, it’s only been leaking for ten weeks!cut these guys some slack! surely you understand we need more shit to fill our closets!
i believe tom and “they call me…tim” are being facetious and sarcastic and FUNNY. that ‘ten weeks’ line cracked me up.
well,i’m sure tom was joking, i hope “tim” was. that part about rubbers, toothbrushes and green grocery bags could not be serious, could it?
come to think of it, american politicians pushing for off shore drilling here could very well be the reason for the zippo/nada media coverage of the oil spills there.
wow! what a revelation!