Not much going on just hanging in Mississippi.We are tied up at a fuel dock next to let's just say an extremely large Chevron plant.Quite a few oil rig supply boats come in at all times of day to re-supply and head back out.One of the interesting things I have learned in the last few days is the more than complex supply and demand for oil we have in the glorious United States.Now everyone knows about gas and oil prices and how they keep rising with no end in sight.Everyone also knows that the United States isn't the most expensive or the cheapest place to fill up your grocery getter.So we all know that nobody has a quick fix the this crisis that is among us.A few ideas have been heard around the fuel dock during my normal hotter than a thousand suns work day.The main idea seems to be if the United States knows they have oil offshore why can't we go get it and be self sufficient.Sounds great I myself love the idea,however like most ideas they have holes in them.This idea has so many holes it's not even feasible.Here we go try and stick with me.Number one it's been over thirty years since a comprehensive survey of offshore oil has been done.On top of that it would take years to complete one.Problem number two with the strict rules and laws that apply to the oil industry it seems nearly impossible to see any new oil being drilled offshore.Number three if and only if new offshore drilling took place then it would take five to ten years to actually get that oil from offshore to a refinery.The reason behind that is the construction of oil platforms along with crewing problems,shortages and everything couples with problems one and two.Now the last major problem that I see is the one that relates to me and was mentioned above,crew shortages.The maritime industry in this country has done a lack luster job recruiting young men and women for the opportunity to work offshore of this great country.That being said if we go constructing new oil rigs and doing comprehensive surveys and decided it was time to drill there is no possible way that the United States could crew that endeavor.So guess what would happen,that's right every ones favorite topic of discussion out sourcing.It would seem a bit ridiculous to go through all that trouble to drill our own oil only to have to hire a foreign country to pump and deliver it to our shore.That's what gets me is that many people don't recognize that the maritime industry is under crewed as we speak.No I don't have a solution I'm just trying to see the avalanche before ti happens.That way when it does I'm out of the way and I can sit back and say I told you so.
5 comments:
Politics in this country have been reduced to such a ridiculous level that all people can argue about is one-liners. Nobody sees the asterisks, gray areas, potential problems, etc.
Well discussed topic, we spend a fair amount of time in my social studies classes fathoming this one out... to comment on your post, I see several key things... 1) if we can lift some of the hurdles i.e. governmental restrictions, then this effort could be attainable, 2) your right about the maritime industry and recruitment, but if we were to move on this what an opportunity for young adults to engage in a very profitable and meaningful endeavor, 3) if we could begin the process we could employ American people, use American materials, and help us help ourselves, and 4) at some point we have to say sorry for buying all your oil Saudi Arabia, it's good to have started our self-reliant oil efforts back in 2008... Great post, one of my best friends is an marine engineer during the winter months and loves the shipping & maritime industry... No doubt you work hard, but your work helps keep America moving... For me it seems as if we have environmental red tape prohibited any actual progress for self-reliance...
No doubt I understand the affects on the environment with massive amounts of offshore drilling.However are any of us ready to completely stop using oil?I think the main problem is that America wants things now,we don't want to plan for the future especially if it involves using our brains or our wallets.Thanks for your comments guys.
My strong opinion is that the failure of the Ford, Carter, and Reagan administrations to do ANYTHING about this problem - whether the solution be "drill American oil" or "move to alternative energy"....whichever (or both)....is the reason we are in this pickle right now.
We need to start doing SOMETHING right now. Some people think that lifting restrictions in 2008 will mean cheaper oil in 2009....they are very wrong. But when we are able to get some "native oil" to market, even if it is 10 years from now....that's a little more independence than we have right now. IMO we should be building nuclear reactors, because that's a "real" technology that will carry us for another 100 years or so, until we figure out something a little less damaging to the environment.
But we can't have the politicians continue to argue and do NOTHING - as they have for 30 years. Between the liberal "No you can't do that, it's not safe," and the conservative "Let's do it just the way the oil industry tells us to - and by the way, Exxon should not have to pay taxes!" there were few efforts to really DO anything that would help Americans.
Hot damn, it looks like T Dogg was onto something. While the politicians are all arguing that we need to "pump more domestic oil" to reduce oil prices, Exxon's press release said this:
"ExxonMobil is investing as much as we can in finding new oil, but we are having a hard time given the shortage of workers and equipment in the sector."
That sounds a whole lot more complicated - and expensive - than just drilling more oil (as McCain would suggest) or throwing up a bunch of windmills (as Obama would suggest)
Post a Comment