First Deepwater Exploration For Oil And Gas Approved By U.S. Since BP Oil Spill

WASHINGTON - The Interior Department said on Monday it approved Shell's plan for deepwater oil and natural gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, the first such exploration plan with a complete environmental assessment since the BP oil spill.

The department imposed tougher safety and environmental review requirements for exploration plans and drilling permits following the massive oil spill last summer.

"This exploration plan meets the new standards for environmental review and marks another important step toward safer deepwater exploration," said Interior Secretary Ken Salazar.

Shell's exploration plan is for its leased Auger field located 130 miles off the Louisiana coastline. The company wants to drill three exploratory wells in nearly 3,000 feet of water.

There are 13 other deepwater plans pending approval, the department said.

(Reporting by Tom Doggett; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Sofina Mirza-Reid)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Derek Lantin]

08:37 AM on 03/27/2011

Sir

I have no first hand knowledge of oil drilling technology. However I wonder whether relevant Government Agencies made the exploration company submit studies such as Environmental Impact Assessment and Risk Analysis of the proposed drilling.

One assumes that they were requested to do so.

I would be interested to learn if the studies and the technical approvals have been made public.

Derek Lantin. http://dereklantin.booksabuzz.com

[rockyroad]

10:34 PM on 03/23/2011

Lots of carbon-based product is being drilled for in the Gulf. Each product has a name. Each product has a different untiliy and quality. Deep Water Horizon was not drilling for "gas". Deep water drilling to date is not drilling for gas. No one is drilling for generic "gas."

If you know what you're talkiing about, state it specifically. If you don't, best to keep your mouth shut . . . unless, of course, your agenda is to disinform rather than to enlighten.

[mendodnem]

12:47 PM on 03/22/2011

So soon they forget. The insanity of this continued practice will further destroy the gulf and who knows what else. Money talks and the environment and mankind can take a walk.

[winning]

12:05 PM on 03/22/2011

Simply telling Americans there is nothing to do but sell your car and buy an expensive new one, while cutting off domestic supply and purposefully making gasoline more expensive is a dangerous and reckless policy amidst a struggling economic recovery. We can only hope President Obama abandons this strategy and recognizes the economic pain Americans are feeling now, in the present. A jobless recovery may continue until Secretary Chu’s roadblocks are removed.

[albar]

11:22 AM on 03/22/2011

That should please Boehner and his gang

[tresluv]

10:56 AM on 03/22/2011

Also on this page, the story "Fresh oil continues to wash up on the beach in Louisiana (Bayou)".

It is outrageous that Ken Salazar wasn't fired over the Gulf spill. He'd had almost a year to clean up the mess at Interior that was created by the Bush/Cheney oil company cronies in the Department, and had done basically nothing.
This disgusts me beyond my ability to express.

[fredisfred]

10:53 AM on 03/22/2011

Mmmmm, oily seafood, yummy!

In Big Oil We Trust

[gino618]

10:47 AM on 03/22/2011

Wow - one approval.....
 
Meanwhile, Obama is in Brazil supporting their efforts to drill and stating that we will buy their oil production.  That means jobs and exports for Brazil.  Great for them.... what does that do for us except maintain our dependency on others?
 
Mr. President - how about you rally the same support for drilling and production HERE in your own country so we don't HAVE to rely so heavily on the other countries?
 
Why is it ok - even promoted by you - for Brazil to drill and produce oil - but when you speak here, it's a bad thing for us?

[tresluv]

10:59 AM on 03/22/2011

The more relevant question is, what happened to that "clean, green energy" research and development initiative we heard so much about, on the campaign trail?

Business as usual and only a matter of time until the next spill/explosion, with more environmental destruction and possibly more loss of lives.

[ninjalisacat]

11:01 AM on 03/22/2011

all the money for that went to the oil, natural gas, & nuke industry instead.

[gino618]

11:31 AM on 03/22/2011

I have no problem with research & development of 'clean, green energy'.
 
What I have a problem with is those who think it's a cure-all which we can get to anytime soon.
 
I also have a problem with a President who claims he wants us to have jobs in this country, but won't allow companies the tools to produce them - instead promoting them in places like Brazil, over our own country.

[Bill Soder]

12:07 PM on 03/22/2011

America (and most of the world) are dependent on oil. There is no option to replace it and maintain the current way of life. Even though the price continues to rise, it is still the most effective way (monetarily) for the amount of power it produces. But oil is not a solution based on permanence, it is a finite resource and, especially, something America does not have much of. It is a sad fact that as long as America needs oil, it will have to come from somewhere else. Even from the most conservative estimates, America consumes about 20 million barrels a day. It is simple math to see that the 787 million barrel reserve will be depleted in less than a month and half. Also, deep water drilling is one of the expensive ways to gather it. Only sky-high prices can sustain it as an option. It is not a good sign that deep water drilling is a solution. The more it becomes used means two things, prices will continue to rise and more traditional, less expensive options are being exhausted. I can say, in all likelihood, that America wants to keep as much as it can for the inevitable day there is no more.

[Cranmer1549]

10:44 AM on 03/22/2011

Ha ha ha, what a joke! Not one person has been punished, not one dollar has been fined, yet the oil companies can continue business as usual. Not even one year after the BP/Halliburton oil spill and its drill, baby, drill again.

[demdame1]

10:37 AM on 03/22/2011

Just like the Appalachian mountains, the GOM is becoming the American Energy Sacrifice Zone.Once gone, we or our gramdchildren will never see again.

[lastpost]

10:13 AM on 03/22/2011

“another important step”
I hope you won’t take this as a threat Muammar. But if you don’t declare a sustainable ceasefire soon. We may be forced to let BP come and drill off your shore.

[DoUGetItYet]

10:27 AM on 03/22/2011

Through negotiatians between the U.K., Scotland and the U.S. the lockerbie bomber was released so BP COULD get oil rights in Lybia

[ninjalisacat]

10:59 AM on 03/22/2011

Yes & the BP workamong the 1st to evacuate when ers already in Libya since that deal....were shatu hit the fan there...go figure.

[AlonzoQuijana]

09:40 AM on 03/22/2011

This is certainly good news, but too long in coming. A lot of the rigs have already fled the Gulf for more hospitable regulatory jurisdictions, and they won't be coming back for years. OPEC could not have planned this any better.

[Middleman420]

10:47 AM on 03/22/2011

The rigs went to Brazil where Obama just signed contracts to buy from Petrobras. Oh yeah, greenie Soros owns a lot of that....Hmmm

[den1953]

09:14 AM on 03/22/2011

Radioactive crude oil basted shell fish that should be at the top of Red Lobsters menu what a catch!

[ninjalisacat]

11:06 AM on 03/22/2011

oh yeah I know right? & you just have to love how they hide things until after the fact...you know....after you've already eaten a ton of it. Kind of like the "radioactive plume" that they say today has already gone across the whole of the US...you know...after the fact..lol.

[den1953]

11:15 AM on 03/22/2011

Cheer up after 50 years you stop peeing a glow stick!

[sabelmouse]

09:13 AM on 03/22/2011

oh dear. i'm with the yrr.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swarm-Novel-Deep-Frank-Schatzing/dp/0340920750/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300799578&sr=8-1

[den1953]

09:09 AM on 03/22/2011

That is the ticket one more thing to have Americans worry about, take your mind off of Japan and glowing in the dark, if there is a accident we won't think about that 100 mile pile of goop floating in the gulf?