Obama Administration Escalates Response to Gulf Oil Spill

The White House escalated its response Thursday to the growing oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, as administration officials said that the disaster could prompt a rethink of President Barack Obama's recently announced proposal to allow expanded offshore oil and gas drilling.

In an afternoon appearance in the Rose Garden, Mr. Obama promised to use "every single available resource" of government to help with the spill.

Federal officials said that the slick is spreading and could make landfall as early as Friday evening. The prospects for slowing the spread of the oil appear dim.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, speaking at a White House briefing, said that the slick "is crossing different regions" and that the federal government would set up a second command center in Mobile, Ala., in addition to an existing command center in Louisiana. The leaking well took 90 days to drill and it could take another 90 days for a relief valve, intended to stop the leak, to be put in, said Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes.

The spill, which could be one of the biggest in U.S. history, threatens to cause significant environmental damage and disruption to business along the Gulf Coast. It also could change the dynamics of an energy-policy debate in the U.S. Capitol.

I agree; sabotage is extremely unlikely in this accident. One or more of three things happened here:
1) An error in the design or manufacturing of the drilling equipment.
2) An error in the operation of the drilling equipment.
3) Some kind of completely unexpected event occurred, such as pressures on the oil pipe and equipment that were well above any pressures ever seen in offshore drilling and above the pressures this equipment could tolerate.

If I had to take a shot at it, I'd say item 2 is the most likely cause of this accident. Somebody probably made a serious mistake in operating the equipment on the rig. Defective equipment and an unexpected event are also possible causes, perhaps combined with errors in equipment operation. Sabotage is about the least likely cause. I can't think of who would gain from sabotage other than environmental groups, and they don't have the ability to sabotage a deepwater oil rig.

“sabotage”

You damn right this is probably sabotage and if the entire crew of this rig were back ground checked some where I smell a muslim of the same quality as 911 pilots.

These rigs have controls which regulate and control pressure and would require an action from a operator to over ride those systems.

A honest error I doubt; on purpose more than likely.

Bozo will cover this up and will fabricate neglect on the oil industry. An exeuctive order will follow from the Bozo to shut down all drilling.

Gasoline goes to $10.00 per gallon and that drives the last nail in America.

If they were either drilling or producing, I would lean a lot more towards the MOAB- Mother of all Blowouts. But they were installing and grouting in casing. As soon as you stop drilling, doesn’t the risk of a blowout drop? I only found one case of a blowout happening other than during production or drilling. The Ensco 51, Gulf of Mexico, 2001 - no fatalities, and the rig survived: http://home.versatel.nl/the_sims/rig/ensco51.htm

I’m an ex-volunteer firefighter, and I work in the transportation industry. Regular #2 diesel has a flash point of 125 F. Marine Diesel (#6/#2 blend) is minimum 150 F. Yeah, it’s combustible (NFPA hazard class 2, “ignites if heated”) but nothing like gasoline, a class 3 flammable liquid with a flash point of -45 F (yep, 45 below zero!)

I will concede that a chunk of drilling equipment from a blowout could have pierced a fuel bunker.

I’ve just read five articles from major newspapers about the “oil spill” and NOT ONE of them mentioned the EXPLOSION that caused it and killed the workers there. They repeatedly referred to it a simple OIL SPILL with a BIG CORPORATION as the devil. Sound familiar?

Dare anyone suggest that the Iran/Venezuela/Russia/Cuba/China Al Qaeda AXIS OF EVIL may be behind a terrorist attack on a British/US oil rig ?

How terribly convenient that it occur just after the O administration claimed they would “allow” for more drilling there.

Just how neatly an environmental disaster plays into O’s hands. Cuba/Venezuela/China drill in the Gulf of Mexico with immunity and impunity and WITHOUT the excessive restrictions US Marxist/Enviros put on Western interests.

Is it also no secret that BRITISH PETROLEUM is now in Iraq http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9031482&contentId=7057672 and still (to the best of my knowledge) joined with US in boycott of Iranian oil. A perfect target for terror and another possible hit on our home turf.

Folks, look up from the keyboard, put down the X-Box, turn off Idol, Stars, and 24 hour sports coverage. It is MUCH later than we think. What will it take
to get Americans to STOP PRETENDING we not are under attack from all sides?

Even the “Tea Parties” have allowed themselves to be reduced by the recreant media to an “angry anti-tax movement”. It is a great movement without a leader and without a strong, well crafted, unified message. WISE THE HELL UP. We are not anti-government we are anti-Marxist government.

I cannot repeat it too many times, our national sovereignty is under constant attack from our open borders to the UN and the so called “International Courts”.

GET THIS AND GET IT NOW, if we have not sovereignty that means we DO NOT HAVE A SOVEREIGN CONSTITUTION!

Ok, everyone... tin-foil hats on.

Hypothetically speaking.... is this possible?

(this is assuming that this cannot be proved accidental. Frankly I hope it is...)

An Oil rig the size of the Eiffel tower (upside down) blows up on a catastrophic scale, burns for two days until sinking finally to put the fire out, 50 miles offshore. 11 men are missing, the others are ......where?? Where are the men that were ON the rig? And know what happened? The press is usually all over that sort of thing like flies on stink.... sooooo.... why do we hear NOTHING about those men?

Hold that thought for a moment.

We got an environmental DISASTER on our hands. This is no joke, it took 90 days to drill that well, if they have to drill again to relieve the pressure stopping the leak that way, it will take ANOTHER 90 to drill! And then longer to get the necessary equipment into place! This thing may leak for MONTHS. No joke.

Do we have nations out there who hate us? (looks knowingly at those reading) Uh yea, thats a check mark.

Do we have religious fanatics who hate us and have vowed to attack us again? (eye-brows up) Maybe.... yea check mark.

Are there nation states who support terrorism who would also love the US to get whomped as hard as possible and are willing to help terrorists, with the resources of a nation state behind them.... check mark.

Are there radical environmental groups who would do such a thing - literally create the very disaster they have been praying at the green altars about? You know, sacrifice a little to get a lot, like ending all oil drilling and pumping on the US coasts... check mark. Ummm how many of those groups supported Obama in the Elections of ‘08... Just askin....

Ok so its looking like there are lots in the field against us as a nation. Think any of em have the .... whatever.... to attack like this, knowing just how weak a president Obama is?

Now... back to the Oil Platform men, where are they? Why no first hand accounts in the press? Have there been any?? I could easily have missed it... there is a lot to read on this.... It would make me feel a lot better to know that the men were talking and available to the press...

Otherwise... It sort of creeps me out because the alternative is NOT good. It means someone seriously doesn’t want anyone talking to the men. WHY IS THAT???

And now, Obama is sending SWAT teams? To all the other rigs in the area to “inspect”. WTF do SWAT teams know about OIL RIGS??? SWAT teams don’t inspect, they protect and defend with extreme prejudice at need. I am sorry, I am not buying the inspection BS. I am also willing to be it isn’t going to be solely SWAT out there “inspecting” either. I think the SWAT teams would be a great cover for a military force.

So... knowing that SWAT teams don’t inspect much more than whether its gonna blow because of ordinance of some sort, or inspect people to see if they are a threat from the inside.... kinda like suicidal student pilots flying planes into buildings in Manhattan...Ummmmm yea. Just what are the SWAT teams looking to inspect? The structures and functions of machinery they are 100% unfamiliar with? Or is it something they are actually trained for? Exactly.

Is this nation again under attack?

This is the question we are all asking ourselves. Is this possible?

One thing is certain however, the democrats are going to USE this to get the “change” they want. Bet the mortgage on that.

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