Shell fights spill near North Sea oil platform

[papa_smurf]

Oil giant Royal Dutch Shell has said it is working to stop a leak at one of its North Sea oil platforms.
The leak was found near the Gannet Alpha platform, 180 km (113 miles) from Aberdeen, Scotland.
Shell would not say how much oil had been released so far, merely describing it as "not a significant spill" and saying it had largely stemmed the leak.


Source:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14513509

Saw this last night, but forgot to post it. Does not it will be our own "gulf oil leak", but an oil is an oil leak no matter how much leaks out, it is still something to be concerned with.

[Jimbuna]

I've been unable to find a recent update but yes, it is concerning.

[Rockstar]

Out of sight out of mind. Won't be news until the reporters can see it from a fancy beach front hotel. :D

[CaptainHaplo]

Oh the HORROR.... Further proof that MAN is the cause of all that is wrong with the planet!

Oh wait - turns out that the leak total will be about 100 tonnes of oil. Thats about 5000 times less severe than the Gulf spill. Here is the source:

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-14517361

As for it being a cause for concern, even if mankind stopped drilling oil today, oil in the ocean would continue. Turns out - its an entirely natural process....

Source: http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/viewArticle.do?id=57272

Not that we should exascerbate it by being careless - but this "concern" (not here but in environmental circles) and the over-reaction to it would be laughable if it were not so sad and damaging.

[Betonov]

Oh wait - turns out that the leak total will be about 100 tonnes of oil. Thats about 5000 times less severe than the Gulf spill. Here is the source:

100 tonnes is 1000 tonnes too many

As for it being a cause for concern, even if mankind stopped drilling oil today, oil in the ocean would continue. Turns out - its an entirely natural process....

That's true. And not only in oceans, even on dry land. My chemistry profesor once told me, that more oil has evaporated/dissolved/burned in natural processes than the total mankind has ever and will ever use it

[CaptainHaplo]

100 tonnes is 1000 tonnes too many

Was that a mis-type, or do you mean we should pump 900 tonnes back into the earth?

Ultimately, we do need to move away from fossil fuels - but the ideas floated so far - hydrogen, solar, wind, etc - fail to provide the necessary volume of energy the world needs. Only nuke power can meet the needs of the planet long term if we do away with petroleum. Even then it will struggle when it comes to transportation (as pure electric ships and cars are not sufficient - and no one wants nuclear reactors in the hands of civilian shipping).

Until there is a solution, we must be the best stewards we can be of the resources this planet has. That means holding companies accountable when spills happen due to lack of due diligence. But accidents do also occur, and the cost of fixing those is often more than enough. We do no good to society when we seek to extract vengeance on companies in the name of "mother earth".

I realize this has not been stated here - but the statement is in response to many of the environmental nutjobs that are out there screaming about this as if it was the end of the world.

[Betonov]

Was that a mis-type, or do you mean we should pump 900 tonnes back into the earth?

It was rhetorical. If 100 tonnes of oil spills into nature that's 1000 tonnes to many. Just wanted to say that when it comes to oil spills there is no ''a little spill''

[Jimbuna]

All sorted...under control now.

[Anthony W.]

If I can't drop the weight on my foot without it breaking, it's too bad.