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Four Killed in Brazil Offshore Helicopter Crash
by Dennis M. McElwee on September 13, 2011
Four people have been confirmed dead in an offshore helicopter crash off the coast of Brazil. The helicopter had just taken off from a drilling platform located in the Atlantic Ocean when it crashed killing a pilot, co-pilot and two subcontractors. The platform was operated by Brazilian company, Petrobras. According to news accounts, the pil...
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Researchers Use Crash Test Modeling Software to Predict Offshore Pipe Fractures
by Matthew D. Shaffer on September 19, 2011
In the future, offshore oil rigs may be safer because pipes are manufactured with safer materials, thanks to research at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology who are currently using car crash test software to predict pipe fractures. Offshore drilling pipes may be subjected to extreme pressure as they travel deep into the ocean, and require...
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Federal Report Blames BP, Transocean, Halliburton for Rig Explosion
by Matthew D. Shaffer on October 12, 2011
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement has laid much of the blame for the Gulf of Mexico oil explosion last year on BP. However, Transocean, the owner of the rig, and Halliburton, which did much of the cementing work on the vessel, have not been spared blame either. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation an...
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Chemical Safety Agency Has Concerns about Offshore Safety
by Matthew D. Shaffer on October 31, 2011
The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board is conducting an investigation into the BP explosion and oil spill last year. The investigation is being conducted at the request of Congress. The investigation is still on, but according to the New York Times, the board has found that lax federal offshore safety regulatory standards were re...
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Bill Would Require Stationing of Rescue Vessels within 3 Miles of Offshore Rigs
by Dennis M. McElwee on January 09, 2012
A bill introduced in the US House of Representatives would require rescue boats to be stationed within three nautical miles of offshore oil and gas drilling rigs. The measure has been sponsored by Louisiana Rep. Jeff Landry, R-New Iberia. According to him, the proposal aims to find a common sense approach to the safety problems facing the offs...
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Scientific Panel Calls for New Approach to Offshore Safety
by Matthew D. Shaffer on February 22, 2012
A scientific panel is recommending that U.S. offshore drilling companies take a more systematic approach to offshore safety in order to prevent a disaster like the BP oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico last year. The recommendations were made by the National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council. In a new report, the two ag...
