Does anyone else feel like people are being too hard on BP?

manlymatt83

Lifer
Oct 14, 2005
10,051
44
91
Perhaps it's just me, but when I read articles like this:

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/04/smallbusiness/louisiana_bp_claims/index.htm?hpt=T1

I get a little frustrated. I DO agree that BP is at fault for this, and I DO agree they were negligent. However, isn't it also true that BP WAS willing to drill in waters less than 500 feet deep but were pushed off-shore? They obviously needed regulatory approval for this deep sea well, and got it. There are obviously many of these types of wells out there, so an accident is going to happen every so often. This spill would be a lot easier cleaned up were the oil rig closer to shore, am I right?

I just find it odd that we're a nation that is so dependent on oil, yet we regulate the heck out of the oil companies (rightfully so, I will agree - as many of them are quite greedy), but force them off-shore and into more dangerous areas where spills are much more tragic, then expect them to play Mr. Bailout when an error occurs?
 

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
We wont know if this was BPs fault or if it was preventable for a while.

I will say I am quite disappointed at the lack planning for such an accident. While blowouts are rare, they do happen and there needs to be better plans in place to deal with them.

I dont think any of the oil majors would be doing a better job right now of controlling this blowout.
 

Schadenfroh

Elite Member
Mar 8, 2003
38,416
4
0
BP screwed the pooch, they also screwed up a major pipeline in Alaska a while back and have a terrible safety record. Their incompetence will cost us the ability to drill off-shore and hamper domestic oil production with their "Three-Mile Island" of the sea incident. This will set offshore drilling back in America due to poor PR at least a decade. Yes, it would be cheaper and safer to drill closer to shore, but now there is no chance of that situation improving.
 

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
BP screwed the pooch, they also screwed up a major pipeline in Alaska a while back and have a terrible safety record. Their incompetence will cost us the ability to drill off-shore and hamper domestic oil production with their "Three-Mile Island" of the sea incident. This will set offshore drilling back in America due to poor PR at least a decade. Yes, it would be cheaper and safer to drill closer to shore, but now there is no chance of that situation improving.

I think that is a possible outcome, but at the same time the states are already complaining about the jobs issue if offshore is shut down. That is going to be very hard to shut down those jobs with unemployment the way it is now.
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,969
140
106
I blame the eco-KOOKS for the spill. Reckless policy has resulted in the rigs drilling in deeper water rather then closer to shore or land based operations. the green slime eco-KOOKS own this disaster.
 

Balt

Lifer
Mar 12, 2000
12,673
482
126
Perhaps it's just me, but when I read articles like this:

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/04/smallbusiness/louisiana_bp_claims/index.htm?hpt=T1

I get a little frustrated. I DO agree that BP is at fault for this, and I DO agree they were negligent. However, isn't it also true that BP WAS willing to drill in waters less than 500 feet deep but were pushed off-shore? They obviously needed regulatory approval for this deep sea well, and got it. There are obviously many of these types of wells out there, so an accident is going to happen every so often. This spill would be a lot easier cleaned up were the oil rig closer to shore, am I right?

I just find it odd that we're a nation that is so dependent on oil, yet we regulate the heck out of the oil companies (rightfully so, I will agree - as many of them are quite greedy), but force them off-shore and into more dangerous areas where spills are much more tragic, then expect them to play Mr. Bailout when an error occurs?

You're basing your conclusions on the false assumption that the depth of the water caused is what caused the accident. It wasn't.
 

spittledip

Diamond Member
Apr 23, 2005
4,480
1
81
Perhaps it's just me, but when I read articles like this:

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/04/smallbusiness/louisiana_bp_claims/index.htm?hpt=T1

I get a little frustrated. I DO agree that BP is at fault for this, and I DO agree they were negligent. However, isn't it also true that BP WAS willing to drill in waters less than 500 feet deep but were pushed off-shore? They obviously needed regulatory approval for this deep sea well, and got it. There are obviously many of these types of wells out there, so an accident is going to happen every so often. This spill would be a lot easier cleaned up were the oil rig closer to shore, am I right?

I just find it odd that we're a nation that is so dependent on oil, yet we regulate the heck out of the oil companies (rightfully so, I will agree - as many of them are quite greedy), but force them off-shore and into more dangerous areas where spills are much more tragic, then expect them to play Mr. Bailout when an error occurs?

BP did not put the necessary fail-safes in place. BP caused the spill. BP chose to drill out at that depth, they were not forced to drill anywhere.

BP should pay for every last cent for cleanup and for lost income. Just b/c the govt regulation was not enforced or not in place does not remove BP's responsibility. BP caused the mess, BP needs to fix it.

Do I think that people are being too hard on BP? No. Do I feel bad for BP? Only for the workers who might take some losses b/c of this.

Do I think tighter regulations need to be enforced? No, I think off-shore drilling needs to be banned. I have always been against it b/c I figured an accident like this was inevitable.
 

mephiston5

Senior member
May 28, 2005
206
0
76
We are not being hard enough of them. They "cheap-ed out" on containment measures and were totally unprepared to deal with a deep water oil spill. And they tried to under estimate the amount of oil gushing into the gulf. Completely unforgivable.
 
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bob4432

Lifer
Sep 6, 2003
11,726
45
91
imho, if you do something you can't fix if shtf, then you may want to consider what you are doing. i am not against drilling if a company knows wtf they are doing and have contingency plans in case of worst case scenarios - many of us have them in place for our lives which have much less of an impact on part of the globe than bp does.

as far as regulation, BP was given an exclusion by MMS, at a time when obama had appointed the head of MMS....basically oil $$ bought the exclusion, could have happend on bush's watch but didn't so the admin shares in the responsibility too, but the news keeps leaving this part out.

this is a serious enviornmental disaster.....so, no i don't feel like people are being too hard on BP or the admin for both of them dragging their feet when they knew the size of the problem from the beginning.

when you break part of the planet...well, that is pretty severe.
 

ericlp

Diamond Member
Dec 24, 2000
6,137
225
106
best time to buy BP stock is when they get it fixed. OIL is not going to go down any time soon and the stocks will recover making you rich! :)

No ones being hard on BP. If it was Shell Oil or any other drill rig that broke off leaking millions of gallons into the sea it would be treated the same way. This is all going to get swept under the carpet and after it's all 'kinda' cleaned up, people will just go on as usual filling there big V8 tankers full of CHEAP 2.50 gallon gas ...

What you are looking at is CHEAP gas and Greed. It's not one company or another. It's like passing a hot potato around and where ever a disaster happens next that company will get shit on and the environment will suffer.

If you think one company could handle it any better then another I think your sadly mistaken.
 

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
1
81
We are not being hard enough of them. They "cheap-ed out" on containment measures and were totally unprepared to deal with a deep water oil spill. And they tried to under estimate the amount of oil gushing into the gulf. Completely unforgivable.

I am not sure how they cheaped out on containment. They are throwing quite a bit of resources at this problem. I will say they do seem unprepared to do containment.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
BP screwed the pooch, they also screwed up a major pipeline in Alaska a while back and have a terrible safety record. Their incompetence will cost us the ability to drill off-shore and hamper domestic oil production with their "Three-Mile Island" of the sea incident. This will set offshore drilling back in America due to poor PR at least a decade. Yes, it would be cheaper and safer to drill closer to shore, but now there is no chance of that situation improving.

Considering what Three Mile Island did to the Nuclear industry. I doubt we as a nation will ever be back out that far. We will let the Chinese and Cubans do it instead.
 

Genx87

Lifer
Apr 8, 2002
41,091
513
126
You're basing your conclusions on the false assumption that the depth of the water caused is what caused the accident. It wasn't.

I dont think he is blaming the depth of the water for the accident. But clearly the despth of the water is hampering efforts to fix the problem.
 

JSt0rm

Lifer
Sep 5, 2000
27,399
3,948
126
I blame the eco-KOOKS for the spill. Reckless policy has resulted in the rigs drilling in deeper water rather then closer to shore or land based operations. the green slime eco-KOOKS own this disaster.

congrats... you have fallen for the talking point. Sheeple.
 

Jhhnn

IN MEMORIAM
Nov 11, 1999
62,365
14,685
136
I blame the eco-KOOKS for the spill. Reckless policy has resulted in the rigs drilling in deeper water rather then closer to shore or land based operations. the green slime eco-KOOKS own this disaster.

Rave on, blame anybody other than your free-market corporate hero/whores...

It's not like anybody "forced" BP to drill anywhere... or was there a super-sekrit muslim conspiracy where they held the families of BP execs hostage, mailed the execs ears and fingers to make their point?
 

theeedude

Lifer
Feb 5, 2006
35,787
6,197
126
Let's see, BP cut corners, and corrupted regulators to look the other way.
I don't think we are too hard on them, I think they should be driven out of business and executives and corrupted regulators imprisoned for a long time to teach a very clear lesson to others that when you cut corners on safety, you are playing with not just shareholder money, but your freedom.
 

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
when all is said and done, there needs to be an unemotional examination of everything that went wrong to determine who is at fault and for what and what we need to do differently going forward.

I hold all judgment against BP in check until then.
 

dahunan

Lifer
Jan 10, 2002
18,191
3
0
6.1 BILLION DOLLARS PROFIT in the first quarter of 2010.. mm.. NO WAY are we even being hard enough

^^^that is THREE MONTHS ... TAKE IT ALLLLLLLLLLL
 

dahunan

Lifer
Jan 10, 2002
18,191
3
0
Quote: Originally Posted by dahunan View Post 6.1 BILLION DOLLARS PROFIT in the first quarter of 2010.. mm.. NO WAY are we even being hard enough ^^^that is THREE MONTHS ... TAKE IT ALLLLLLLLLLL your argument is reasonable and well thought out

Based on the facts of what we allowed Exxon to do to us... line up for more of it from BP