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[markalison231]

Best Oil and Gas Construction Company, well construction Company

iDrilling Technologies (iDT), recognized as a reliable construction partner for the oil and gas, Well construction sector. We stand out as leading Oil and Gas Construction Company, well construction Company. Best as Engineering services, Drilling Construction Companies, well integrity, Reduce conventional footprint, Global networking, Risk matrix, ERD wells, well performance analysis, HPHT wells, Onshore wells, water wells, Deepwater wells Companies, Hydraulics and hole cleaning, Stuck pipe prevention, Casing design and material selection, Loss circulation management, Well barrier software, Hydraulics and hole cleaning software Companies. Visit https://idrillingtechnologies.com/

[idrillingoil]

iDrilling Technologies (iDT), is one of the trustworthy well construction Company, Oil and Gas Construction Company providing variety of engineering services, well integrity, Drilling Construction, Global networking, water wells, Stuck pipe prevention, Deepwater wells Companies, Risk matrix, Casing design and material selection, Onshore wells, Hydraulics and hole cleaning, well performance analysis, Well barrier software, HPHT wells, ERD wells, Loss circulation management Companies. Hit https://idrillingtechnologies.com/

[yourreddancer]

Heather Cox Richardson

January 7, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Jan 8

Today, President Joe Biden signed proclamations that create the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, protecting 848,000 acres (about 3,430 square kilometers) of land in southern California’s Eastern Coachella Valley. Under the 1906 Antiquities Act, the president can designate national monuments to protect areas of “scientific, cultural, ecological, and historic importance.”

Yesterday, Biden protected the East Coast, the West Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea—an area that makes up about 625 million acres or 2.5 million square kilometers—from oil and natural gas drilling. While there is currently little interest among oil companies in drilling in those areas, the new designation will protect them into the future. Noting that nearly 40% of Americans live in coastal communities, Biden said the minimal fossil fuel potential was not worth the risks that drilling would bring to the fishing and tourist industries and to environmental and public health.

The White House noted that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have “conserved more lands and waters”—more than 670 million acres of them—and have “deployed more clean energy, and made more progress in cutting climate pollution and advancing environmental justice than any previous administration.” At the same time, oil and gas production is at an all-time high, demonstrating that land protection and energy production can coexist.

While oil executives blasted Biden’s proclamation protecting the coastal waters, Democratic lawmakers on the newly protected coasts cheered his action, recognizing that oil spills devastate the tourism and fishing on which their constituents depend: the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, killed 11 people, closed 32,000 square miles (82,880 square kilometers) of the Gulf of Mexico to fishing, and has cost more than $65 billion in compensation alone.

Biden protected the oceans under the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which enables presidents to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing and development but does not say that future presidents can revoke that protection to put those waters back into development, meaning that Trump—who similarly protected coastal waters when he was president—will have a hard time overturning Biden’s action.

Nonetheless, Trump’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called Biden’s decision “disgraceful” and claimed it was “designed to exact political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices. Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail, and we will drill, baby, drill.”

Journalist Wes Siler, who writes about the outdoors, environment, and the law, notes that there is a major effort underway among Republicans to privatize public lands to benefit oil and gas industries, as well as other extractive industries, just as Project 2025 outlined. Melinda Taylor, senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin Law School, told Bloomberg Law in November: “Project 2025 is a ‘wish list’ for the oil and gas and mining industries and private developers. It promotes opening up more of our federal land to energy development, rolling back protections on federal lands, and selling off more land to private developers.”

In September, Siler wrote in Outside that politicians in Utah have designed a lawsuit to put in front of the Supreme Court. It argues that all the land in Utah currently in the hands of the Bureau of Land Management—18.5 million acres—should be transferred to the control of the state of Utah.

Those eager to get their hands on the land use the words “unappropriated lands” from the 1862 Homestead Act to claim that the federal government is holding the land “without any designated purpose.”

But, as Siler notes, in 2023, BLM-managed land supported 783,000 jobs and produced $201 billion in economic output, and in Utah alone the use of BLM land created more than 36,000 jobs and $6.7 billion in economic output as more than 15 million people visited the state’s public lands. Utah realized hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes on that activity, and while it’s true that states cannot tax federal government lands—as lawmakers say—the government pays the state in lieu of taxes: $128.7 million in 2021.

Transferring that land to the state would sacrifice these funds, and because the state constitution requires the state both to balance its budget and to realize profits from state land, that transfer would facilitate the land’s sale to private interests.

Twelve states have now joined Utah’s lawsuit, arguing that federal control of “unappropriated” land within states impinges on state sovereignty, and they are asking the Supreme Court to take up the case as part of its original jurisdiction. As Siler noted in a May article in Outside, Chief Justice John Roberts has expressed an eagerness to revisit the legality of the Antiquities Act the presidents use to protect land—as Biden did today—suggesting he would be willing to side with the states against the federal government. Project 2025 also calls for Congress to repeal the Antiquities Act.

In Wes Siler’s Newsletter yesterday, Siler noted that the new rules package adopted for the 119th Congress makes it easier to transfer public lands to state control. The rules strip away the need to justify the cost of such a transfer and to offset it with budget cuts or increased revenue elsewhere.

In a press conference today, Trump said he would rescind Biden’s policies and “put it back on day one,” and complained that the 625 million acres Biden protected feels “like the whole ocean,” although the Pacific Ocean alone is almost 38 billion acres more than Biden protected.

Also today, Trump announced that a developer from Dubai, DAMAC Properties, will invest at least $20 billion in the U.S. to create new data centers that support artificial intelligence and cloud services. Trump claimed that the company’s chief executive officer, Hussain Sajwani, is investing in the U.S. “because of the fact that he was very inspired by the election,” but DAMAC has been connected to Trump for a while.

Sajwani attended Trump’s first inauguration, and a company tied to chair and current board member of DAMAC Farooq Arjomand paid $600,000 to the key witness for the House Republicans seeking to dig up dirt on President Biden. That man was Alexander Smirnov, who in December 2024 pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI when he claimed Biden had taken bribes from the Ukrainian company Burisma.

Data centers are notoriously high users of energy. They consume 10 to 50 times as much energy per floor space as does a typical commercial office building, which might have something to do with why Trump’s team is so eager to increase American energy production even as it is already at an all-time high. Trump has promised companies that invest a billion or more dollars in the U.S. that they will get expedited approvals and permits, including those covering environmental concerns.

But if the larger story of this moment is the plunder of our public resources for private interests, Trump’s press conference in general seemed to have a different theme. It was what CNN perhaps euphemistically called “wide ranging,” as he abandoned his “America First” isolationism to suggest using force against China as well as U.S. allies Denmark, Panama, Mexico, and Canada, which would destabilize the globe by rejecting the central principle of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that countries must respect each other’s sovereignty. He wildly suggested that the Iran-backed Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah was part of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and that his people were part of the negotiations for the return of the Israeli hostages.

Trump’s performance was reminiscent of his off-the-wall press conferences during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, which tanked his popularity enough to get his team to stop him from doing them. Trump might have chosen to speak today to keep attention away from the arrival of the casket carrying former president Jimmy Carter to Washington, D.C., where it was transported by horse-drawn caisson to the Capitol, where Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda until his Thursday funeral at Washington National Cathedral. The snow and frigid weather were not enough to keep mourners away, and Trump has already expressed frustration that Carter’s death will mean that flags will be at half-staff for his own inauguration.

But he also might have been trying to demonstrate that the transition from Biden’s administration to his own is taking his time and energy in order to add heft to the argument his lawyers made yesterday. They demanded that Attorney General Merrick Garland prevent the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report about his investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election because making Trump respond to the media frenzy the report will stir up would take his attention away from the presidential transition.

Trump managed to defang most of the legal cases against him by being elected president, but he apparently still fears the release of Smith’s report. Today, Judge Aileen Cannon, whom he appointed to the bench and who dismissed the charges against Trump in his retention of classified documents, issued an order preventing the Department of Justice from releasing the report. Constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe noted that the order “has no legal basis and ought to be reversed quickly—but these days nobody can be confident that law will matter.”

The presidential immunity on which Trump apparently is relying has also failed to protect him from being sentenced in the election interference case in which a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 felonies. In Civil Discourse, legal analyst Joyce White Vance explained that Trump wants to stop the sentencing process because it triggers a thirty-day period for Trump to appeal. “Once the appeal is concluded,” she explains, “the conviction is final.” Trump was apparently hoping to hold off that process and buy four years to come up with a way out of a permanent designation as a felon.

It didn’t work. Today, appeals court judge Ellen Gesmer rejected his attempt to stop the sentencing. It will go forward on Friday as planned.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Tim Campbell

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 7, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Jan 08, 2025

Today, President Joe Biden signed proclamations that create the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, protecting 848,000 acres (about 3,430 square kilometers) of land in southern California’s Eastern Coachella Valley. Under the 1906 Antiquities Act, the president can designate national monuments to protect areas of “scientific, cultural, ecological, and historic importance.”

Yesterday, Biden protected the East Coast, the West Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea—an area that makes up about 625 million acres or 2.5 million square kilometers—from oil and natural gas drilling. While there is currently little interest among oil companies in drilling in those areas, the new designation will protect them into the future. Noting that nearly 40% of Americans live in coastal communities, Biden said the minimal fossil fuel potential was not worth the risks that drilling would bring to the fishing and tourist industries and to environmental and public health.

The White House noted that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have “conserved more lands and waters”—more than 670 million acres of them—and have “deployed more clean energy, and made more progress in cutting climate pollution and advancing environmental justice than any previous administration.” At the same time, oil and gas production is at an all-time high, demonstrating that land protection and energy production can coexist.

While oil executives blasted Biden’s proclamation protecting the coastal waters, Democratic lawmakers on the newly protected coasts cheered his action, recognizing that oil spills devastate the tourism and fishing on which their constituents depend: the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, killed 11 people, closed 32,000 square miles (82,880 square kilometers) of the Gulf of Mexico to fishing, and has cost more than $65 billion in compensation alone.

Biden protected the oceans under the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which enables presidents to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing and development but does not say that future presidents can revoke that protection to put those waters back into development, meaning that Trump—who similarly protected coastal waters when he was president—will have a hard time overturning Biden’s action.

Nonetheless, Trump’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called Biden’s decision “disgraceful” and claimed it was “designed to exact political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices. Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail, and we will drill, baby, drill.”

Journalist Wes Siler, who writes about the outdoors, environment, and the law, notes that there is a major effort underway among Republicans to privatize public lands to benefit oil and gas industries, as well as other extractive industries, just as Project 2025 outlined. Melinda Taylor, senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin Law School, told Bloomberg Law in November: “Project 2025 is a ‘wish list’ for the oil and gas and mining industries and private developers. It promotes opening up more of our federal land to energy development, rolling back protections on federal lands, and selling off more land to private developers.”

In September, Siler wrote in Outside that politicians in Utah have designed a lawsuit to put in front of the Supreme Court. It argues that all the land in Utah currently in the hands of the Bureau of Land Management—18.5 million acres—should be transferred to the control of the state of Utah.

Those eager to get their hands on the land use the words “unappropriated lands” from the 1862 Homestead Act to claim that the federal government is holding the land “without any designated purpose.”

But, as Siler notes, in 2023, BLM-managed land supported 783,000 jobs and produced $201 billion in economic output, and in Utah alone the use of BLM land created more than 36,000 jobs and $6.7 billion in economic output as more than 15 million people visited the state’s public lands. Utah realized hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes on that activity, and while it’s true that states cannot tax federal government lands—as lawmakers say—the government pays the state in lieu of taxes: $128.7 million in 2021.

Transferring that land to the state would sacrifice these funds, and because the state constitution requires the state both to balance its budget and to realize profits from state land, that transfer would facilitate the land’s sale to private interests.

Twelve states have now joined Utah’s lawsuit, arguing that federal control of “unappropriated” land within states impinges on state sovereignty, and they are asking the Supreme Court to take up the case as part of its original jurisdiction. As Siler noted in a May article in Outside, Chief Justice John Roberts has expressed an eagerness to revisit the legality of the Antiquities Act the presidents use to protect land—as Biden did today—suggesting he would be willing to side with the states against the federal government. Project 2025 also calls for Congress to repeal the Antiquities Act.

In Wes Siler’s Newsletter yesterday, Siler noted that the new rules package adopted for the 119th Congress makes it easier to transfer public lands to state control. The rules strip away the need to justify the cost of such a transfer and to offset it with budget cuts or increased revenue elsewhere.

In a press conference today, Trump said he would rescind Biden’s policies and “put it back on day one,” and complained that the 625 million acres Biden protected feels “like the whole ocean,” although the Pacific Ocean alone is almost 38 billion acres more than Biden protected.

Also today, Trump announced that a developer from Dubai, DAMAC Properties, will invest at least $20 billion in the U.S. to create new data centers that support artificial intelligence and cloud services. Trump claimed that the company’s chief executive officer, Hussain Sajwani, is investing in the U.S. “because of the fact that he was very inspired by the election,” but DAMAC has been connected to Trump for a while.

Sajwani attended Trump’s first inauguration, and a company tied to chair and current board member of DAMAC Farooq Arjomand paid $600,000 to the key witness for the House Republicans seeking to dig up dirt on President Biden. That man was Alexander Smirnov, who in December 2024 pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI when he claimed Biden had taken bribes from the Ukrainian company Burisma.

Data centers are notoriously high users of energy. They consume 10 to 50 times as much energy per floor space as does a typical commercial office building, which might have something to do with why Trump’s team is so eager to increase American energy production even as it is already at an all-time high. Trump has promised companies that invest a billion or more dollars in the U.S. that they will get expedited approvals and permits, including those covering environmental concerns.

But if the larger story of this moment is the plunder of our public resources for private interests, Trump’s press conference in general seemed to have a different theme. It was what CNN perhaps euphemistically called “wide ranging,” as he abandoned his “America First” isolationism to suggest using force against China as well as U.S. allies Denmark, Panama, Mexico, and Canada, which would destabilize the globe by rejecting the central principle of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that countries must respect each other’s sovereignty. He wildly suggested that the Iran-backed Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah was part of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and that his people were part of the negotiations for the return of the Israeli hostages.

Trump’s performance was reminiscent of his off-the-wall press conferences during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, which tanked his popularity enough to get his team to stop him from doing them. Trump might have chosen to speak today to keep attention away from the arrival of the casket carrying former president Jimmy Carter to Washington, D.C., where it was transported by horse-drawn caisson to the Capitol, where Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda until his Thursday funeral at Washington National Cathedral. The snow and frigid weather were not enough to keep mourners away, and Trump has already expressed frustration that Carter’s death will mean that flags will be at half-staff for his own inauguration.

But he also might have been trying to demonstrate that the transition from Biden’s administration to his own is taking his time and energy in order to add heft to the argument his lawyers made yesterday. They demanded that Attorney General Merrick Garland prevent the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report about his investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election because making Trump respond to the media frenzy the report will stir up would take his attention away from the presidential transition.

Trump managed to defang most of the legal cases against him by being elected president, but he apparently still fears the release of Smith’s report. Today, Judge Aileen Cannon, whom he appointed to the bench and who dismissed the charges against Trump in his retention of classified documents, issued an order preventing the Department of Justice from releasing the report. Constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe noted that the order “has no legal basis and ought to be reversed quickly—but these days nobody can be confident that law will matter.”

The presidential immunity on which Trump apparently is relying has also failed to protect him from being sentenced in the election interference case in which a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 felonies. In Civil Discourse, legal analyst Joyce White Vance explained that Trump wants to stop the sentencing process because it triggers a thirty-day period for Trump to appeal. “Once the appeal is concluded,” she explains, “the conviction is final.” Trump was apparently hoping to hold off that process and buy four years to come up with a way out of a permanent designation as a felon.

It didn’t work. Today, appeals court judge Ellen Gesmer rejected his attempt to stop the sentencing. It will go forward on Friday as planned.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[allthecanadianpolitics]

One of the world's largest oil companies is preparing to drill an exploratory deepwater oil well about 500 kilometres off the eastern coast of Newfoundland. ExxonMobil says the Stena Drillmax ship will drill a single well, which the company is calling Persephone, in about 3,000 metres of water. The well will be drilled in an area of the seabed called the Orphan Basin, which is north of the Flemish Pass Basin, where Equinor is considering developing the country's first deepwater oil production operation, called Bay du Nord.

Continue Reading.

[arrozaurus]

In many cases, climate change is further increasing the economic pressure on Indigenous communities to make quick-and-dirty deals with extractive industries. That’s because disruptive weather changes, particularly in northern regions, are making it much harder to hunt and fish (for example when the ice is almost never solid, communities in the far north become virtually trapped, unable to harvest food for months on end). All this makes it extremely hard to say no to offers of job training and resource sharing when companies like Shell come to town. Members of these communities know that the drilling will only make it harder to engage in subsistence activities—there are real concerns about the effects of oil development on the migration of whales, walruses, and caribou—and that’s without the inevitable spills. But precisely because the ecology is already so disrupted by climate change, there often seems no other option.

The paucity of good choices is perhaps best on display in Greenland, where receding glaciers and melting ice are revealing a vast potential for new mines and offshore oil exploration. The former Danish colony gained home rule in 1979, but the Inuit nation still relies on an annual infusion of more than $600 million (amounting to a full third of the economy) from Denmark. A 2008 self-governance referendum gave Greenland still more control over its own affairs, but also put it firmly on the path of drilling and mining its way to full independence. “We’re very aware that we’ll cause more climate change by drilling for oil,” a top Greenlandic official, then heading the Office of Self-Governance, said in 2008. “But should we not? Should we not when it can buy us our independence?” Currently, Greenland’s largest industry is fishing, which of course would be devastated by a major spill. And it doesn’t bode well that one of the companies selected to begin developing Greenland’s estimated fifty billion barrels of offshore oil and gas is none other than BP.

Indeed the melancholy dynamic strongly recalls BP’s ���vessels of opportunity” program launched in the midst of the Deepwater Horizon disaster. For months, virtually the entire Louisiana fishing fleet was docked, unable to make a living for fear that the seafood was unsafe. That’s when BP offered to convert any fishing vessel into a cleanup boat, providing it with booms to (rather uselessly) mop up some oil. It was tremendously difficult for local shrimpers and oystermen to take work from the company that had just robbed them of their livelihood—but what choice did they have? No one else was offering to help pay the bills. This is the way the oil and gas industry holds on to power: by tossing temporary life rafts to the people it is drowning.

—Naomi Klein, This Changes Everything (2014)

[allthebrazilianpolitics]

Brazil divided over oil drilling proposal off Amazon delta

‘A big fight’: potential new fossil fuel source causes rift in Lula government after green pledges

A proposal to drill for oil in the sea off the mouth of the Amazon river has exposed a rift in the cabinet of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, lining up an important test of his pledges to halt environmental destruction.

National oil and gas company Petrobras has lodged an appeal after the environmental agency rejected its request to drill an exploratory well in the zone known as the Foz do Amazonas, or Amazon Mouth basin, some 175km from the country’s northern coast. 

The scheme has split opinion among Lula voters, and while the leftwinger has avoided taking a firm position, he has said he found it “difficult” to believe the activity would cause ecological problems given the 500km distance between the deepwater site in the Atlantic Ocean and the rainforest.

More than just a single wellhead is at stake. Environmental policy in Brazil draws international attention because it is home to a large portion of the Amazon river and its surrounding rainforest, a store of carbon critical to protecting the earth’s climate. Campaigners say the area around the proposed oil exploration site is ecologically sensitive and near coral reefs.

Yet industry figures argue that tapping the wider offshore region in which the block lies, known as the Equatorial Margin, is crucial to the South American nation’s continued status as a globally important energy producer.

Continue reading.

[terriwriting]

Completely unhinged life story. Like a parody of a corporate mad scientist.

In 1916, Midgley began working at General Motors. In December 1921, while working under the direction of Charles Kettering at Dayton Research Laboratories, a subsidiary of General Motors, he discovered (after discarding tellurium due to the difficult-to-eradicate smell) that the addition of tetraethyllead (TEL) to gasoline prevented knocking in internal combustion engines.[4] The company named the substance "Ethyl", avoiding all mention of lead in reports and advertising. Oil companies and automobile manufacturers (especially General Motors, which owned the patent jointly filed by Kettering and Midgley) promoted the TEL additive as an inexpensive alternative superior to ethanol or ethanol-blended fuels, on which they could make very little profit.[5][6][7] In December 1922, the American Chemical Society awarded Midgley the 1923 Nichols Medal for the "Use of Anti-Knock Compounds in Motor Fuels".[8] This was the first of several major awards he earned during his career.[2]

In 1923, Midgley took a long vacation in Miami to cure himself of lead poisoning. He said, "I find that my lungs have been affected and that it is necessary to drop all work and get a large supply of fresh air."[9] That year, General Motors created the General Motors Chemical Company (GMCC) to supervise the production of TEL by the DuPont company. Kettering was elected as president with Midgley as vice president. However, after two deaths and several cases of lead poisoning at the TEL prototype plant in Dayton, Ohio, the staff at Dayton was said in 1924 to be "depressed to the point of considering giving up the whole tetraethyl lead program".[6] Over the course of the next year, eight more people died at DuPont's plant in Deepwater, New Jersey.[9] In 1924, dissatisfied with the speed of DuPont's TEL production using the "bromide process", General Motors and the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (now known as ExxonMobil) created the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation to produce and market TEL. Ethyl Corporation built a new chemical plant using a high-temperature ethyl chloride process at the Bayway Refinery in New Jersey.[9] However, within the first two months of its operation, the new plant was plagued by more cases of lead poisoning, hallucinations, insanity, and five deaths.[7]

The risks associated with exposure to lead have been known at least since 2000 BC,[10] while efforts to limit lead's use date back to at least the 16th century.[11][10][12] Midgley experienced lead poisoning himself, and was warned about the risk of lead poisoning from TEL as early as 1922.[13] Midgley well knew the hazards of lead. He investigated whether the risks, both in production and use, could be managed. Testing on the exhaust was completed, which he used to support the idea that 1 part tetraethyl lead per 1300 of gasoline could safely be used.[14] After the initial worker exposures, controls were developed to allow the process to operate safely. Leaded gasoline use grew exponentially. The chronic impacts of environmental lead were grossly underestimated.

On October 30, 1924, Midgley participated in a press conference to demonstrate the apparent safety of TEL, in which he poured TEL over his hands, placed a bottle of the chemical under his nose, and inhaled its vapor for 60 seconds, declaring that he could do this every day without succumbing to any problems.[7][15] However, the State of New Jersey ordered the Bayway plant to be closed a few days later, and Jersey Standard was forbidden to manufacture TEL again without state permission. Production was restarted in 1926 after intervention by the federal government. High-octane fuel, enabled by lead, was important to the military. Midgley later took a leave of absence from work after being diagnosed with lead poisoning.

...

In the late 1920s, air conditioning and refrigeration systems employed compounds such as ammonia (NH3), chloromethane (CH3Cl), propane, methyl formate (C2H4O2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) as refrigerants. Though effective, these were toxic, flammable or explosive. The Frigidaire division of General Motors, at that time a leading manufacturer of such systems, sought a non-toxic, non-flammable alternative to these refrigerants.[17]

Midgley, working with Albert Leon Henne, soon narrowed his focus to alkyl halides (the combination of carbon chains and halogens), which were known to be highly volatile (a requirement for a refrigerant) and also chemically inert. They eventually settled on the concept of incorporating fluorine into a hydrocarbon. They rejected the assumption that such compounds would be toxic, believing that the stability of the carbon–fluorine bond would be sufficient to prevent the release of hydrogen fluoride or other potential breakdown products.[17] The team eventually synthesized dichlorodifluoromethane,[18] the first chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), which they named "Freon".

all demographics and time periods and geography taken fully into consideration, some people were just born to lose

[energyandpowers]

Riding the Winds of Change: Navigating the Offshore Wind Cable Market

Riding the Offshore Breeze: A Deep Dive into the Booming Wind Turbine Market The world's energy future is being reshaped at an unprecedented pace, with the imperative to decarbonize and lock in safe, sustainable power driving the change. Among the most viable solutions, offshore wind power is fast becoming a leading contender, driving the offshore wind turbine market into uncharted territory. This is not a fad; it's a qualitative transformation in how we will energize our world. The Surge: Numbers Don't Lie The figures tell a compelling tale. Based on recent market studies, the global offshore wind turbine market is expected to achieve astronomical valuations in the next decade. Market reports indicate a CAGR rate over 15% up to 2030, with market value possibly exceeding hundreds of billions of dollars. The exponential growth is driven by some core factors:

More Government Support: Countries across the globe are establishing ambitious renewable energy goals, with offshore wind at the forefront. Policy support, feed-in tariffs, and auctions are encouraging developers and attracting investment.

Technology Improvements: Turbine technology is constantly improving, with bigger, more efficient turbines able to produce much more electricity. This means greater efficiency and lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE), making offshore wind more competitive with fossil fuels.

Increasing Installation Capacity: With maturing of the industry, installation vessels and equipment are getting more advanced, enabling more and bigger offshore wind farms to be installed in deeper waters and more challenging conditions.

Shifting Corporate Demand: Corporates are increasingly pledging their support to renewable energy procurement, and this is pushing demand for offshore wind projects of large capacity through power purchase agreements (PPAs).

Nicotine Testing Market Segmentation

By Capacity

Upto 1MW

1-3 MW

3-5 MW

above 5MW

By Application

Deepwater

Shallow Water

Geography

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific

South and Central America

Middle East and Africa

Market leaders and key company profiles

Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction

Envision Group

General Electric Company

Hitachi, Ltd.

NORDEX SE

Senvion S.A.

Siemens AG

Sinovel Wind Group Co., Ltd.

Vestas Wind Systems A/S

Insights and Analysis: More Than the Surface Though the growth of the market is true, a closer look brings forth some key observations:

Regional Leadership: Europe has been the leader in the offshore wind industry, with well-established supply chains and supportive regulatory environments. Yet, Asia-Pacific, and China in particular, is quickly becoming a global force, fueled by its extensive coastline and ambitious renewable ambitions. North America, too, is on the cusp of major growth, with planned projects along the East Coast.

Turbine Size Does Matter: The shift towards bigger turbines is gaining pace. 14MW+ turbines are now the standard, and even bigger versions are being designed. This trend decreases the number of foundations and installation expenses, reducing LCOE even further. But this also increases the burden on the supply chain to deliver these gigantic turbines.

Floating Wind: The Next Frontier: Though fixed-bottom turbines are the dominant force in the market today, floating wind technology is picking up steam. The technology unlocks vast expanses of deep-water opportunity, hitherto out of reach for conventional offshore wind farms. Floating wind is crucial for nations with short shallow water capacity, like Japan, Portugal, and regions along the US West Coast.

Supply Chain Issues: The fast expansion of the market is exerting tremendous pressure on the supply chain, from raw materials to manufacturing and installation. Shortages and bottlenecks may slow down project development and drive up costs. Developing a robust and scalable supply chain is essential for the long-term viability of the industry.

Environmental Implications: Although offshore wind has great environmental advantages, it is important to consider possible effects on marine life and ecosystems. Proper planning, monitoring, and mitigation strategies are necessary to promote the sustainable growth of offshore wind farms.

Grid Integration: Grid integration of large volumes of offshore wind power needs massive investment in transmission systems and smart grid technology. Maintaining grid stability and reliability is paramount to the successful integration of offshore wind.

The Road Ahead: Navigating the Winds of Change The offshore wind turbine industry is on the verge of sustained growth and innovation. The industry, however, has to overcome some challenges to reach its full potential. Investing in research and development, encouraging cooperation along the value chain, and building strong regulatory frameworks are necessary to ride the winds of change. The energy future is inextricably linked to the success of offshore wind. Through the tapping of the energy of the sea breeze, we can build a cleaner, greener, and more secure energy future for coming generations.

About Us-

The Insight Partners is among the leading market research and consulting firms in the world. We take pride in delivering exclusive reports along with sophisticated strategic and tactical insights into the industry. Reports are generated through a combination of primary and secondary research, solely aimed at giving our clientele a knowledge-based insight into the market and domain. This is done to assist clients in making wiser business decisions. A holistic perspective in every study undertaken forms an integral part of our research methodology and makes the report unique and reliable.

[vijay34]

Drilling Polymers Market Size, Share, and Industry Analysis

Increasing Oil & Gas Exploration Activities Propel Growth in the Drilling Polymers Market.

The Drilling Polymers Market size was valued at USD 2.01 Billion in 2023. It is expected to grow to USD 2.91 Billion by 2032 and grow at a CAGR of 4.12% over the forecast period of 2024-2032.

The global drilling polymers market is driven by the increasing demand for efficient drilling fluids in oil & gas exploration, geothermal energy projects, and mining operations. Drilling polymers are essential additives that enhance the viscosity, stability, and filtration properties of drilling fluids, improving the efficiency and safety of drilling operations. With the rising global energy demand and advancements in drilling technologies, the market for drilling polymers is expanding rapidly.

Key Players in the Drilling Polymers Market

SINO MUD (Mud Cleaner, Drilling Fluid Additives)

Baroid Industrial Drilling Products (Baroid LCM, BAROID Drilling Fluids)

Baker Hughes, Inc. (Baroid Drilling Fluids, VersaFlo)

Halliburton, Inc. (Baroid Drilling Fluids, OPTI-CLEAN)

Chevron Corp. (Chevron Drilling Fluids, Unimud)

Schlumberger Ltd. (XTREME Clean, DRILPLEX)

Global Drilling Fluids and Chemicals Ltd. (SlickWater, Mud Additives)

Global Envirotech (Eco-Clean, Eco-Drill)

Di-Corp (Di-Drill, Di-Versify)

M-I SWACO (A Schlumberger Company) (Baroid Mud Systems, Drilplex)

Future Scope and Emerging Trends

The drilling polymers market is set to grow significantly with the expansion of offshore and deepwater drilling projects worldwide. Increasing investments in shale gas exploration and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques are further propelling demand for high-performance, environment-friendly drilling polymers. The industry is witnessing a shift toward bio-based and biodegradable drilling polymers, reducing environmental impact and improving sustainability. Additionally, advancements in nanotechnology and smart polymer formulations are enabling the development of highly efficient, temperature-resistant drilling additives, enhancing wellbore stability in challenging drilling environments.

Key Points

Rising Oil & Gas Exploration Activities: Increased demand for drilling fluids in offshore and onshore operations.

Advancements in Drilling Technologies: Development of smart polymers and nanotechnology-based drilling solutions.

Growing Adoption of Eco-Friendly Polymers: Shift toward biodegradable and non-toxic drilling additives.

Expansion in Shale Gas & Deepwater Drilling: Increased use of polymers in hydraulic fracturing and high-pressure drilling environments.

Strong Industrial Demand: Increased usage in mining, geothermal energy, and water well drilling applications.

Conclusion

The drilling polymers market is on a strong growth trajectory, fueled by technological innovations, rising energy demand, and the push for sustainable drilling solutions. Companies focusing on developing high-performance, eco-friendly, and cost-effective drilling polymers will have a competitive advantage in this evolving market. As the industry shifts toward more advanced and environmentally responsible formulations, the market is expected to witness sustained expansion and new opportunities across global energy sectors.

Read Full Report: https://www.snsinsider.com/reports/drilling-polymers-market-4971                 

Contact Us:

Jagney Dave — Vice President of Client Engagement

Phone: +1–315 636 4242 (US) | +44- 20 3290 5010 (UK)

[oilmec]

Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug – The Final Solution to Successful Cementing | Oilmec Asia

In the constantly changing oil and gas industry, successful wellbore cementing is imperative in maintaining well integrity and stopping fluid migration. One of the most important pieces in this process is the on-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug, which plays an important part in adding greater displacement efficiency, casing wall contamination removal, and strong cement-drilling fluid seal.

We have expertise in high-performance cementing solutions at Oilmec Asia, and our Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug (OM106-B) is designed to provide world-class reliability, accuracy, and performance. From running in high-pressure wells, deepwater developments, and unconventional reservoirs, our cementing plug is designed to maximize your operations.

What is a Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug? A Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug is a vital equipment in the primary cementing operation for eliminating residual mud, spacers, and cement from the casing wall, in an effort to realize the zonal isolation proper. As opposed to conventional plugs, its non-rotation aspect prevents it from rotating, thus facilitating a solid landing within the casing.

The innovative design offers a range of advantages in cementing operations. It delivers maximum mud displacement for proper cement placement in the wellbore. The non-rotating condition reduces movement, facilitates proper placement and cuts on sources of error on landing. It also forms a consistent pressure seal with no migration of fluids and tight cement-drilling fluids seal. Other than this, it is compatible with various casing and cementing sizes and is therefore an adaptable tool under varied wellbore conditions.

Due to the innovative engineering of Oilmec Asia, our OM106-B Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug works better in high-pressure well conditions and yet effectively and long-lasting.

Important Features of Oilmec Asia's Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug (OM106-B) In Oilmec Asia, efficiency, innovation, and safety in every one of our products are a value that we maintain. Our OM106-B Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug is technologically designed with the latest technology currently available to improve on wellbore stability and to make cementing easier.

OM106-B plug is built using premium elastomers, with unyielding resistance to high pressure, high temperature, and abrasive drilling fluid. The strength is one of the reasons the OM106-B is a trustworthy choice for aggressive wellbore conditions. In contrast to traditional wiper plugs, which can spin on drop-off, the OM106-B features a patented non-rotating lock system with no space for unauthorized movement. This guarantees proper placement, minimizes spinning of the plug, and creates a firm, pressure-seal.

In addition to its enhanced sealing, the plug wiper fins also efficiently sweep away excess drilling fluid, providing cement protection against contamination and best zonal isolation. The two-wiper design ensures total casing wall clean-up and best cement placement. The pressure-activated seal system also enables the plug to survive abusive downhole conditions, forming an impermeable seal against fluid flow.

The second major feature is the capability to work with different cementing heads, casing, and drilling programs and be deployed and integrated in any cementing operations with ease. This minimizes rig time and operation cost and provides a smooth and efficient cementing operation.

Why Select Oilmec Asia as Your Cementing Solutions Provider? Having experience in oilfield technology spanning decades, Oilmec Asia is a global-standard cementing equipment company with the confidence of worldwide oil and gas producers. Quality, innovation, and customer satisfaction are our drives to stand apart from the rest.

Our equipment is engineered using state-of-the-art engineering so that every component is industry standard with the latest technology. We also offer customized solutions for resolving specific wellbore problems, so that versatility in various drilling conditions is guaranteed. Our cementing equipment is found to be durable and very efficient, with very good performance in onshore and offshore operations. We are also worldwide, with operations in various locations across the globe, providing services to clients in various locations, so that top-class cementing technology reaches all corners.

How the Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug Guarantees Wellbore Integrity Zonal isolation in a successful cementing operation is possibly the toughest objective. It, in the case of a failure, might cause gas migration, well failure, and remedial operations of an uneconomic nature. Oilmec Asia's OM106-B Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug plays an important part in well integrity.

Through thorough cleaning of the casing walls, it removes residual spacers and mud that are sources of contamination threats. This, consequently, gives perfect cement placement, with maximum zonal isolation and prevention of cement failure. Non-rotation design provides minimum plug movement, ensuring accurate landing without disrupting seal building. Much more important is that the plug achieves long-term pressure containment, enhancing overall well stability and life.

By incorporating our revolutionary cementing plug into your operation, you can anticipate enhanced cementing efficiency, minimized risks, and long-term well reliability.

Future of Cementing Technology – What's Next? The oil and gas industry is evolving on a daily basis, and cementing technology is no exception. With the advances in smart drilling, digital surveillance, and automation, the future of cementing plugs is all about AI-optimized optimization, real-time analysis of data, and improved wellbore surveillance.

At Oilmec Asia, we are investing heavily in the next-generation cementing technologies to address the needs of the energy sector today. We strive to offer smarter, more efficient, and sustainable cementing equipment that offers optimal performance with fewer risks of operation.

Final Thoughts: Upgrade Your Cementing Operations with Oilmec Asia In the oil and gas competitive business of today, it only requires the correct cementing wiper plug to sway the balance towards wellbore stability and operation success. Oilmec Asia's OM106-B Non-Rotating Bottom Cementing Wiper Plug provides better performance, market-leading zonal isolation, and long-term well reliability.

[consultant25]

Optimizing Deepwater Drilling Operations with Expert Consultants and Advanced Casing Design

The Critical Role of Deepwater Drilling Consultants

Deepwater oil and gas exploration is a high-stakes endeavor that demands precise execution and expert oversight. With increasing depth, pressure, and environmental risks, companies require experienced Deepwater Drilling Consultants to manage drilling complexities effectively. AriesOne provides expert consultants who bring decades of experience in deepwater exploration, offering strategic guidance on drilling techniques, risk mitigation, and compliance with industry regulations.

Our consultants ensure that drilling programs are executed efficiently while minimizing downtime and operational risks. By implementing state-of-the-art monitoring tools and real-time data analysis, AriesOne helps clients achieve optimal well performance, enhance safety protocols, and reduce environmental impact.

Advanced Casing Design Solutions in Houston, TX

A well-structured casing design is crucial for ensuring wellbore integrity and operational success.  AriesOne, we specialize in advanced Casing Design in Houston, TX, providing customized solutions tailored to different geological formations and drilling environments. Our engineers use cutting-edge simulation tools to optimize casing string selection, mitigate risks of well collapse, and enhance pressure management.

With a focus on efficiency and cost-effectiveness, AriesOne’s casing design services include:

Customized well planning to match project-specific requirements

High-quality materials that withstand deepwater pressures and extreme conditions

Innovative design methodologies to improve well longevity and reduce costs

By integrating robust casing solutions with expert drilling consultancy, AriesOne ensures that deepwater projects meet safety, performance, and budgetary goals.

Why Choose AriesOne?

AriesOne stands as a trusted partner in the oil and gas industry, offering Deepwater Drilling Consultants and Casing Design expertise tailored to the most challenging projects. Our commitment to safety, innovation, and operational efficiency sets us apart as a leader in deepwater exploration and well construction solutions.

Contact AriesOne today to enhance your drilling strategies and optimize casing design for your next deepwater project.

[vertechsgroup]

The Importance of Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) in Oil and Gas

Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a modern technique used in the oil and gas industry to control the pressure in a well during drilling. This method allows companies to drill deeper and more safely, reducing the risks associated with high-pressure wells. Vertechs, a leading company in drilling technology, has embraced MPD as an essential part of efficient and safe drilling operations.

What is Managed Pressure Drilling?

In simple terms, managed pressure drilling (MPD) is a controlled method of drilling that involves carefully managing the pressure within the wellbore. The goal is to keep the pressure at optimal levels, which helps prevent well control issues like blowouts or gas kicks.

Normally, drilling a well requires careful management of the pressure exerted by the drilling fluid (mud) to prevent problems like the collapse of the wellbore or unwanted fluid flows. However, in certain challenging situations—such as drilling into deep or high-pressure formations—the traditional methods of pressure management may not be sufficient. This is where MPD comes into play.

Why is MPD Important?

Drilling in high-pressure zones or areas with complex geological formations can be risky. Without proper pressure control, the chances of a blowout, a serious incident where the pressure of the well gets out of control, increase significantly. MPD helps prevent this by allowing for a more flexible and reliable pressure control system.

By continuously monitoring and adjusting the pressure during drilling operations, MPD ensures that the pressure is maintained within a safe range, no matter how challenging the conditions are. This helps protect both the well and the equipment, while also improving safety and efficiency.

How Does Managed Pressure Drilling Work?

MPD uses a combination of advanced technology and real-time monitoring to keep pressure under control. The system includes several components, such as pressure sensors, choke valves, and automated systems, to precisely adjust and manage the pressure. These tools work together to ensure that the drilling process remains smooth and safe.

One of the key components of MPD is the choke manifold, which is used to regulate the flow of drilling mud. By controlling the flow of mud, the system can maintain a constant pressure inside the wellbore. This is especially important when drilling in areas where pressure changes can occur rapidly, such as deepwater drilling or when dealing with reservoirs with high-pressure pockets.

Benefits of MPD Drilling

Improved Safety: By maintaining constant pressure control, MPD significantly reduces the risk of blowouts or other dangerous well control situations.

Better Wellbore Stability: MPD can stabilize the wellbore in high-pressure environments, reducing the chance of wellbore collapse or other drilling-related issues.

Cost Efficiency: Although MPD may require additional equipment and expertise, it can save money in the long run by preventing accidents and reducing the need for expensive corrective measures.

Faster Drilling: With MPD, operators can drill faster and more efficiently. The ability to manage pressure allows for deeper drilling and the ability to handle more challenging geological formations.

Reduced Environmental Impact: Since MPD reduces the risk of blowouts, it also minimizes the risk of oil spills or other environmental accidents. This is crucial for maintaining environmental standards in drilling operations.

Vertechs and MPD Drilling

Vertechs, a leading company in the drilling industry, has been at the forefront of incorporating MPD into their operations. Their expertise in MPD technology ensures that the systems are implemented effectively, providing safer and more efficient drilling solutions. Vertechs works closely with clients to offer tailored MPD solutions that match the specific needs of each drilling operation.

With a strong focus on safety and efficiency, Vertechs utilizes MPD to help clients tackle some of the most challenging drilling projects. By using the latest in MPD technology, Vertechs ensures that well operations are conducted smoothly and within optimal pressure conditions, minimizing risks and improving the overall success of drilling activities.

Conclusion

Managed Pressure Drilling (MPD) is a game-changer in the oil and gas industry. By allowing operators to carefully control and monitor pressure in real-time, MPD reduces the risk of well control issues and ensures safer, more efficient drilling. Companies like Vertechs are leveraging MPD to provide advanced drilling solutions that make a significant difference in the success of operations.

As the demand for deeper and more complex wells increases, mpd drilling continue to play an important role in drilling operations worldwide. It’s an essential technology that helps companies like Vertechs maintain safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in their drilling projects.

[ptneventsinfo-com]

The Role of Robotics: How Automated Machines Are Shaping the Future of Oil & Gas

The oil and gas industry is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by advancements in robotics. These automated machines, once confined to futuristic visions, are now integral to the sector’s operations. From ensuring safety in hazardous environments to enhancing efficiency and sustainability, robotics is paving the way for a smarter, more resilient industry.

Robots are tackling some of the most challenging aspects of oil and gas operations, especially in environments where human intervention is limited or dangerous. Equipped with advanced sensors and AI-driven technologies, these machines can perform tasks like deepwater drilling, pipeline inspections, and facility maintenance with unparalleled precision. Their ability to operate in extreme conditions has turned them from a technological novelty into a necessity for companies striving for operational excellence.

Transformative Applications of Robotics

One of the most impactful applications of robotics in oil and gas is subsea operations. Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) play a critical role in exploring, maintaining, and repairing underwater assets. These robots navigate extreme depths, conducting tasks like pipeline inspections and platform repairs while streaming real-time data to engineers. By eliminating the need for divers in high-risk environments, they significantly enhance safety and efficiency.

Drilling and well operations, traditionally labor-intensive and hazardous, are also benefiting from robotics. Robotic drill systems automate repetitive tasks, optimize drilling performance, and reduce human error. These systems leverage real-time data to adjust operations dynamically, leading to cost savings and improved productivity.

Another key area is pipeline inspection. Robotic crawlers equipped with cameras and ultrasonic sensors can traverse pipelines, identifying leaks, corrosion, or structural weaknesses. Unlike traditional inspection methods, which often require costly shutdowns, these robots perform their tasks without disrupting operations, making them invaluable for minimizing environmental risks and downtime.

Facility maintenance is another field where robotics is making strides. Drones and robotic arms are used for inspections, cleaning, and repairs in hard-to-reach areas. Drones with thermal imaging cameras can scan facilities for hotspots or structural issues, enabling swift interventions and reducing operational delays.

Unparalleled Benefits of Robotics

Robotics offers numerous benefits that are reshaping the industry. The most significant of these is enhanced safety. Robots operate in environments that are too dangerous for humans, such as high-pressure subsea zones or areas with toxic gases, dramatically reducing the risk of workplace accidents.

Cost efficiency is another major advantage. While the initial investment in robotic systems can be high, the long-term savings through reduced downtime, optimized resource use, and minimized errors are substantial. Additionally, robots’ precision in performing tasks leads to better operational outcomes and fewer costly mistakes.

Modern robots are also equipped with advanced sensors and communication systems, providing real-time data insights. This data is crucial for predictive maintenance, informed decision-making, and continuous process improvement.

Challenges to Overcome

Despite their benefits, robotics in oil and gas comes with challenges. The high initial cost of robotic systems can be a barrier, particularly for smaller companies. However, the long-term return on investment makes a compelling case for adoption.

Cybersecurity risks are another concern. As robots rely on interconnected systems and IoT technologies, they are vulnerable to cyberattacks. Companies must prioritize robust security measures to safeguard their operations. Additionally, the transition to automation raises concerns about workforce displacement. However, this shift also presents opportunities for workers to transition into roles focused on operating, maintaining, and innovating robotic systems. Reskilling and upskilling will be essential to navigate this change successfully.

The Future of Robotics in Oil & Gas

The future of robotics in oil and gas is incredibly promising, with trends like AI-driven automation leading the way. Robots equipped with artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming smarter, capable of predicting maintenance needs, optimizing workflows, and adapting to changing conditions.

Collaborative robotics, or cobots, are also gaining traction. Designed to work alongside humans, these robots assist with complex tasks, fostering a more efficient and collaborative environment.

Sustainability is another focus area. Green robotics, designed to minimize environmental impact, will play a crucial role in monitoring emissions, detecting leaks, and supporting the industry’s transition toward greener practices.

Robotics is revolutionizing the oil and gas industry by introducing automation, enhancing safety, and optimizing efficiency. From subsea operations to facility maintenance, robots are transforming how companies operate, making the industry smarter and more resilient.

Despite challenges like cybersecurity risks and workforce transitions, the potential of robotics is too significant to ignore. By addressing these challenges with a strategic approach, companies can unlock unparalleled benefits and set new standards for operational excellence.

The future of oil and gas lies in embracing innovation, and robotics is at the forefront of this transformation. To explore more, join the Oil & Gas Automation and Digitalization Conference (https://ogad-conference.com/) to reach new heights in operational excellence and technological innovation.

[misfitwashere]

January 7, 2025 

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JAN 8

Today, President Joe Biden signed proclamations that create the Chuckwalla National Monument and the Sáttítla Highlands National Monument, protecting 848,000 acres (about 3,430 square kilometers) of land in southern California’s Eastern Coachella Valley. Under the 1906 Antiquities Act, the president can designate national monuments to protect areas of “scientific, cultural, ecological, and historic importance.”

Yesterday, Biden protected the East Coast, the West Coast, the eastern Gulf of Mexico, and Alaska’s Northern Bering Sea—an area that makes up about 625 million acres or 2.5 million square kilometers—from oil and natural gas drilling. While there is currently little interest among oil companies in drilling in those areas, the new designation will protect them into the future. Noting that nearly 40% of Americans live in coastal communities, Biden said the minimal fossil fuel potential was not worth the risks that drilling would bring to the fishing and tourist industries and to environmental and public health.

The White House noted that Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have “conserved more lands and waters”—more than 670 million acres of them—and have “deployed more clean energy, and made more progress in cutting climate pollution and advancing environmental justice than any previous administration.” At the same time, oil and gas production is at an all-time high, demonstrating that land protection and energy production can coexist.

While oil executives blasted Biden’s proclamation protecting the coastal waters, Democratic lawmakers on the newly protected coasts cheered his action, recognizing that oil spills devastate the tourism and fishing on which their constituents depend: the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, for example, killed 11 people, closed 32,000 square miles (82,880 square kilometers) of the Gulf of Mexico to fishing, and has cost more than $65 billion in compensation alone.

Biden protected the oceans under the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, which enables presidents to withdraw federal waters from future oil and gas leasing and development but does not say that future presidents can revoke that protection to put those waters back into development, meaning that Trump—who similarly protected coastal waters when he was president—will have a hard time overturning Biden’s action.

Nonetheless, Trump’s spokesperson Karoline Leavitt called Biden’s decision “disgraceful” and claimed it was “designed to exact political revenge on the American people who gave President Trump a mandate to increase drilling and lower gas prices. Rest assured, Joe Biden will fail, and we will drill, baby, drill.”

Journalist Wes Siler, who writes about the outdoors, environment, and the law, notes that there is a major effort underway among Republicans to privatize public lands to benefit oil and gas industries, as well as other extractive industries, just as Project 2025 outlined. Melinda Taylor, senior lecturer at the University of Texas at Austin Law School, told Bloomberg Law in November: “Project 2025 is a ‘wish list’ for the oil and gas and mining industries and private developers. It promotes opening up more of our federal land to energy development, rolling back protections on federal lands, and selling off more land to private developers.”

In September, Siler wrote in Outside that politicians in Utah have designed a lawsuit to put in front of the Supreme Court. It argues that all the land in Utah currently in the hands of the Bureau of Land Management—18.5 million acres—should be transferred to the control of the state of Utah.

Those eager to get their hands on the land use the word “unappropriated lands” from the 1862 Homestead Act to claim that the federal government is holding the land “without any designated purpose.”

But, as Siler notes, in 2023, BLM-managed land supported 783,000 jobs and produced $201 billion in economic output, and in Utah alone the use of BLM land created more than 36,000 jobs and $6.7 billion in economic output as more than 15 million people visited the state’s public lands. Utah realized hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes on that activity, and while it’s true that states cannot tax federal government lands—as lawmakers say—the government pays the state in lieu of taxes: $128.7 million in 2021.

Transferring that land to the state would sacrifice these funds, and because the state constitution requires the state both to balance its budget and to realize profits from state land, that transfer would facilitate the land’s sale to private interests.

Twelve states have now joined Utah’s lawsuit, arguing that federal control of “unappropriated” land within states impinges on state sovereignty, and they are asking the Supreme Court to take up the case as part of its original jurisdiction. As Siler noted in a May article in Outside, Chief Justice John Roberts has expressed an eagerness to revisit the legality of the Antiquities Act the presidents use to protect land—as Biden did today—suggesting he would be willing to side with the states against the federal government. Project 2025 also calls for Congress to repeal the Antiquities Act.

In Wes Siler’s Newsletter yesterday, Siler noted that the new rules package adopted for the 119th Congress makes it easier to transfer public lands to state control. The rules strip away the need to justify the cost of such a transfer and to offset it with budget cuts or increased revenue elsewhere.

In a press conference today, Trump said he would rescind Biden’s policies and “put it back on day one,” and complained that the 625 million acres Biden protected feels “like the whole ocean,” although the Pacific Ocean alone is almost 38 billion acres more than Biden protected.

Also today, Trump announced that a developer from Dubai, DAMAC Properties, will invest at least $20 billion in the U.S. to create new data centers that support artificial intelligence and cloud services. Trump claimed that the company’s chief executive officer, Hussain Sajwani, is investing in the U.S. “because of the fact that he was very inspired by the election,” but DAMAC has been connected to Trump for a while.

Sajwani attended Trump’s first inauguration, and a company tied to chair and current board member of DAMAC Farooq Arjomand paid $600,000 to the key witness for the House Republicans seeking to dig up dirt on President Biden. That man was Alexander Smirnov, who in December 2024 pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI when he claimed Biden had taken bribes from the Ukrainian company Burisma.

Data centers are notoriously high users of energy. They consume 10 to 50 times as much energy per floor space as does a typical commercial office building, which might have something to do with why Trump’s team is so eager to increase American energy production even as it is already at an all-time high. Trump has promised companies that invest a billion or more dollars in the U.S. that they will get expedited approvals and permits, including those covering environmental concerns.

But if the larger story of this moment is the plunder of our public resources for private interests, Trump’s press conference in general seemed to have a different theme. It was what CNN perhaps euphemistically called “wide ranging,” as he abandoned his “America First” isolationism to suggest using force against China as well as U.S. allies Denmark, Panama, Mexico, and Canada, which would destabilize the globe by rejecting the central principle of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that countries must respect each other’s sovereignty. He wildly suggested that the Iran-backed Lebanese paramilitary group Hezbollah was part of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and that his people were part of the negotiations for the return of the Israeli hostages.

Trump’s performance was reminiscent of his off-the-wall press conferences during the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, which tanked his popularity enough to get his team to stop him from doing them. Trump might have chosen to speak today to keep attention away from the arrival of the casket carrying former president Jimmy Carter to Washington, D.C., where it was transported by horse-drawn caisson to the Capitol, where Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda until his Thursday funeral at Washington National Cathedral. The snow and frigid weather were not enough to keep mourners away, and Trump has already expressed frustration that Carter’s death will mean that flags will be at half-staff for his own inauguration.

But he also might have been trying to demonstrate that the transition from Biden’s administration to his own is taking his time and energy in order to add heft to the argument his lawyers made yesterday. They demanded that Attorney General Merrick Garland prevent the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report about his investigation into Trump’s attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election because making Trump respond to the media frenzy the report will stir up would take his attention away from the presidential transition.

Trump managed to defang most of the legal cases against him by being elected president, but he apparently still fears the release of Smith’s report. Today, Judge Aileen Cannon, whom he appointed to the bench and who dismissed the charges against Trump in his retention of classified documents, issued an order preventing the Department of Justice from releasing the report. Constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe noted that the order “has no legal basis and ought to be reversed quickly—but these days nobody can be confident that law will matter.”

The presidential immunity on which Trump apparently is relying has also failed to protect him from being sentenced in the election interference case in which a Manhattan jury found him guilty of 34 felonies. In Civil Discourse, legal analyst Joyce White Vance explained that Trump wants to stop the sentencing process because it triggers a thirty-day period for Trump to appeal. “Once the appeal is concluded,” she explains, “the conviction is final.” Trump was apparently hoping to hold off that process and buy four years to come up with a way out of a permanent designation as a felon.

It didn’t work. Today, appeals court judge Ellen Gesmer rejected his attempt to stop the sentencing. It will go forward on Friday as planned.

—

[oilgasenergymagazine]

Massive Deep-Sea Oil Discovery Ignites Global Energy Debate

https://oilgasenergymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/1-Massive-Deep-Sea-Oil-Discovery-Ignites-Global-Energy-Debate-Source-earth.com_.jpg

Source: earth.com

Category: News

  

A Game-Changing Discovery in the Gulf of Mexico

Talos Energy, a U.S.-based oil firm, confirmed reports of a significant deep-sea oil discovery in early September amid the bustle of the U.S. election season. The well, named EW 953, lies approximately 19,000 feet below the surface in the Gulf of Mexico, showcasing the vast untapped potential of the region. Preliminary estimates suggest that the well could produce between 8,000 and 10,000 barrels per day, a figure that has drawn considerable interest from industry experts and analysts.

Talos plans to connect the new well to its South Timbalier 311 Megalodon platform, a host facility it partly owns alongside Walter Oil & Gas, which holds a 56.7% stake. Talos itself maintains a 33.3% share, while Gordy Oil Company holds the remaining 10%. The project’s depth and complexity bring with it immense engineering challenges, significant financial investments, and undeniable risks.

Adding to the region’s momentum, Murphy Oil Corporation’s Sebastian project—a parallel deep-sea endeavor at a depth of 12,000 feet—is expected to yield between 6,000 and 10,000 barrels per day. Together, these projects could generate an estimated 15 to 25 million barrels of oil equivalent, valued at approximately $1.89 billion. Industry insiders believe these discoveries could reshape the Gulf of Mexico’s energy landscape and influence the global market.

Economic Impact and Market Speculation

Joe Mills, Interim President and CEO of Talos Energy, expressed optimism about the well’s potential, stating, “The well logged better than expected rock properties, which we believe should lead to a robust initial flow rate.” While immediate shifts in global oil prices are unlikely, the discovery has drawn the attention of energy analysts, traders, and policymakers.

New oil sources like EW 953 present opportunities to reduce dependency on imports and strengthen competitive positions in international markets. Located in a strategic energy hub, the well could play a critical role in shaping future global energy negotiations. Analysts also believe the project could offer economic boosts, such as job creation and regional investments, particularly in the Gulf’s local economies.

However, the challenges of deep-sea oil discovery cannot be ignored. The project’s success hinges on overcoming technical hurdles, ensuring safety compliance, and maintaining efficient operations. Unexpected geological complications, equipment delays, or shifting political and regulatory landscapes could impact timelines and costs.

Lessons from the Past and the Road Ahead

The Gulf of Mexico’s history with offshore drilling remains etched in public memory, particularly after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, which caused extensive environmental damage and eroded trust in deep-sea operations. Although advancements in safety protocols and spill prevention have since improved, new ventures like the Deep-Sea Oil Discovery at EW 953 inevitably evoke concerns about potential risks. Environmentalists and regulators are likely to keep a close watch on safety measures and emergency response plans to ensure history does not repeat itself.

As the project unfolds, Talos Energy’s discovery raises broader questions about the intersection of safety, environmental responsibility, and economic priorities. While the well’s potential is undeniable, its success—or failure—will depend on balancing these factors in a high-stakes energy market.

For now, the world waits to see how this deep-sea oil discovery will develop. Will it reshape global energy flows, or will it simply add to the existing supply mix? With production still a few years away, the answers remain uncertain, but the discovery has undeniably set the stage for a major shift in the energy sector.