Posted Aug 1, 2010 by pkbowen
New BP Exploration Worries Libyans
BP recently returned to the country of Libya and signed a $900 million offshore and onshore oil exploration deal. If a spill were to occur, the consequences could be even more serious and far-reaching than they have been in the Gulf. This has worried some Libyans, but their ability to speak out against this deal is severely limited.
Note that a hand-prepared, English-to-Arabic translation of this article is available here...
Within the last couple of weeks, BP has committed to exploring oil wells in Libya. This move is historic...BP has not had a presence in Libya since the early 1980s. The exploration commitment has a set minimum of $900 million, and will explore around 54,000 square kilometers (20,850 square miles). The exploration will occur on both offshore and onshore regions, and (BP estimates) could result in 20 appraisal wells.
Articles on the subject:
BBC - BP set to begin oil drilling off Libya
Spero News - BP inks largest exploration commitment in Libya
An online friend (who will remain anonymous due to freedom of speech restrictions in Libya) recently expressed his concern about this drilling arrangement.
Consequences of a Libyan Oil Spill
Libya is comprised mostly of the Libyan Desert, which covers 1,100,000 square kilometers (425,000 square miles) and receives virtually no rainfall. The only habitable land in Libya is the coastal region (see the map below).
Because of the geography of Libya, if an oil spill such as the one in the Gulf of Mexico were to occur a large portion of the coast could be rendered uninhabitable. The Libyans in that region would, more or less, be left to die. Since the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, Libyans have become worried about the offshore oil exploration, and the possibility of a large spill. Additionally, the water in Libya is generally gathered from artesian springs and wells, so any disaster on the coast or inland near a spring could drastically affect the quality of groundwater, even to the point of making it poisonous.
If an oil spill were to occur, there would be two large obstacles blocking the road to recovery: (1) Libya has "rocky" relations with most of the industrialized world, and (2) freedom of speech and press in Libya are restricted, so BP (or another company) wouldn't be under public pressure to fix the problem.
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Pat Bowen - http://bit.ly/bkzA0p - August 12, 2010, 1:38 am
"BP Plc, which last week plugged its blown-out Gulf of Mexico oil well that caused the U.S.'s worst oil spill, said it has delayed plans to drill offshore Libya."
Pat Bowen - August 1, 2010, 9:52 am
I think it's pretty cool to have a bilingual article, but that's just me! :) I also think it shows that we can work together very well despite geographic, political, and language barriers.
Pat Bowen - http://www.reddit.com/r/environment/ - August 1, 2010, 8:00 am
We're up to #14 on the environmental Reddit page! Anyone with a Reddit account should "up" it! :-)
Pat Bowen - http://bit.ly/bdqc9h - August 1, 2010, 7:04 am
The fact that the drilling rights were paid for in blood gives us even more reason to be upset...
"The US Government told Scottish officials that the Lockerbie bomber's release on compassionate grounds was 'far preferable' to his transfer back to a Libyan jail, it was revealed today."