Gerry Brownlees 'Best Practice' on oil drilling deal stands for BP

The latest news that BP have capped the oil leak is spin bullshit. NOTHING will stop this leak until the relief well is drilled, all BP are doing with these top hat, junk shot, capping the leak plans is look like they are doing something in the lead up to the only thing that will stop the leak which will be a relief well dug in August.

How do we know this? Because the strategies being deployed and the media spin by BP is the EXACT SAME SPIN used during the 1975 oil leak...



...so the only way to drill for oil safely would be the Canadian example of forcing oil companies to be able to dig a relief well in the same season, I would argue that the relief well should be built at the same time rather than relying on cheap blow out valves that can't stop the leak. Interesting to note BP were pressuring the Canadian Government right up until the Gulf leak to drop the relief well restrictions.

My personal favourite clip from Tony Hayward is him telling graduates last year that BP had too many people trying to save the planet and as such he would focus on profits...


So this is all happening right when the Minister for Mordor and Masochism, Gerry Brownlee greenlighted our own deep sea drilling...

East coast oil exploration approved
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced that one of the world's largest oil companies, Petrobras, has been awarded exploration rights for oil and gas in the previously unexplored Raukumara Basin on the east coast of the North Island. Snaring Petrobras is arguably Brownlee's biggest coup since emphatically putting the "welcome" mat out for oil and gas explorers over the last 18 months, and wooing oil majors at a global petroleum conference in Mexico earlier in the year. The five year permit, covering 12,333sq km, is the first in the Raukumara Basin area. Brownlee described Petrobas International Braspetro B.V., owned by Brazilian company Petroleo Brasileiro S.A, as one of the biggest players in the global oil and gas industry.

...so will we like Canada demand relief wells dug first? Of course not! Gerry tells us the voluntary code of 'Best Practice' will look after us. Really? A voluntary 'Best Practice' code is all that Gerry will implement? Gerry's press secretary knows 'Best Practice' unfortunately has the same initials as BP right?

If Gerry's vision of a water tight voluntary code that will protect us from oil spills and will be so carefully scrutinized that all the I's are dotted and all the T's crossed is so certain, then why the fuck weren't local Iwi even consulted over the Petrobras contract?

Maori ignored as Patrobras signed up
Labour's Maori affairs spokesperson is attacking the issue of a licence to Brazilian company to prospect for oil off the North Island East Coast. Parekura Horomia says energy minister Gerry Brownlee failed to consult Maori before signing over the Raukumara Basin to Petrobras International. “Nobody knew about it. It wasn’t discussed in Parliament and the Maori Party didn’t say anything. And all of a sudden you’ve got this huge agreement signed up even with this disaster in Mexico, and also without even talking to the iwi leaders, Whanau a Apanui, Tairawhiti, Ngati Porou, Turanganui, those people where it is relevant to,” Mr Horomia says.

...so Gerry's eagle like vision to assure us this drilling deal will be safe couldn't even manage to remember to talk to local Maori about this arrangement?

A voluntary 'Best Practice' code and a deal that couldn't even remember to talk to local Maori are a sign that Gerry isn't protecting our interests at all and by refusing to even entertain a relief well drill clause into these deals to force the oil company to drill a relief well first suggests that Gerry is once again missing the point.

Let's ask the people of Florida and New Orleans if they are happy with BP's 'Best Practice' shall we?