Gulf oil wells have been leaking since 2004 hurricane

[xchrom]

http://grist.org/news/gulf-oil-wells-have-been-leaking-since-2004-hurricane/

?w=250&h=187
Taylor Energy’s unchecked oil slick.

Oil has been gushing from a group of wells south of New Orleans since a platform at the site was wiped out by Hurricane Ivan in 2004, and it appears that nothing is being done to staunch or control the leaking.

Efforts to cap the ruptures seem to have been abandoned in 2011. Instead of working to clean up or stop the spill, driller Taylor Energy Company is now providing the government with daily updates about the resultant slick.

Even those updates appear to be half-baked. A long ribbon of oil can clearly be seen spilling out from the site, but Taylor Energy claims it’s much smaller than does NOAA.

On June 1, NOAA reported to the Coast Guard that the slick was 20.2 miles long and a mile wide.

[NYC_SKP]

1. Leaking for much longer. Go to this satellite view and tell me what the dark blue circles are:

Some of the underwater infrastructure dates back to the 1950s.

Google map with Port Arthur, TX, at center:

http://goo.gl/maps/7mw86

Then zoom out and not all the unnatural blue circles dotting the coastal waters from Texas to, but ending at, Florida (where there are no offshore operations, yet).

Also, please note, there are over 50,000 bore holes in the gulf alone.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8385057

[FogerRox]

2. Dark circles: Modern airbrushing

Look at Long Island Sound, specifically near New London Ct, where the Nuke sub base is.

[NYC_SKP]

3. Look at Santa Barbara, where there are offshore oil platforms:

http://goo.gl/maps/HxbYA

Zoom in on any of the blue dots, including in Long Island Sound, and you'll find some sort of installation or island.

Strategic importance?

I don't know.