Are there any reports of oil spills out in the gulf?

[ck4829]

"At least 20 oil rigs and platforms are missing in the Gulf of Mexico and a ruptured gas pipeline is on fire after Hurricane Katrina tore through the region, a US Coast Guard official said. "We have confirmed at least 20 rigs or platforms missing, either sunk or adrift, and one confirmed fire where a rig was," Petty Officer Robert Reed of the Louisiana Coast Guard told AFP.

There are MANY production platforms missing (as in not visible from the air). This means they have been totally lost. I am talking about 10's of platforms, not single digit numbers. Each platform can have from 4 to 100+ wells on it. Most larger ones have 20-30 wells in this area, with numerous caisson wells. They are on their sides, on the bottom of the gulf - they will likely be left as reef material, provided we can get permission. MMS regulations require us to plug each of the wells that were on these platforms - HUGE cost now, as the platforms are gone... Hopefully, MMS will grant `abandon in place' status for these wiped out structures.

In short, the Gulf area hit by the storm is basically in about the same shape as Biloxi. The damage numbers you have gotten from the government and analysts are, in my opinion, much too low. We are looking at YEARS to return to the production levels we had prior to the storm. The eastern Gulf of Mexico is primarily oil production."

http://dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/31/172025/630

[TomInTib]

1. Holy crap! Do the math

that many rigs X number of wells. Once plugged, these wells will have to wait for service rigs and then the wells will need to be primed into production.
The costs will be enormous.
We have the rigs mothballed on the Gulf Coast but the must be rehabbed.
Effing disaster.

[complain jane]

2. I heard on the news today that there were 20 + tankers missing alone,

that wasn't even counting the rigs/platforms or whatever.

[MercutioATC]

3. The NOLA Mayor said yesterday that a tanker ran aground and was

leaking oil. I didn't hear any more about it.