| Oct 26 |
BP says ‘spirit coming back,’ but Deepwater remains a deep stainBP is crowing now that the feds have said it can drill again in the Gulf of Mexico. “You can feel the spirit coming back,” says CEO Bob Dudley.
Of course, while banned from drilling after the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, BP had kept some Gulf wells active anyway, using loopholes and surrogate drillers. But now it has the all-clear to drill seven new wells on its own. Plus, profits are up. So its “spirit is coming back.” (more…) |
| Oct 21 |
Deepwater deaths, debacle don’t deter BP from more Gulf drilling The federal government today approved further offshore drilling by British energy giant BP — just 18 months after its Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 offshore workers and spawned the worst oil spill in American history. The new drilling will not be in BP’s Macondo prospect near Louisiana’s coast — site of Deepwater Horizon — but in its Kaskida prospect almost 200 miles from the Louisiana coast. BP will be allowed to drill up to seven new deepwater wells and shift the site of two other wells. (more…) |
| Oct 13 |
Feds fine 3 companies for Deepwater Horizon catastrophe The three companies involved in last year’s catastrophic Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig explosion, fire and oil spill all have been fined by the federal government for offshore drilling rule violations.
Federal fines could total as much as $45.7 million for BP, Halliburton and Houston-based Transocean. The move was made by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, an arm of the Interior Department. Its investigation along with that of the Coast Guard found “violation of numerous federal regulations designed to protect the integrity of offshore operations,” according to Michael Bromwich, bureau director. (more…) |
| Sep 22 |
Gulf helicopter crashes kill offshore workers in transit each year It turns out working among heavy machinery, toxic elements, fire hazards and high-seas weather isn’t all that makes offshore jobs dangerous. Workers on gas or oil rigs also are killed or injured getting to and from work — not by the freeway, but by helicopter.
A recent study shows that, for 26 years, an average of six helicopters yearly crashed in the Gulf of Mexico while servicing offshore oil or gas rigs or platforms. Most often the cause has been engine failure, but weather and pilot error also contribute — and go hand in hand when a pilot takes off despite bad weather warnings. |
| Jun 27 |
Despite Deepwater Horizon wakeup call, feds asleep on easing offshore accident risks
Well, not entirely by themselves. They also can engage an experienced Jones Act lawyer from Jim S. Adler & Associates to press their case for financial compensation. Also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, the Jones Act provides protections for injured seamen, sailors and maritime workers, including those on mobile offshore rigs and platforms. |
You’d think last year’s Deepwater Horizon explosion of a mobile offshore drilling unit would have sparked Washington to fix such problems. But in many cases, offshore dangers persist as “business as usual.” That leaves maritime workers who risk their lives to fend for themselves if endangered by an accident on the high seas.| Jan 07 |
Injured seamen should keep up with the Jones Act, not Workers Compensation
Indeed, settlements for injured seamen under the Jones Act can be much larger than sums paid under Workers Comp. Laws on the latter vary from state to state, but largely Workers Comp covers only disability payments, medical costs and lost wages for injured seamen. Often paid through an employer’s Workers Comp insurance policy, such payments are limited and are designed to help a seaman get back on his feet and then return to his job. |
Seamen on American waters perform difficult, physically taxing jobs which deserve respect. When they’re injured, such seamen have a special protection known as the Jones Act. Seamen also may seek financial recovery via Workers Compensation, or Workers Comp, but recovery through the Jones Act can be a far better strategy.