Report: 27,000 Abandoned Wells Pose Threat to Gulf Coast
The Deepwater Horizon rig was just one environmental time bomb in the Gulf. There are 33,000 miles of pipeline, 50,000 wells. and thousands of abandoned rigs...
"Concerns are being raised about the hazards posed by thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells throughout the Gulf Coast. An Associated Press investigation found more than 27,000 abandoned sites are in danger of leaking, with about 13 percent said to be particularly worrisome. Regulations forcing companies to plug the wells have been routinely ignored with no government intervention."source: Democracy Now
Hurricanes don't like oil rigs...
"The heavy concentration of oil infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico, one of the nation’s largest sources of oil and gas production, was dealt a one-two punch by category-5 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, causing destruction and substantial damage to offshore platforms within a four-week period in August and September of 2005. BOEMRE estimates that 3,050 of the Gulf’s 4,000 platforms and 22,000 of the 33,000 miles of Gulf pipelines were in the direct path of either Hurricane Katrina or Rita resulting in the destruction of 115 platforms, damaged to 52 others, damage of 535 pipeline segments, and near total shut-down of the Gulf's offshore oil and gas production. Fortunately for all, due to the prompt evacuation and shut-in preparations made by operating and service personnel, there was no loss of life and no major oil spills attributed to either storm." source: BOEMRE
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