R. Sebastian Gibson asked:


Anyone who lives in Southern California or who appreciates the coastline from San Diego to San Francisco has seen the offshore oil rigs along the coast of Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Ventura and Long Beach. If you live in any of the other coastal cities such as Corona del Mar, San Diego, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Cardiff, Carlsbad, Oceanside, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Cambria or San Simeon you see something different - pristine beaches without offshore oil rigs. 

 

In the midst of America’s financial meltdown and on the same weekend as Congress put together a $700 billion bailout, Congress did away with a 26 year ban on offshore oil drilling to the dismay of environmentalists. The Drill Now movement and chants of “Drill, Baby, Drill” may have won a small skirmish on this environmental issue, but California will have the last word.

 

Despite the ban on offshore oil drilling, it is believed that such drilling, at least off the coast of California is unlikely to occur for many years, if ever. Democrats in Congress are already vowing to reinstate the ban when a new Congress takes their seats in four months. And political opposition, marine protection laws and almost certain lawsuits by environmental groups in California make offshore oil drilling an unlikely event.

 

First, there is a general belief of Californians, including the Governor, that the California coastline is an international treasure, not to mention a draw to tourists from around the world. Few politicians in the state would dare to jeopardize that treasure.

 

Second, a law passed by former Governor Pete Wilson already bans all offshore oil drilling in California out to three miles from shore.

 

Third, there are 300 miles of national marine sanctuaries along the California coast which ban oil drilling.

 

Fourth, nearly every coastal county in the State of California has enacted ordinances banning new oil pipelines, oil terminals and tanks in the State.

 

Fifth, environmental groups are already vowing to file lawsuits, and they could be joined by the California Coastal Commission.

 

While California has around 30 oil platforms off the coast of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Long Beach that were built in the 1950s, no new oil platforms have been built in over 50 years.

 

It is estimated that California has at least 10.5 billion barrels of oil offshore - about a year and a half of the nation’s yearly supply. This is comparable to the estimate of oil in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

 

But if anything, despite the oil crisis and the financial crisis, in light of global warming and calls for investment in alternative energies, Californians are becoming more and more environmentally aware. Any politician running on any platform (oil or not) based on drilling offshore at a risk to the California scenic coastline, will have a hard time being elected.

 

If you have an oil, natural resources, energy or environmental law issue in San Diego, Newport Beach, Irvine, Orange County, La Jolla, in the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Palm Springs or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your California Energy Lawyer and your Ventura Environmental Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with environmental law experience who can serve areas such as Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Anaheim, Irvine, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Newport Beach, Carlsbad, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fullerton, Del Mar, San Diego, Orange County, San Luis Obispo, Buena Park, La Jolla, Oxnard, Ventura, La Quinta, and Santa Barbara so you are properly represented.

 

If you have a water law, oil, energy, natural resources or environmental dispute of any kind, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.sebastiangibsonlaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.



Warren

WGMD927 asked:

On 08-02-08 WGMD 92.7 FM and The Bill Colley Program held a rally in support of Off Shore Oil Drilling. This is part two of two

Leon

Mayoor Patel asked:


Oil wells usually refer to a vertical hole drilled in the earth to find and extract petroleum oil and natural gas from the underground layers. Wells are generally composed of a series of small holes and tubing and smaller holes within, encased in cement, whereby perforations along the casing in the production zone enable the oil to flow though rocks into the production casing. Inherent pressure is then enough to allow the oil and gas to flow to the surface. In case the pressure is not enough, other substances may be injected to stimulate it.

Wells can produce three types of products. Some produce only oil. Others produce both oil and natural gas. Others produce only natural gas. However, wherever there is extraction of oil, there are high chances that there will also be natural gas present, as in the release of hydrocarbons when the oil is extracted. Where demand for gas is present in the area of the drilling, pipes conduct the gas to the supply lines. In places where the gas may not be carried away for use, it used to be burnt. However recent environmental concerns have reduced this occurrence of burning gas on the spot, and the gas is often re-injected in the well to produce pressure.

Oil wells can be drilled onshore or offshore. Onshore wells are found on land, and are easier and less costly to drill and operate. Gas as the byproduct of oil extraction can also be efficiently carried away through pipe lines. Off shore wells target oil which is underground but also found under an ocean, away from land and shores. Shallow waters are easier to drill into and operate wells on, whereas the logistics of the procedure become more complicated and expensive the deeper the water is.

Oil wells can be classified in different categories, according to their purpose. Production wells are drilled for oil production. Appraisal wells are used to assess characteristics of a hydrocarbon accumulation. Wildcat wells refer to wells dug in an area where not much is known of hydrocarbon accumulation, and referred much to a random dig. These are not really used nowadays, since they were used for exploratory and information purposes, which is now available through the efforts placed in exploratory and appraisal wells. Regardless of the classification, is it these wells that help us to enjoy the standard of living that is far above what was known as the norm even fifty years ago.



Jason

John Hurst asked:


Since the turn of the 20th century, the green hills of Tennessee have largely remained a patchwork of small, undisturbed private land holdings. Consequently, any oil exploration of note has been done by family businesses and small to intermediate oil and gas companies, while Big Oil has largely passed the Appalachians by for larger, easier pickings in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, and California.

Besides not having to deal with so many small landowners, amassing large land packages was a motivator for looking elsewhere in the early years of US oil exploration. More often, according to sources like the US Geological Survey, it was the technical nature of finding oil in the Appalachians.

Montello Resources Ltd. (TSX.V:MEO) is one of only a handful of oil & gas companies to commence a multi-million dollar oil and gas exploration program in the technically challenging Appalachians Mountains and Foothills. The upstart company from Calgary, Alberta, recently won over government approval besides local resident support to earn a shot at re-drilling two of the most exciting oil prospects that the State of Tennessee has seen in decades. Montello is undaunted by the prospect of being one of the few companies to drill far deeper than most would contemplate in this under-developed but emerging oil & gas state.

Bill Cawker, who heads Montello, rightly echoes country comedienne Minnie Pearl: “We’re just so proud to be here,” he says, “because the advice, experience, smart field savvy, overall execution and technical expertise of our Alberta professionals goes such a long way here.”

“Everyone we work with says, “You have such a professional well site! It’s amazing that you are a little company from Calgary. Anyone coming here would think this is run by Conoco, Phillips or Shell, not a small Canadian company like yourselves.”

Cawker says he believes that if Montello had not posted photographs of its well site on the company’s website, some people might not believe the progress they’ve made. Montello has chiseled a well site 250 feet by 250 feet by some 30 to 40 feet deep out of the rock.

“This is the type of project normally tackled by a company much, much bigger than ours, so we come by the upstart or underdog tag honestly here. We like proving ourselves and relish the fact that we are showing up all the naysayers to date.”

Montello’s drill site is situated at the heart of a scenic farming region that offers few discernable clues as to the potentially prolific oil reserves that are believed to exist completely untapped thousands of feet below Morgan County’s lush green pastures. Hence, the State of Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Geology, Oil and Gas Program, has officials monitor Montello’s work, closely and constantly. Cawker says Montello welcomes the assistance of top flight geologists from the state while drilling the John Bowen #2 Well.

A drill permit application on the Morgan Highpoint Project #1 well (officially known as the John Bowen #2 Well) was granted by the Department of Environment and Conservation, in July. Construction of the well site was completed to the satisfaction of the Department and its oil and gas inspector walked the site and presented a hard copy of the approved Drill Permit in person on Monday, July 23.

Montello and its joint venture partners are drilling on the property, 164 acres that adjoin the Howard family farm property near the community of High Point in rural north-central Tennessee, one hour and 40 minutes drive north of Knoxville. The drill location is a mile from the site of Pryor Oil’s Howard White #1 well – the original name of an over-pressurized gusher that came to be known as “the Blowout Well.” The oil released from the well was a light crude oil (38.1 API) with low to medium viscosity. It flowed at up to 750 barrels per hour, acccording to the well’s operator. But the subsequent blow-out caused a fire and a minor oil spill that essentially put the operator out of business.

The well has languished in a legal limbo ever since.

However, a nearby well named the John Bowen #1 Well (originally called the TexFlora well) also struck pay-dirt of up to 800 bpd in November 2003, but encountered problems of an entirely different nature and entirely unrelated to the well’s potential for commercialization: After the well was shut-in during the fall of 2003, owner Jerry Walsack took a Thanksgiving vacation at his home in Florida. While there, he died unexpectedly and as a result the John Bowen #1 was never put into production.

Now it’s Montello’s turn to tap into Morgan County’s previously elusive oil reserves. And this plucky junior is no stranger to major challenges and high stakes rolls of the dice, as recently appointed company president, Bill Cawker, is keen to point out.

“Montello has been around just about forever,” he says. “In 20 to 25 years the company has gone through three or four incarnations, with at least three different management groups doing mineral exploration, such as diamonds in North Alberta, shallow oil and gas, and so on.”

The current 2007 drilling programs in Tennessee and Pincher Creek, Alberta could be the company’s elusive ticket to the next level. Judging from the demonstrated oil and gas structures that caused the Howard White #1 blowout, John Bowen #2 has the potential to provide major shareholder growth.

The company and its management team have certainly risen to the occasion for their shareholders as they’ve devoted considerable time and energy, as well as big dollars to ensure that the company is marshalling the best technological know-how, the best equipment and the best consultants in the business to get the desired results from this high-impact drill program.

Contact Info:

Montello Resources Ltd (TSX Venture Exchange Symbol: MEO)

P.O. Box 1757 Station M

Calgary, AB T2P 2L8

(1-866-379-3960) / 604-408-7600/ 604-649-0080

www.montello.com / lmyles@montello.com/ bcawker@montello.com

This article is intended for information purposes only, and is not a recommendation to buy or sell the equities of any company mentioned herein. It is based on sources believed to be reliable, but no warranty as to accuracy is expressed or implied. The opinions expressed in the article are those of the author except where statements are attributed to individuals other than the author, in which case the opinions are those of the individual to whom they are attributed.

The author and ResourcexInvestor.com are not shareholders in the companies herein mentioned, and the author, as an employee of Resourcex Publishing Corp is expressly prohibited for owning any securities about which they may write for a period of 30 days prior to and 30 days after initial publication of the article in which the securities of any company are mentioned.



Melanie

Duncan Freer asked:


The oil and gas industry, including exploration and production, consists of about 7,000 companies who pull in a combined, estimated revenue of around £450 billon. However, the production and associated revenue are fragmented; around 10% of companies generate approximately 60% of this figure. Demand for oil and gas is caused by economic activity, population growth and the need for energy for residential, industrial and transportation uses. The growth of an individual company is determined by the success rate of new finds, as well as the ability to continue to produce from existing sites.

Larger companies have the upper hand, having greater access to capital and the capacity to buy smaller companies or propagate amalgamations. Smaller companies rely on their abilities to focus on and develop expertise in a few geographical areas. In addition, oil and gas competes with other fuel-types, such as coal, nuclear power and hydro-electricity. In addition, other sources of energy are emerging, such as ethanol and bio-diesel and there are other forms of application arriving on the market, such as the new generation of hybrid-electric car.

Oil and gas are found in huge, underground basins that meet certain geological criteria. As well as creating three-dimensional maps of underground structures and using seismic waves to ascertain a site’s potential, exploratory drilling is still a major factor in finding oil and gas. Last year, the number of exploratory drillings that took place exceeded 53,500. Once an area has been designated as having promise, the area is cleared and a drilling rig and crew are brought in to begin the process of extracting the resources that have been found.

Oil and gas jobs generally fall in to one of two categories: upstream and downstream. Upstream jobs are found in the process of obtaining oil and gas from natural resources: drilling jobs are upstream jobs. Other jobs are likely to include those in construction and those involved in production facilities. Not all upstream jobs take place on land; for many, part of the attraction of this industry is its variety. Gas and oil fields are also developed below sea level, such as in the North Sea and the sub-sea sites recently discovered in West Africa. These require specialists to find and extract the resources available.

Downstream jobs involve the transportation of oil and gas in their basic forms, the liquefaction of those substances and their processing. While upstream jobs tend to be comparatively more transitory, being based on exploration and ultimate extraction, it is in the downstream category that gas and oil careers are made; while oil rig jobs, for example, will only last as long as the resource is there, marketing jobs can become life-long opportunities as the team packages the combined products across the globe.

The oil and gas industries are two of the world’s biggest and most profitable enterprises. They employ huge numbers of staff that work in an incredible range of department, from those on the ‘front-line’ to those who design advertising campaigns to those who put it in our vehicles.



Nicole

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


The world depends on various forms of oil to work industrial operations and to help keep residencies warm during the cold winter months. The oil we need is drilled from two types of oil rigs. These rigs are land based oil rigs and ocean offshore rigs.

Even though the oil rigs can be different in positions on the surface of the earth they perform the same task. This is to locate a deposit of oil and drill for it. For this reason the oil rigs are constructed of solid material which can stand up to severe storm weather. The rig is also large enough to contain all of the tools, equipment and machinery that is necessary to operate the rig.

As the oil deposits are generally found some distances away from civilization the various oil rigs need to be absolutely self-sufficient. To cater for this reason the rig will have an electrical plant that generates the power needed for the work. The larger offshore oil rigs will have a desalination plant to purify salt water so that it is converted to fresh water.

A treatment plant can be found on the premises of oil rigs. The treatment plant will safely dispose of the various wastes that accumulate in the oil rigs. This allows the drilling crew to continue their work without worrying about the need to dispose of these safely in an environmental friendly manner.

To make the lives of the drilling crew comfortable they have very comfortable living quarters. These quarters will have all of the comforts of a four star hotel. In some cases the living quarters will be located some distance from the oil rig itself. This is done so that the crew is less exposed to the dangers that can occur from the oil and the machinery catching fire.

As the work which is done at oil rigs is very strenuous there is a very good salary for the drill crew. You will find that in each rig there is a hierarchy of workers. The pay for these individuals depends on the nature of their work. For instance the yearly pay for a Roustabout is about $48,000 USD. For the supervisor the yearly salary ranges from $75,000 to $100,000 USD.

The various remuneration and other benefits allow the people who live and work on oil rigs to perform their work in the different weather conditions. They perform a vital service to society. We have yet to acknowledge the debt we owe to them and thank them for all of the sacrifices which have been made on our behalf.



Joan

bhglitter asked:

On Fox and Friends this morning, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal made sure to mention that the oil platform Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) will visit today is owned by Chevron. McCain’s National Finance Co-Chairman is a lobbyist for Chevron.

Tammy

whj58 asked:

The FE Pop Harrison No.1 Cable Tool Oil Drilling Rig Permian Basin International Oil Show (PBIOS) 2006 Ector County Coliseum, Odessa, Texas

Dustin

steelfabs offshore drilling asked:


Oil well cementing is the process of placing cement in the annulus between the casing and the formation. The major objective of primary cementing is to provide zonal isolation in the wellbore of oil, gas and water wells to exclude fluids such as water or gas in one zone from oil in another zone. To achieve this objective, a hydraulic seal must be inserted between the casing and the cement, and between the cement and the formations, while at the same time preventing fluid channels in the cement sheath. This requirement makes primary cementing the most important operation performed on the well. Without complete zonal isolation in the wellbore the well may never reach its full producing potential.

STEELFABS cementing laboratory provides modern testing methods to meet the latest American s Petroleum Institute (API) specifications and recommended practices. To optimize the results of a cementing treatment , it is important to fully investigate the properties of slurries and spacers to be used and their interaction with wellbore fluids. We believe the best possible results can be achieved when the rheology, stability, thickening time, compressive strength development and the fluid loss are fully evaluated. Our cementing laboratory is critical to the success of STEELFABS. Here the slurries are carefully designed to match the most demanding applications.

http://www.steelfabs.com



Paula

WGMD927 asked:

WGMD’s Bill Colley and the petition drive for offshore oil drilling and other oil & petroleum exploration. Vistis with candidate for Governor, Mike Protack, listener David from Georgetown, candidate for 41st House District John Atkins and candidate for Insurance Commissioner John Brady.

Irene