The Shell Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Of 2016

The exploration and production of oil in the United States remain of great importance to the economy of America and has led to increased exploration activities, including deep-sea exploration of oil. Deep-sea exploration has somehow become the most vital field as far as increasing the oil reserves of the United States is concerned. The Mexican Gulf remains the largest offshore oil deposits, and its activities have benefited the American government economically. However, the Gulf of Mexico has experienced 147 spills since 2012. This study focusses on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill by the oil company Royal Dutch Shell which occurred in 2016, its impact, and the relevance it has towards homeland security. The U.S. government's decision to sue Royal Dutch Shell portrayed its determination to safeguard the interests of the united states and proved its commitment to reducing oil spills by companies undertaking exploration and explorations of oil and gas in the deep seas.

Background

The Gulf of Mexico has quite many vast, rich oil reservoirs, and this has made it a primary oil production site for the government of the United States. According to a recent report, 97% of all deep-sea oil exploration and production occur in the Gulf of Mexico (Ladd, 2018). The report further indicates that the Gulf of Mexico caters for approximately 17 percent of the total oil and gases produced in the U.S. Despite the Gulf of Mexico being of this great importance to the economy of the United States, the exploration activities have had a significant toll on the environment, with oil spills being the lead destructor of the environment. In 2016, Royal Dutch Shell, one of the companies undertaking oil and gas exploration and production in the Mexican Gulf, experienced oil pipe leakage, which spilled approximately 88,200 gallons of crude oil into the sea (Ladd, 2018). The spilled oil, estimated to be 2,100 barrels leaked from a deep-sea pipeline system some ninety-seven miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

This spillage, classified as medium- size spill, was believed to have been caused by a release of oil from undersea infrastructure. Although the company shut down production in the Glider Field after the spill was detected. Sizeable amounts of oil had already been spilled to the ocean. Royal Dutch Shell, in collaboration with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), set up a joint response to attempt recovering the oil as well as ensure the leak had been contained. Their efforts helped to recover about 84,000 gallons of oil-water mixture. The United States Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) allowed Royal Dutch Shell to conduct repairs and resume operations. BSEE also established a team of experts to investigate the cause of the oil spill.

Discussion

The oil spill of 2016 was classified as “a medium-size spill as compared to the earlier deadlier spill of 2010 after the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded, leaving eleven workers dead and discharging tons of gallons into the ocean” (Ladd, 2018). Royal Dutch Shell was compelled to pay for the damages, although no injuries were reported. Besides creating huge losses to shell in the spilled oil in addition to skimming and clean-up costs, the spill had several implications for homeland security.  Following the spill, the government, through USCG and in collaboration with the shell launched response strategies that saw 2012 barrels of an oily-water mixture, recovered. The BSEE also launched investigations into the causes of the spillage. After the investigation, the U.S. government received a payment of $3.8 million from the Royal Dutch. The government has in the past faced criticism over how it has handled previous spills in the Gulf of Mexico. Filing a civil suit against Royal Dutch Shell as well as launching an investigation on the matter showed the government's commitment towards regulating drilling activities in the offshore regions.

Homeland security has also been under immense criticism for what has been termed as minimal or lack of measures to monitor and protect the wildlife and habitats in the Gulf of Mexico and other open oceans. Following this spill, Environmentalists and other experts have increased their campaign to hold the government accountable and secure the Gulf of Mexico from constant spills that have rocked the region (Turner et al., 2018). Marine birds, sea turtles, and dolphins among other aquatic animals have died following the spills. This situation puts pressure on the government to step up clean up and restoration efforts in order to save, restore, and maintain the oceanic ecosystem in the Mexican Gulf of Mexico, and in other ports. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has been holding a survey to ascertain the occurrence of oil spills and to determine the extent of damage each discharge has. Moreso these studies have assisted in identifying factors responsible for the spill as well as predict the frequency of occurrence based on the historical spills in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the government has increasingly engaged with the public as well as private companies in catering to the damages that arise from these spills.

It is of great importance to ensure that the oil and gas exploration activities at the Mexican Gulf, as well as other Deepsea drilling regions, are secure and report minimal or no cases of oil spills. The massive oil spills that have been continuously occurring in the Gulf of Mexico offer public severe health risks in the United States (Cordes et al., 2016). The Gulf of Mexico has experienced 147 spills since 2012, and medical experts have suggested that the spills have the potential to cause both short term and long term health problems to humans. The health threats brought about by these constant spills include air, water, and seafood contamination in addition to occupational hazards that face responders in case they come into contact with the spilled oil as well as the chemical dispersants applied to disperse the spilled oil. The United States Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement should apply strict regulations on the deepsea drilling activities. Companies undertaking oil and gas exploration and production should undergo strict regulations before they are allowed to operate, and substantial financial penalties should be applied when these companies cause a spill. New technologies for a response should and containment should be adopted as well as skills and capacity building to response workers.

The oil spit by Royal Dutch in the Mexican Gulf is among a long list of stressors the gulf's wildlife and habitats have had to face. According to the “National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,” significant companies in the Gulf of Mexico should improve their monitoring of the seas to identify and contain any possible oil spills (Musa et al. 2017). The 2016 shell spill at the Gulf of Mexico was observed by a company's helicopter as a large sheen floating in water approximately measuring 2-mile by 13-mile. There are better and more modern technologies of monitoring oil spills, which do not necessarily have to depend on observing the oil spills (Rassenfoss, 2012). If the Royal Dutch Shell had technology which would locate a leak before it becomes severe, pollution arising from the spills would be minimized. Minimized spills would be beneficial to both the oceanic ecosystem and the onshore environment, which is greatly affected in the occurrence of a spill.

The government, in collaboration with private oil companies having operations in the deep sea, have a significant role to play to minimize oil spill in the deep ocean. Despite recording no casualties, the oil spill had impacts that can still be felt today. The “Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement” (BOEMRE) has been flawed in approving shell's exploration activities in the same deep waters a catastrophe was experienced in 2010. Shell has also been flawed by applying the same technology that B.P. had applied and which led to one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history. It is, therefore, clear that the occurring oil spills were expected. Even some community organizations led by Earthjustice sued the government in order to stop the Royal Dutch Shell from proceeding with deep sea drilling on the Gulf of Mexico. BOEMRE should, in the future, approve drilling activities after ascertaining that there are minimal possibilities of occurrence of a spill.

Conclusion

The U.S. government's decision to sue Royal Dutch Shell portrayed its determination to safeguard the interests of the united states and proved its commitment to reducing oil spills by companies undertaking exploration and explorations of oil and gas in the deep seas. This study, therefore, concludes that the shell Gulf of Mexico oil spill of 2016 played a significant role in portraying the government's commitment to minimizing oil spills. The study further concludes that both the government and private companies undertaking deep sea drilling activities should take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of the exploration activities. Also, safety response strategies should be devised while new and better technologies should be employed when responding to oil spills.

References

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Cordes, E., Jones, D., Schlacher, T., Amon, D., Bernardino, A., & Brooke, S. et al. (2016). Environmental impacts of the deep-water oil and gas industry: A review to guide management strategies. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 4. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2016.00058

Ladd, A. E. (2018). Standing at the energy policy crossroads. Environmental Pollution, 271.

Rabalais, N., Smith, L., & Turner, R. (2018). the deepwater horizon oil spill and the gulf of Mexico shelf hypoxia. Continental Shelf Research, 152, 98-107. doi: 10.1016/j.csr.2017.11.007

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Wilson, R. R., Perham, C., French-McCay, D. P., & Balouskus, R. (2018). Potential impacts of offshore oil spills on polar bears in the Chukchi Sea. Environmental Pollution, 235, 652-659.