While we're waiting today to hear if the new cap on the busted well in the Gulf will work to contain the spewing oil, the Washington Post has a good read on why the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico is the new frontier for oil and gas exploration. While we're waiting today to hear if the new cap on the busted well in the Gulf will work to contain the spewing oil, the [Washington Post](While we're waiting today to hear if the new cap on the busted well in the Gulf will work to contain the spewing oil, the Washington Post has a good read on why the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico is the new frontier for oil and gas exploration.) has a good read on why the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico is the new frontier for oil and gas exploration.
I've learned a lot in the past 84 days about the complexities of drilling a well a mile beneath the surface of the water. Today's Post story describes how the Mississippi River, over eons of geologic time, laid down the beds of microorganisms in the region of the Gulf that became undersea pools of oil. The deep Gulf, like the oil fields of Texas and Oklahoma in the 20th century, contains vast reserves of oil and gas.
Meanwhile, the Federal government issued a new moratorium Monday on offshore drilling based on the problematic blowout preventer. The Los Angeles Times has an article explaining the differences between the old moratorium, which was struck down by a federal court judge. The Louisiana congressional delegation has been united in one voice calling for a return to work in the Gulf. The moratorium has caused a slow down in the oil field service industry, affecting everything from worker housing to the food businesses. "It's a jobs moratorium," Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge told The Advocate.