Oil Rigs Leaving the Gulf

Deep Water Oil Drilling Rigs Leaving the Gulf Region

By Rod Pennington

Faced with uncertainly and a clearly hostile Obama Administration, deep water oil drilling rigs are starting to pack up and move out of the Gulf of Mexico. On Friday, the CEO of Houston area Diamond Offshore, Larry Dickerson, announced, “As a result of the uncertainties surrounding the offshore drilling moratorium, we are actively seeking international opportunities to keep our rigs fully employed.”

Diamond Offshore also announced that the deep water rig “Ocean Endeavor” is leaving immediately for Egypt. Dickerson said. “We greatly regret the loss of U.S. jobs that will result from this rig relocation.”

Devon Energy Corporation, which had been leasing the Endeavor, paid Diamond a $31 million dollar early termination fee to get out of its commitment. There are currently 33 deep water project which are affected by the ban. It is difficult to determine exactly how many jobs will be lost and if the rigs will ever return to American waters. Each rig generally has over 100 jobs on the actual platform at any one time and a large number of support people on shore.

Estimates have run as high as 10,000 high paying jobs could be lost.

In all likelihood this rig moving to friendlier water is just the first of such announcements. With President Obama pushing hard for a six month moratorium of this type of drilling, many other deep water drilling platforms will likely follow. President Obama, despite having already lost twice in the courts to continue the ban, has said his administration needed more time to review and implement new safety standards. He also wants to form a commission to investigate the cause of the April 20th BP oil spill.

Unlike government, businesses need to actually produce something more than the six months worth of talking President Obama is purposing. Congressman Kevin Bradley (R-TX) stated, “There are two types of rigs in the deep-water Gulf today: those that are leaving the country and those that want to, because with this moratorium hanging over their heads, they simply can’t go back to work.” Brady added, “I’m afraid this is the first of many rigs and many American jobs to leave the Gulf.”

Another member of congress, Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) called for lifting the moratorium, said, “Once the rigs relocate, it could be a minimum of five to 10 years before they return.”

How much damage will be done to the region’s economy by the Obama Administration’s leisurely pace and open hostility will be clear in time. Meanwhile, with the November elections less than 4 months away, the question that needs to be asked, is all of this foot dragging by the president just preening for his base?

UPDATE: This morning on Fox News Sunday, presidential advisor David Axelrod submited his nomination for understament of the year. “These are rented rigs and they go from place to place, it’s not an optimal situation.”

President Obama was unavailable for comment. Despite vowing, “We will not rest until this crisis is solved,” he was on his third family vacation in the 13 weeks since the oil spill began on April 20th. “

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This guy is from South Carolina????

Lindsey Graham is John McCain Lite

By Rod Pennington

South Carolina’s Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is fast becoming the mainstream media’s new favorite Republican. With Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in an unexpectedly tough primary fight, McCain has had to tack hard to the right. This means, the “Maverick” will have to pretend for the next 4 months that he shares at least a few Republican values. It’s a tough job, but McCain should be up to the challenge.

Senator Lindsey Graham pointing out to Senator John McCain the next Republican they were going to disappoint

With conservative and former congressman J.D. Hayworth breathing down his neck, McCain’s reversal on immigration reform has been enough to cause whiplash. He went from the front man on amnesty to Mr. “Just Build the Damn Fence” faster than the airbags could deploy. Not to worry. After the polls close on November 2^nd he can revert back to his old habit of pulling the rug out from under Republicans.

For the past decade or so Graham has been Commander Riker to McCain’s Captain Picard on the USS Bi-Partisanship. For some reason and no matter how many times they have gotten bitten by the Democrats, both keep “reaching across the aisle.” This has made the pair darlings of the Washington elite media and each has gotten hooked on the ego stroking that comes with it.

In 2005 the Republicans held the Senate and the White House and Democrats were filibustering everything that moved. When then Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) proposed the “Nuclear Option” of not allowing filibusters on judicial nominees and giving them a straight up or down vote, Graham and McCain both had the vapors. The quickly formed the “Gang of 14” and “saved” the integrity of the great deliberative body.

From closing Gitmo, to stopping “torture” of terrorists, to “comprehensive” immigration reform, to bad mouthing the Tea Party movement, the mainstream media can always count on Lindsey for a quote. There was a bit of concern when Graham showed some spine recently. He got miffed when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) knifed him by having the nerve to move other legislation ahead of his. In a snit, he pulled his name off of the Kerry, Liebermann and Graham bill to tax the daylights out of anything that used energy bill. The Democrats aren’t too worried. They know if push comes to shove they can count on Graham’s loyalty.

Poor Lindsey probably hasn’t figured out yet that he is just a seat warmer for the long time darling of the media, John McCain. While Graham has been sticking his thumb in the eye of fellow Republicans for years, McCain has been doing it for decades. After the Maverick pulls the wool over the eyes of the good folks in Arizona in November with cooing words of conservatism, he’ll jet back to Washington and return to his old form. The press will be there waiting; probably with balloons and a cake.

Graham, who doesn’t have to face the voters of South Carolina again until 2014, can continue to put “whoopee” cushions on the seats of fellow Republicans. He can be secure in the knowledge, at least until November when McCain will be back; that he will be the first Republican all the networks will call to star on their Sunday talk shows.

Short URL: http://yoursinglesourcefornews.com/?p=1490

Nice Charleston Article

Oil Spill Tourists Flocking to Charleston

By Rod Pennington

Apparently from Galveston to Tampa the beaches are not as crowded as usual this Fourth of July weekend. Something about the image of oil-soaked pelicans and the live internet feed of crude gushing underwater a few miles off shore has caused the Gulf coast to lose some of it’s charm.

Sullivan's Island, just outside Charleston, SC

Where have all of these sun-seekers gone? Many, apparently, have headed to South Carolina. We were on Sullivan’s Island on Saturday and the beach there hadn’t seen this much action since Hurricane Hugo came ashore in 1989. Normally Folly Beach, on the other side of the mouth to Charleston harbor, is the area packed with tourists this time of year.

Sullivan’s Island, a quiet bedroom community, while not it’s rich cousin of Kiawah a few miles south in Charleston county, still requires a check starting with a “3” followed by six zeros to buy oceanfront. Usually Sullivan’s is where the locals head at the height of tourist season to avoid the crowds. Not this year.

Living in an area on nearly everyone’s list of top ten tourist destinations in America, the folks in Charleston are used to a few visitors. This year, however, they haven’t seen this many Yankees since General William Tecumseh Sherman arrived with the Union Army for spring break in 1865.

USS Yorktown with the Revenel Bridge in the background.

The Historic District is packed. There are so many people on the USS Yorktown at Patriot’s Point it is starting to list. A good tee time or tables at any of Charleston’s outstanding restaurants, forget about it.

Many of the folks prowling the streets are obviously first time visitors. They are easy to spot. They send the entire day walking around the “South of Broad” historic district with their mouths open. With so many antebellum mansions, most with historical markers on their street side wall, it can be overwhelming for a Charleston Rookie, particularly this time of year.

Middleton Place

With the Spoleto Festival just over, all of the gardens, particularly those partially hidden behind stone walls in the historic district, are at their peak. The amazing plantations a few miles up the Ashley River from downtown Charleston are busy as well. Drayton Hall, one of the few southern plantations to survive the Civil War intact, was built before the American Revolution. Middleton Place – where they filmed the movie “The Patriot” – is considered one of the world’s great botanical treasures.

Drayton Hall

After a few soft tourist seasons it is nice to see the local shops and restaurants busy. Y’all come on down. Eat some shrimp and grits and snack on a few benne wafers. Maybe, if you’re nice, those ladies weaving the sweetgrass baskets on Market Street will teach you a few words of Gullah.

Short URL: http://yoursinglesourcefornews.com/?p=1498

Charleston News Source

Your Single Source for News

Are Obama and BP Hiding Something?

By Rod Pennington

We hate to move into the “conspiracy theory nut” category but are British Petroleum and the Obama Administration trying to hid something? How else could you explain the incredibly slow pace at which they are seeking and accepting outside help? Are they afraid outside eyes will see something they really don’t want seen?

Why, after 75 days of oil gushing, haven’t they asked for more help? For over 2 months 12 countries have had offers of assistance on the table but no one has called. These are countries and companies with better equipment than that which is currently being deployed in the Gulf. On the first of July, a “super skimmer”, a massive ship modified in Taiwan has arrived in the Gulf and is being evaluated. Why hasn’t already tested and proven equipment arrived?

The State Department has issued a list of potential “Help” sources. Apparently the bureaucratic holdup is money. The owners want to lease the equipment and State needs more time to consider it Here is list of the items, “Under Consideration” with the date they were offered.

Belgium- skimmers (6-15), under consideration
Canada- skimmers (6-23), under consideration
El Salvador- skimmers (6-23), under consideration
European Maritime Safety Agency- skimmers (5-13), under consideration
Japan- skimmers (6-22), under consideration
Mexico- skimmers (5-3), two have arrived and are operating
Netherlands- skimmers (4-30), three purchased
Norway- skimmers (4-30), eight accepted in early May
Portugal- skimmers (6-21), under consideration
Korea- skimmers (5-2), under consideration
Sweden- skimmers (4-30), offer increased on 6-15, under consideration
Turkey- skimmers (6-23), under consideration
Qatar- skimmers (6-22), under consideration
UAE- skimmers (5-10), under consideration

So while BP and the Obama Administration counts pennies and spits hairs the Gulf region is turning into an ecological disaster. Sadly, if they would just get off of their bureaucratic butts and actually make a few decisions and spend a couple of dollars, this could become a manageable problem.

Which brings us back to the question of why all of the feet dragging?