Alaska Oilfield Jobs

OIL POLITICS: The agony of Ogoni

When the Ogoni people demanded an end to unhealthy acts of production and Shell Development Company (SPDC and Shell) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the government called names and security officials sparked maim, rape and murder and greyhound many into exile.

The report on pollution Ogoniland prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and released August 4, 2011, marks the first official confirmation that there is a major tragedy on our hands.The UNEP report shows unequivocally that the Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP), led by the premonition Ken Saro-Wiwa was not crying wolf when he maintained that great injustice was inflicted on Ogoni land.

UNEP officials say the report was issued in response to insinuations. At more than 9 million, it must be the most expensive implied spraying report on record. That the "insinuations" caused the study or the publication of the study is not known. But if it was that the report was a prelude to the resumption of oil production in Ogoni land, it is certainly not watered.

It is shocking that in the face of the Ogoni environment tragic UNEP report suggests a possible restart of oil production in Ogoni land. This can be likened to getting blood from a dying man.

The report shows what has been widely known and said before. But what is official and very valuable. When Shell distributed funds for the study, they said they were based on the polluter pays principle. True. Shell Ogoniland polluted, just as they and other companies have done and continue to do throughout the Niger Delta.

Shell claims that the majority of oil spills in Ogoni are caused by interference by the local population is against the observations in the UNEP report. The report indicates that refineries in the bush, for example, became important from 2007 onwards. Of course, one of the conclusions that should have been, with livelihoods completely destroyed, some people had to find a means of survival and regret their choice of work and illegal. Carefully clear of UNEP not to alienate Shell in the report, this path was not pursued.

In a review of the UNEP report, Richard Steiner, Oasis of the Earth organization, Alaska, writes: "The UNEP report devotes several pages (161-166) specifically for refining the oil field craft Bodo West, and correctly reports an increase of this kind between unhappy. 2007 and 2011, however, in the analysis of oil pollution in the region, UNEP ignores the other source of much of oil spilled in the same region in the same period - the twin pipeline ruptures Trans Niger (PTI) caused by the negligence of the SPDC in 2008 and 2009.Together, these spills have contributed between 250,000 to 350,000 barrels of oil in this system, orders of magnitude more than the illegal refining. Much of the oil in the west zone may Bodo Bodo spills from PTI. "How do these compare to the volume of spills from refineries craft?

Outlook For Alaska Oil Drilling and Oilfield Jobs | TheInfoMine

Drilling for oil and gas in Alaska has always caused controversy but the fact is that we get over 17 percent of our oil from Alaska. This Alaskan oil, which heats our homes and fuels our vehicles does not come from a conflict plagued region or quasi enemy of the U.S.  Oil drilling activity creates thousands of jobs in Alaska and is a crucial part of the economy.

The outlook for oilfield jobs in Alaska is improving. Shell has recently announced plans to drill for the first time in the Chuckchi Sea, offshore. The Obama administration, recognizing the economic and security consequences of not enough domestic oil production, has recently voiced its support for offshore drilling in Alaska. The EPA and other agencies plan to closely monitor the first wells to be drilled offshore by Shell.

The Chuckchi sea may be Alaska’s next Prudhoe Bay, with an estimated 15 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

Shell  plans to drill up to three wells at two sites in the Chuckchi sea, about 75 miles (120 km) off the northwest Alaska coastline

Other new oil projects of note in Alaska are the BP Heavy Oil Project, a four well project costing over 100 million dollars. The project, which is in the North Slope, will utilize a technology called CHOPS, which basically uses a type of auger deep in the well to create a suction and help lift the very heavy oil to the surface without heating it.

Elsewhere, the Alaska Journal of Commerce reports that BP and Parker Drilling are completing the Liberty drilling rig, which will be one of the largest in the state. This large rig is being designed specifically for extended reach projects to reach pockets of oil offshore of Prudhoe Bay, where there may be as much as 100 million recoverable barrels of crude. The Liberty oil deposit has been known about for some time and now the technology is available to go after this highly sought after prize.

This rig, the Parker Liberty, will be capable of reaching as far as eight miles laterally underground, which will be a record for the industry. The tall derrick will be able to handle longer stands of pipe, allowing for faster tripping in and out of the hole.

These projects, along with new pipeline projects will increase Alaska oil and gas jobs.

For more information on jobs in the Alaska oilfield see: Alaska Oilfield Jobs

To keep up the flow of oil from Alaska more drilling projects using extended reach, offshore rigs and horizontal drilling will be needed. As these projects come online the prospect for oilfield jobs in Alaska looks good for 2010 and beyond.

Cumulative environmental effects of oil and gas activities on Alaska's North Slope

Congressional Record, V. 147, Pt. 15, October 25, 2001 to November 7, 2001

The Unofficial Guide to Adventure Travel in Alaska

Assessment of the continuing operability of chemical agent disposal facilities and equipment

Congressional Record V. 148, Pt. 4, April 11, 2002 to April 24, 2002