Cuban Offshore Drilling Poses Threat to Florida

[graywolf]

Published July 02, 2010 | The Wall Street Journal
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AP
June 25: A boat skims for oil just off the beach in Pensacola Beach, Fla.
Florida has long fought to prevent oil drilling anywhere near its white sandy beaches. But as the state continues to deal with oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill washing up on its shores, it faces a new threat: deepwater drilling in nearby Cuban waters.

Maria Ritter, a spokeswoman for Spanish oil company Repsol YPF SA, said it plans to drill off Cuba, about 60 miles south of Key West, Fla., early next year. If successful, this would likely kick off a spate of exploration. Only one deepwater well has been drilled in Cuban waters, by Repsol in 2004. The effort found oil but not enough to justify commercial development.

Since then, the U.S. Geological Survey has said there could be a substantial amount of untapped oil off the Cuban coast, whetting the appetite of several global oil companies that have signed exploration leases.

U.S. companies won't participate because of a longstanding trade embargo against Cuba. Repsol plans to use a floating drilling rig being refurbished in a Chinese shipyard, similar to the Deepwater Horizon rig leased by BP PLC that caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Mexico in April. Almost all parts and components in the rig to be used by Repsol are from non-U.S. companies.

The Obama administration has sought a six-month ban on deepwater drilling in U.S. waters to reassess risks and establish new safety procedures if necessary. But any new rules wouldn't reach Repsol's project in Cuban waters.


A spill there, even one significantly smaller than the continuing BP spill, could turn into an economic and environmental nightmare for Florida. Some oceanographers say the oil would likely be carried up Florida's Atlantic Coast, the heart of its tourism industry.

"We have one of the world's largest coral reefs and a protected marine sanctuary there," said Dan McLaughlin, a spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) "We should not be drilling there."

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Gee, I wonder if Cuba's Environmentalists will be petitioning the Castro Regime about this?

[twyacht]

China has already bought and paid for access to rigs off Mexico, and Cuba....

After all a corrupt gov't like Mexico will never turn down cash, and a broke impoverished communist island like Cuba, will never turn down cash....

We can't even get a wind farm in the desert...

Sad.

[fightingquaker13]

Well, here at last is the causus belli the calle ocho crowd have long wanted. Personally, I could not possibly care less who governs Cuba. If we can deal with the Saudis and the Red Chinese, spare me the morality play about Castro. I mean honestly, are we even listening to ourselves?
However, here Cuba for the first time since the Cold war, presents a clear and present danger to the US. I say go for it. All drilling is done in accordance with US environmental laws or no drilling is done at all. Got a problem? Take it up with the navy. There will be no wells drilled we don't approve and the UN can KMA.
FQ13

[tombogan03884]

Well, here at last is the causus belli the calle ocho crowd have long wanted. Personally, I could not possibly care less who governs Cuba. If we can deal with the Saudis and the Red Chinese, spare me the morality play about Castro. I mean honestly, are we even listening to ourselves?
However, here Cuba for the first time since the Cold war, presents a clear and present danger to the US. I say go for it. All drilling is done in accordance with US environmental laws or no drilling is done at all. Got a problem? Take it up with the navy. There will be no wells drilled we don't approve and the UN can KMA.
FQ13

Apparently not