Don't Look now, but Congress just OKed Drilling in part of ANWR

[starlite9]

As another point of fact for the Prince Willam Sound of the Exxon Valdez fame. All these people talk about all the long time damage of the oil on the enviroment. The oil's major effects were washed out to sea within a few months. The water flow though the sound is huge, it has 100% flush cycle every 30 days. The tides are as much as 30 feet twice daily. Had the Exxon Valdez been able to back off Blighe Reef and sank, it would have been in almost 1,000 feet of water.

The block of oil that escaped was 25% of the cargo, so imagine a block of oil 60' tall, 180' long and 65' wide. 80% of that would evaporate, which doesn't leave much oil to cover an area the size of our smaller states. But the press would show maps on TV with oil blackened beaches all the way past Kodiak. Yes there was some oil, but the main deposit was at Knight Island and was a few feet deep at the time because it trapped the oil. It was a mess, but nature did more than all the cleanup crews did to remove what was left.

The differance between facts and fiction are very wide. When I was working the spill in the Gulf, everyone was believing that the PWS was still covered with oil, the press and wack groups keep pushing that agenda to get people to donate money, and they openly believe without question the lies, and that manifests itself here by listening to people that still believe that damage is great because they read it somewhere, but have never even been to Alaska.

The Gulf Spill had some bright spots though, when the leak was stopped, the oil just disappeared. Which really screwed up the groups working to raise money when the average Person could go down to the beach and see no oil. At some point they start to realize they are being fed crap. So now these groups are pushing "Health Issues" which is just a different angle to scare people. The only ones that were in direct contact with the vapors were the crews at the leak site, Sixty miles from nowhere.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Glitch

Under the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (a.k.a. "Jones Act") requires that all goods transported by water between US ports be carried in US-flagged ships, constructed in the US, owned by US citizens, and crewed by US citizens and US permanent residents.

In order for the Russian tanker to deliver oil to Nome last year, it required a waiver from the Jones Act by the Department of Homeland Security.

Yep, you're correct, but the Loopholes show up when a foreign Tanker loads in Alaska and then transports to a foreign Port, then the Jones Act doen't count. That is why these Foregin Cruise ships can work in US waters, they pick up in the US and end in a different Country, then load up there and come back to a US Port.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by starlite9

I don't know what ships are allowed to haul crude oil nowadays though.

Each of the major producers contracts with a different shipper to transport crude from the Terminal.

Alaska Tanker Company - British Petroleum
Polar Tankers - ConocoPhillips
SeaRiver Maritime - ExxonMobil
SeaBulk International - Tesoro Alaska

http://www.pwsrcac.org/docs/d0019800.pdf

There are just over a dozen tankers that visit the terminal nowdays. These are the midsize DWT, double-hull tankers due to the lower throughput, not the big "Supertankers" anymore like the Exxon Valdez.

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spill...r%20Report.pdf

[ImAHobbit]

I hear that there is oil coming up all along the shore in California ever since they shut down offshore drilling. From what I understand, if we don't suck it out, the pressures in the oil reserviors build to the point where they are forced to the surface and wash up on the beach, fortunately, most of the oil never reaches the beach, but is cleaned up by microorganisms living in the ocean.

So the big questions are:
Does the oil help you get that great So Cal tan?
Would CA be totally broke if they were getting money from oil?
Would people be moving out of CA in droves if there were MORE jobs?
Would AADAD and arctichomesteader quit worshipping GAIA? (Yeah, doubt it...)

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by ImAHobbit

I hear that there is oil coming up all along the shore in California ever since they shut down offshore drilling. From what I understand, if we don't suck it out, the pressures in the oil reserviors build to the point where they are forced to the surface and wash up on the beach, fortunately, most of the oil never reaches the beach, but is cleaned up by microorganisms living in the ocean.

So the big questions are:
Does the oil help you get that great So Cal tan?
Would CA be totally broke if they were getting money from oil?
Would people be moving out of CA in droves if there were MORE jobs?
Would AADAD and arctichomesteader quit worshipping GAIA? (Yeah, doubt it...)

The vast majority of the oil may not reach the beaches in California, but enough of it does to form lots of tar balls from Venice beach all the way up to Zuma beach in Malibu.

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by ImAHobbit

I hear that there is oil coming up all along the shore in California ever since they shut down offshore drilling. From what I understand, if we don't suck it out, the pressures in the oil reserviors build to the point where they are forced to the surface and wash up on the beach, fortunately, most of the oil never reaches the beach, but is cleaned up by microorganisms living in the ocean.

So the big questions are:
Does the oil help you get that great So Cal tan?
Would CA be totally broke if they were getting money from oil?
Would people be moving out of CA in droves if there were MORE jobs?
Would AADAD and arctichomesteader quit worshipping GAIA? (Yeah, doubt it...)

Well if we are really good stewards of the land, it is our moral obligation to drill for oil to relieve all the pressure it's under!

The gulf spill showed just how much pressure it was under!! Just imagine how much oil will pop up off the coast of California when the next big Earthquake fault line lets billions of barrels of oil come up at one time! And it will be our fault because we didn't drill for it and take the pressure off the tectonic plates!

We've saved the arctic because we have relieved all that pressure with the removal of 30 billion barrels of oil! We are so good, but our work isn't done! ANWR and the National Petroleum Reserve need saving too! And that doesn't even take into consideration the offshore shelf!

Like any of that is going to happen anytime soon.......

[Glitch]

Originally Posted by starlite9

Yep, you're correct, but the Loopholes show up when a foreign Tanker loads in Alaska and then transports to a foreign Port, then the Jones Act doen't count. That is why these Foregin Cruise ships can work in US waters, they pick up in the US and end in a different Country, then load up there and come back to a US Port.

True, but with regard to oil, only 3% of what is produced is being exported for foreign nations. 95% is shipped to the lower-48, and the remainder stays in Alaska.