tamtagon Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 I didnt notice this one mentioned after a quick search... sounds like a pretty big deal.http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dw...rm.23cb4e0.htmlTexas Gulf Coast platform could handle 20% of U.S. oil imports 04:02 PM CDT on Monday, August 18, 2008Associated Press HOUSTON – Three companies plan to build an oil terminal and pipeline network off the Texas Gulf Coast capable of handling nearly 20 percent of the nation's daily imported oil. Demand from expanding refiners along the coast, from Freeport to Port Arthur, is driving the $1.8 billion project, executives said Monday. It will be the second offshore port in the Gulf of Mexico. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Thats a nice idea during the none-hurricane season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Thats a nice idea during the none-hurricane season It should be pretty safe 115 feet down. Most of the energy from a hurricane is expended at the surface and in the air. But there are a bunch of meteorologists here on HAIF who can probably give us some better idea about just how safe the pipelines would be down there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasVines Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 considering there has been a very similar facility off the coast of Louisiana for over a decade I figure they know what they are up against with this one and it will be just fine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brerrabbit Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 LOOP the Louisiana version has been around for a while with no problems. It's also a better system the rest of the year too because these tankers won't have to lighter their loads to smaller vessels to get the product into port. There are a lot more chances for spills in that proceedure than the new one. The system is needed because of the increased refining capacity currently being built on the Texas Gulf coast. The onshore piece of the project will be a crude pipeline running from Freeport to Port Arthur that will help feed the Motiva and Valero expansions in PA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 LOOP the Louisiana version has been around for a while with no problems. It's also a better system the rest of the year too because these tankers won't have to lighter their loads to smaller vessels to get the product into port. There are a lot more chances for spills in that proceedure than the new one. The system is needed because of the increased refining capacity currently being built on the Texas Gulf coast. The onshore piece of the project will be a crude pipeline running from Freeport to Port Arthur that will help feed the Motiva and Valero expansions in PA.I believe it's also better to do this in deep water because if something does go horribly wrong, you're not covering a shoreline full of life with crude. Instead, the wave action just makes it sink back to the bottom where it will eventually get covered with sand and return from whence it came. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plumber2 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 I believe it's also better to do this in deep water because if something does go horribly wrong, you're not covering a shoreline full of life with crude. Instead, the wave action just makes it sink back to the bottom where it will eventually get covered with sand and return from whence it came.Does anyone remember IXTOC UNO? It went horribly wrong. The oil was so nasty on the beach at South Padre Island that hotels were issuing tourists flip flop sandles to wear to and from the beach. Carpets in hotels rooms had to be replaced several times during that period. Business fell off and things just sucked. The stuff was everywere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 Does anyone remember IXTOC UNO? It went horribly wrong. The oil was so nasty on the beach at South Padre Island that hotels were issuing tourists flip flop sandles to wear to and from the beach. Carpets in hotels rooms had to be replaced several times during that period. Business fell off and things just sucked. The stuff was everywere.I think it depends on a couple of things. I was unable to find a reference on the internet pinpointing the location of the IXTOC UNO rig to compare its proximity to the shore to the proposed port system's distance from shore.Also, IXTOC UNO hit an underwater gusher. Worst case scenario for the port system is that you'd lose an entire tanker's worth of crude. That would be significantly less than that comes out of an uncapped high-pressure oil well on the sea floor.If someone remembers where IXTOC UNO happened, that might help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted August 21, 2008 Share Posted August 21, 2008 If it is the incident I'm thinking about, that probably happened about 25 years ago, the technology, materials, and techniques have evolved quite a bit since then. Everyone is so freaked out about massive oil spills, but they hardly happen anymore because of improvements that have occurred BECAUSE of these spills. Remember double hulled tankers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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