It will hurt our wallet, but BP is doing the right thing in Alaska (gas)

[jsamuel]

Over the past few months repeated spills have been happening from that pipeline due to "corrosion." They had to stop the pipeline so that the problem could be fixed and not damage the environment (also not let the problem get any worse which could cause even more shut downs).

They probably needed to do this earlier, but at least they are doing it.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/07/news/international/oil_alaska/index.htm?cnn=yes

[bigendian]

1. Agreed.

They have to do something now before it gets worse.

Time for America to "sacrifice".

[AndyA]

2. This didn't happen overnight. Corrosion takes a long time, and apparently

if the pipeline had been inspected all along as it should have, steps could have been taken to prevent leaks without a major shutdown.

I find the timing of this "unscheduled maintenance" questionable.

[Robbien]

6. Agree

BP is doing the only thing it could do in this situation because this spill is major and is in a spot where the whole distribution network is useless.

It is not doing the right thing. It is doing the only thing it could do.

[jsamuel]

14. this is not the only thing it could do

it could be just like the Bush admin and ignore the problem until it is unmanageable

[Robbien]

28. They have ignored it and downplayed it now for over a year

This last leak in a long line of leaks over the past year is a bad one in a critical spot. I really do believe BP had no choice but to shut it down, they couldn't keep operating with that pipeline gone.

[laundry_queen]

24. You are correct.

Corrosion does take a long time and there are many 'treatments' to avoid it. Unfortunately those treatments cost money. Dh used to deal with the oil companies on this and he sold chemicals to prevent corrosion and quite a few times the companies took some convincing that it was important to purchase corrosion inhibitor for their lines. This was TOTALLY preventable.

[thefool_wa]

37. Unfortunately those treatments cost money?

Wow, what about the obscene profit margin all of them have enjoyed for a couple of years now.

You'll pardon me if I do not give a rat's a$$ about how much this type of thing costs any of them.

I like to believe that the universe tells us things about the direction we need to go. I call it God's Will, other's don't, but there are hints and clues all around us as to what needs to be done to set things right in our ownlives and in all of society and the world at large.

War in the middle east, Katrina, broken pipe lines, depleated saudi reserves, these things all stink of clues telling us that we need another type of fuel. It is no longer something we can languish about as some far-off object of dream. The need has become immediate, and is approaching desperate.

wanna know a secret: I think I have the $10million answer to the problem...

[laundry_queen]

38. I only meant

that the oil companies are so goddamn greedy that they don't want to 'cut into profits' with actual safety and maintenance. I'm with you, I don't give a shit how much it costs either. Dh used to have to 'sell' these products like a salesman to try to get some of the companies to use them. It should be illegal for them to NOT maintain their equipment and pipelines, especially considering basic safety issues with ruptures and blow outs. It's too bad they get away with environmental disasters more times that you hear about. It's all maddening, really.

[MadHound]

3. I would fully agree with you except for one nagging worry

That BP is simply *saying* that they've got a leaky pipe, and are really shutting down the pipe in order to drive up their profits this quarter. Granted, they've been busted with leaking pipes before, but I would really like to see some independent party verify that there is actually a problem before I would fully believe this line. Call me a tin foil hatter, call me a cynic, but I've seen worse screw jobs in my lifetime, and this one seems especially convient in light of the fact that there's no price jacking hurricanes on the horizon.

However if BP's account is genuine, then yes, they are doing the right thing. And sadly we're all going to have to suck it up. Still and all though, it wouldn't suprise me in the least if BP didn't post record profits this quarter.

[izzie]

8. Having spent 10 years in Ak, while my husband worked on the line

I would say odd. Usually they set up a by pass so they can repair the pipe but the oil keeps going South. They also have the tankers waiting at the end of the line. They have slowed up the flow before because they wanted profits to go higher. I have been reading the local papers and the big boss just came in, first time in years. I feel 'iffy' on what they say.

[INdemo]

4. First of all why wasn't the pipeline maintained?

Was the maintenance ignored purposely for a reason to raise prices?

[jsamuel]

5. possible, but only possible

you are right that it should have been maintained, but this might be one of those things where they didn't know about the problem until the symptoms started showing up

[kentuck]

7. Just asking but...

Would pipes rust if they had oil inside of them? Seems to me they could go for hundreds of years if they had oil in them?

[INdemo]

9. Now that is a very logical question

The walls of those pipes are about 1/2 to 1 inch thick(or more)..Now I have never seen any pipe of this caliber corrode.
Of course I am comparing the pipes used in a large commercial building. ....So with that said is this an excuse to raise prices?
I'm beginning to believe if I went to a gas station to buy a gallon of lawnmower gas and accidentally spilt it and a major oil company got wind of this accident then this would be enough of an excuse to raise prices..That's just how ridiculous this is getting...

[jsamuel]

10. they seem to be corroding from the outside-in from the pictures I have see

n

[slaveplanet]

18. Uhm

Is it just me or do these pipes look pretty fresh despite the one apparently recently repaired section in the front?

[jsamuel]

20. well, those are all dug up, I can't tell what is going on in that one

the picture I was refering to had a lone section unburried with oil spurting out of a crack in it.

[slaveplanet]

21. This is the pic

from the link in your OP.

here's the caption:

Part of the pipeline that ruptured in March leading to the worst spill on Alaska's North Slope. BP began shutting down Prudhoe Bay after it discovered a small spill and more than a dozen sections of severe corrosion on other pipelines in its field.

[jsamuel]

22. you know cnn, they change the pictures all over

they changed that picture 3 times by now, I think it was originally a different picture

[jsamuel]

23. like these

[slaveplanet]

27. I'm no expert

but those all look pretty solid as well.

I wish BP would share some pics of the actual corrosion be it the pipes or the joints?

All I've seen are good pipe or recently repaired sections joined to good pipe.

[slaveplanet]

25. read the caption

Part of the pipeline that ruptured in March leading to the worst spill on Alaska's North Slope. BP began shutting down Prudhoe Bay after it discovered a small spill and more than a dozen sections of severe corrosion on other pipelines in its field.

[jsamuel]

29. so those are pictures of pipelines that have already been repaired?

[laundry_queen]

34. Nope.

Even with refined oil in it, there's always moisture from condensation, and if it's unrefined oil, there can be water in the oil (although they usually try to get rid of that at the rig/pump site) and certain gasses, such as H2S that can cause corrosion.

[MrCoffee]

11. GO BP!!!

Every little spike helps. Get the cost of gas up! $150/barrel! Bring on the hydrogen economy.

[slaveplanet]

12. delete

[Nutmegger]

13. Maybe the RW will use this to garner ANWR support

for drilling.

[jsamuel]

15. I am sure they will. All this "independence" stuff sounded great, but the

RW is using it as a means to expand oil drilling off the coast of Florida and probably in ANWR as well instead of encouraging alternatives.

[lonestarnot]

17. Maybe it's a cooperative effort.

[JimDandy]

16. How convenient

that this happened at such an extraordinarily inconvenient time. Who could be potential profiteers from this action?

[lonestarnot]

19. Just like the equipment at LAX today. How convenient.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

26. If BP does the right thing you can rest assured it was an accident

Personally I think they're just trying to cover their recent fine of $21.4 million (only one in history of fines) for their constantly exploding plant in Houston.

They're all about the money and the people and the environment be damned.

[jsamuel]

30. maybe I was just trying to be a little positive

:(

I don't want false positives though.

[spanone]

31. You'd think with their profits maintenance would be a high priority.

[BooScout]

32. I call Bullshit

BP had been warned quite a few times this was happening and did nothing. BP s currently under investigation by a grand jury for previous problems in the SAME area.

[jsamuel]

33. wow, ok, didn't know that

thanks

[laundry_queen]

35. Most oil companies

have a history of trying to get out of pipeline maintenance. Dh used to work for a company that was strictly pipeline/pump maintenance and you wouldn't believe the crap he had to go through to convince the higher ups that certain treatments were necessary to prevent line failure.

[Tactical Progressive]

36. BP doesn't give a shit about the environment

I don't know why they are doing what they are doing, but I know for a capitalistic certainty that whatever they are doing ISN'T because of anything other than it is good for their bottom line either now or in the immediate future. The only "right thing" for them is that which makes them richer. That's how the system is set up to work.

My guess: they know that the gas price increase that will result from the total shutdown of their Alaska operation, will be more than made up for in their profit margin across their other operations. Let Congress put a cap on prices and see how much they want to shut down an entire operation with no profit shift elsewhere in their operations. I bet they'd scream about that.

The pipes have obviously been corroding for a long, long time. They could have repaired and replaced one pipe at a time.

Oil is a natural resource that should be nationalized for the good of everyone. I wouldn't mind paying more if it went to the country, which could with honest leadership use the money for alternative energy implementation. As it is now, a billion dollars a week IN PROFIT on this country's natural resources is going into private hands. It's just wrong on so many levels.