http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/oil-drills-close-on-pristine-reef/story-e6frgczx-1226323323869

ANDREW BURRELL From:
The Australian April 11, 2012 12:00AM

OIL giants Woodside Petroleum and Shell are about to launch a $350 million drilling campaign within 10km of the Rowley Shoals, a premier diving spot off the Kimberley coast that the West Australian government says is “one of the most pristine marine areas in the world”.

The move puts Woodside and Shell on a fresh collision course with environmental groups, which say exploring for oil and gas so close to the coral atolls is fraught with danger because of the risks of an oil spill and the threat posed to marine life during seismic surveys.

Divers and green groups say the Rowley Shoals, 300km off the coast, rival the Great Barrier Reef for their spectacular coral and marine life but few Australians are aware of them because of their remote location.

The offshore drilling campaign comes as the federal government prepares to release another three exploration permits that are even closer to the Rowley Shoals Marine Park.

The Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism last year invited the petroleum industry to bid for the new permits in federal waters. It said the Rowley sub-basin, which has waters up to 5000m deep, was “under-explored” and potentially prospective for oil and gas.

Doubts grow over Woodside project

Bids for the three latest exploration blocks close tomorrow.

The rapid increase in exploration activity in the area comes after Shell last year overcame opposition from green groups to start drilling for oil and gas about 50km from the edge of Western Australia’s World Heritage listed Ningaloo Reef.

Woodside is also engaged in a battle with environmentalists who are opposed to its plans to build a $35 billion gas plant at James Price Point on the Kimberley coast.

There is heightened sensitivity about safety in the the oil and gas industry after the disastrous Montara oil spill off Western Australia’s coast in 2009 and BP’s Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

WWF’s director in WA, Paul Gamblin, said he was extremely concerned that the Gillard government was releasing acreage in environmentally sensitive areas at an accelerated pace.

“The Rowley Shoals is a very clear example of what should be a no-go area for the oil and gas industry,” Mr Gamblin said.

“Instead of that, we are seeing the government use the acreage release program, which has no public comment opportunity and no environmental assessment, to roll out the opportunity for industry to undertake exploration activity and production. It starts a process that is pretty much unstoppable.”

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke said last night that his department had provided advice to the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, “highlighting the matters of national environmental significance that occur within or in the vicinity of the proposed releases”.

“This included identification of key ecological features such as the Rowley Shoals,” Mr Burke said.

“Whilst acreages have been released by DRET, under the EPBC Act any person (or company) proposing to take an action that is likely to have a significant impact on a matter of national environmental significance must refer their proposal to the department to establish whether further assessment and approval is required before it can proceed.

“All proposals referred to the department are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and are subject to a rigorous and transparent assessment process, including an opportunity for public comment.”

The federal government said last year that Woodside and Shell would spend about $350 million searching for oil and gas in three exploration areas known as W10-3, W10-4 and W10-5. Each permit is about 3590sq km.

The companies are operating in a joint venture, with Woodside holding 55 per cent.
It is understood the Woodside-Shell venture plans to start exploring in the permit areas this month.

A spokeswoman for Woodside declined to comment on whether the company would bid for the three additional blocks being offered near the Rowley Shoals.

But she said Woodside had a long history of successfully conducting offshore drilling in Western Australia. “All our drilling activities are undertaken in accordance with legislative requirements and meet the requirements of good industry practice,” she said. “Each well we drill is subject to rigorous environmental risk assessments and planning to develop an environmental plan which is approved by the regulator before drilling commences.

“A two-barrier standard applies to all Woodside-operated drilling operations, which ensures there are at least two tested barriers in place at any time to prevent reservoir fluids flowing to the external environment.”

Experienced diver and underwater cinematographer Richard Todd said the Rowley Shoals rivalled the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef for the diversity of coral, abundance of fish and water visibility. “It’s a world-class diving destination,” he said.

Mr Todd, who has worked around the world for the past 15 years, said he was opposed to any oil exploration near the shoals. “It’s ludicrous — it’s bordering on insanity, really,” he said.

The Rowley Shoals Marine Park, which encompasses the two southernmost atolls, is managed by the West Australian Department of Environment and Conservation. The northernmost Mermaid Reef is administered by the federal government and is part of a marine nature reserve.

None of the drilling will take place in these areas, but will come within about 10km of the 4km exclusion zone surrounding the atolls. The DEC says 233 species of coral and 688 species of fish inhabit the shoals.

“Today the shoals rank among the most remote and pristine marine areas in the world,” the department says on its website.

“Lying on the very edge of Australia’s continental shelf, they are regarded as the most perfect examples of shelf atolls in Australian waters.”

The DEC declined to comment yesterday.

Special thanks to Richard Charter

http://www.democrats.com/stand-up-to-big-oil?cid=

I just read and signed the petition: “Stand up to Big Oil.” Please take a moment to read about this important issue, and sign the petition. Please sign here: http://www.democrats.com/stand-up-to-big-oil?source=dquirolo%40gmail.com. DeeVon Quirolo,

Petition

Big oil has picked their candidate-and it’s not Barack Obama.

Why? Because his policies threaten their bottom line.

While the President pursues an all-of-the-above energy strategy and tries to put an end to taxpayer giveaways to oil companies, they’re using their record-breaking profits to attack him with negative ads.

If you want to stop your tax dollars from subsidizing oil companies, stand up and say so. Stand up to Big Oil – add your name to show that you’ve got President Obama’s back.

http://www.thedutchharborfisherman.com/article/1214shell_wins_injunction_greenpeace_looks_at

April 6th 2:56 pm | Jim Paulin

Shell has won an injunction requiring Greenpeace to keep its distance, 1,000 meters from oil rigs and 500 meters from support boats nationwide, and now the Coast Guard is making a more modest proposal for a 25-yard “safety zone” restricting movements around the oil vessels in Dutch Harbor.
A Greenpeace spokesman would not rule anything out.

“Greenpeace does not discuss what we might or might not do in the future. What we can say is that we’ll continue to oppose Shell’s plans to drill in the Arctic peacefully and passionately because we believe that this project could spark an Arctic oil rush which will damage both the climate and the pristine environment,” said spokesman James Turner.

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Sharon Gleason in Anchorage granted Shell’s request for the injunction, drawing praise from the oil company.

“We are pleased the judge recognized the risk posed by Greenpeace’s illegal activities and entered the preliminary injunction. Our goal is to avoid a repeat of the recent illegal boardings that took place in New Zealand and Finland that not only jeopardized the safety of the crews aboard Shell’s Arctic-bound vessels but the protestors as well. While we recognize the rights of opponents to peacefully protest Shell’s Alaska drilling plan, we can’t condone Greenpeace’s illegal and unsafe tactics,” said Shell spokesman Curtis Smith in Anchorage.

Greenpeace official Dan Howells blasted Shell’s legal maneuvering.

“When an oil company with billions of dollars employs an army of lawyers to undermine your right to peaceful protest and free speech, then you know you’re doing something right. Since Greenpeace New Zealand launched this campaign over 300,000 people have written to Shell telling them that Arctic drilling is one of the great mistakes of our age, and the company has resorted to legal bullying because they’re scared of public opinion,” Howells said.

Meanwhile, the Coast Guard has proposed access-limiting safety zones around oil vessels in Dutch Harbor, with a 30-day public comment period ending May 3. “The Coast Guard proposes temporary safety zones in the Port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and adjacent U.S. territorial sea from June 15 through on July 1. The temporary safety zones will encompass the navigable waters within a 25-yard radius of moored or anchored offshore exploration or support vessels, and the navigable waters within a 100-yard radius of underway offshore exploration or support vessels. The purpose of the safety zones is to protect persons and vessels during an unusually high volume of vessel traffic in the Port of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and the adjacent territorial sea due to additional vessel traffic associated with exploratory drilling operations in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas during the summer of 2012,” according to the Federal Register.

Coast Guard spokesman Kip Wadlow in Juneau said the security zones are aimed at keeping local port activities flowing smoothly, in view of potential congestion from the large Shell fleet. The agency is still reviewing options for local housing for the Maritime Safety and Security Team, he said..Another Coast Guard public affairs officer said last month that in anticipation of potential protests, the Coast Guard plans to station about 100 security personnel in Unalaska this summer.

Said Greenpeace’s Turner, ” We have no argument with the Coast Guard, who are simply following orders. Greenpeace has always been an entirely peaceful organization which follows the example of civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King and Gandhi. It’s up to others to decide whether a peaceful protest group or an increasingly desperate oil company pose the greater threat to our nation in 2012.”

Shell’s oil rigs in recent years have been highly visible on the Unalaska skyline, whether anchored off Hog Island or in Captains Bay, and another big show is expected in a few months.

Smith said “You will, in some capacity, see all of Shell’s vessels and drilling rigs this summer as they will likely stage and travel through Unalaska to the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. The arrival date is not set yet but it’s fair to say Shell vessels will make for quite a presence in the region by late June.”

The injunction was filed against Greenpeace USA, a California corporations, and 20 John and Jane Does, by Shell Offshore Inc. and Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc. both Delaware corporations.

The injunction bans Greenpeace from blocking, barricading, or trespassing on 19 named vessels, the oil rigs Kulluk and Noble Discoverer, and 17 support boats including the Nanuq, Tor Viking II, Point Oliktok, Lauren Foss, Corbin Foss, Aiviq, Nodica, Fennica, and Z Big 1. The injunction remains in effect in territorial waters extending 12 miles offshore until Oct. 31.

Jim Paulin can be reached at jpaulin@reportalaska.com.

Contact us about this article at editor@thedutchharborfisherman.com

Special thanks to Richard Charter

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2012/04/bill-nelsons-camp-calls-connie-mack-out-for-oil-drilling-flip-flop.html

Posted by Marc Caputo at 4:37 PM on Friday, Apr. 6 in Bill Nelson, Connie Mack | Permalink

Sen. Bill Nelson’s adviser, Dan McLaughlin, declined all day and night to comment on yesterday’s story about challenger Connie Mack’s pipeline-petition plan, but the Republican’s last quote in the story provoked the Democrat to comment in an email with the headline “come on …”:

Nelson is staunchly opposed to offshore drilling … . Mack has a different view.
“I have always said that I would be for drilling,” Mack said. “But I think that’s an issue the state should have a say in – in determining how far it’s going to be off the coast of Florida. We ought to allow the state to have a say in that decision.”

Previous Mack quotes:

“We all understand that America must find new sources of energy. But drilling off Florida’s sensitive coast won’t solve the nation’s current energy challenges and it won’t put us on a path toward achieving energy independence.”

“Make no mistake, drilling for oil and gas off Florida’s fragile coastline is a risky scheme that jeopardizes our environment and our economy. It won’t reduce the price at the pump and it won’t reduce our dependency on foreign oil. That’s why the 285-mile buffer has been in place for years and why it should remain intact for many more years to come.

“I’m pleased that the House has tabled the reckless plan to open Florida’s coastline to offshore drilling. This risky scheme would have established a complex process for Florida to try to prevent drilling and it was riddled with loopholes that could have allowed drilling to take place just miles from our shore. While this victory is important for our economy and our environment, it is merely one in the larger battle to protect our fragile coast. Drilling proponents won’t stop here and neither will we. Congress needs to take real action to ban drilling off our shore and I look forward to working with my colleagues to do just that.”

“All of us want to ensure that the United States has the energy supplies we need now and in the future, and Congress needs to take real steps to help reduce the sky-high gas prices that are hurting millions of hardworking families. But allowing drilling off Florida’s pristine coastline won’t reduce America’s pain at the pump. Instead of taking steps that will expose Florida’s fragile environment and our economy to severe and irreparable harm, we would be better served by expanding America’s refining capabilities, investing in new energy technologies, furthering commercial and consumer adoption of more energy efficient products, and increasing conservation.”

“We are writing to express our grave concern regarding legislative efforts to weaken the existing offshore drilling ban off Florida’s fragile coastline. As you know, the existing ban, which has had strong bi-partisan support, was put in place to protect Florida’s highly fragile ecosystem. Eliminating the drilling ban poses a clear danger to our environment and an economy that are inextricably linked.

Special thanks to Richard Charter.

http://www.keysnet.com/2012/04/07/437124/keys-oil-spill-drill-draws-scores.html

By KEVIN WADLOW
kwadlow@keynoter.com
Posted – Saturday, April 07, 2012 10:30 AM EDT

A week before the second anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, Florida Keys emergency planners gather to confront a second oil spill.

Fortunately, the spill this coming Thursday is entirely theoretical. The response will be confined to a tabletop preparation exercise in Key West that tests an updated contingency plan.

“Our team of local planners and stakeholders have worked very hard this past year to update our area contingency plan to include local and regional lessons learned after the Deepwater Horizon disaster,” said Capt. Pat DeQuattro, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West.

“I’m eager for this exercise to test our new plans and to include additional feedback from our local partner agencies,” said DeQuattro, designated as the federal government’s on-scene coordinator for a major spill near the Keys.

During the planning exercise, responders will outline plans to deal with an imagined oil leak from a deepwater drilling platform in the Florida Straits.
Repsol, a Spanish oil company, now is using the Scarabeo 9 drilling platform to search for oil reserves in offshore of Cuba — in waters about 70 miles from Key West.

Given the Keys’ near-miss in the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in the spring of 2010, the prospect of drilling for oil in waters that pull the Gulf Stream current past South Florida creates uncertainty among oceanic advocates.

The BP Deepwater Horizon spill spewed nearly 5 million barrels of oil — more than 200 million gallons — into the northern Gulf of Mexico after the oil rig exploded, burned and sank on April 20, 2010. Eleven men on it died.
Oil flowed from the sea floor about a mile down for nearly three months until the spill was capped July 15.

Although some government forecasts predicted the massive spill was likely to reach the Keys, favorable oceanic currents apparently kept any Deepwater Horizon oil from reaching Florida Keys waters. However, concern about oceanic pollution devastated the Keys tourism in the 2010 summer months.

During the 2010 spill, officials discovered that Keys response plans and equipment were outdated or inadequate to handle a large-scale spill.

Thursday’s drill organized by the Coast Guard in Key West will test the updated plan.

In addition to several units from the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, the Key West exercise will include the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Key West city offices and police department, commercial fishermen, other municipalities and numerous animal-rescue organizations including the Turtle Hospital, Dolphin Research Center and bird-rescue staff.

Special thanks to Richard Charter