BP Vs Exxon Fracking

If engineers fail to adhere to fracking protocol, then fracking may cause more harm than benefit. Natural gas cannot be collected perfectly from fractured rocks, some of the gas escapes at the mouth of the well. The methane will adversely effect the atmosphere and the environment. Methane can trap the heat from the impact the global temperatures. In addition to the risk of global warming, fracking could contaminate water supplies, which poses health risks. If the fracking liquids are not recollected after injection or extract the methane effectively, these pollutants can contaminate the

In recent years, the subject of hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking has been a constant subject of interest in the news media. The pros and cons of fracking are passionately debated. However, the public should become educated on the subject of fracking prior to choosing a side of the argument. In the scholarly article, “Super Fracking,” published in 2014, by Donald L. Trucotte, Eldridge M. Moores, and John B. Rundle, a detailed description of fracking is provided, followed by their analysis of current issues surrounding the controversy. According to Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle, fracking saves the consumer money. The wellhead cost to produce natural gas in January of 2000 was two dollars and sixty cents per one thousand cubic feet. At an alarming rate, the cost at the wellhead to produce natural gas had risen to eight dollars per one thousand cubic feet by January of 2006. Comfortingly, the wellhead cost dropped to two dollars and eighty-nine cents by the end of 2012. Impressively, gas production increase and price decrease over the time period are a result of fracking. In their article, Trucotte, Moores, and Rundle describe in great detail that hydraulic fracturing, most commonly referred to as fracking is the process of drilling down into the earth to fracture the layers of rock so that a high-pressure water mixture is directed at the rock to release the oil or natural gas inside. This method of fracking has been used commercially for the last fifty years.

Fracking has become a highly controversial and publicized topic in recent years due to rising concerns into the potential benefits and consequences of using hydraulic fracturing to retrieve natural gas and oil reserves. With concerns over water pollution, mismanagement of toxic waste and irreversible environmental damage mounting, the practice of fracking has

In 1908, BP was founded under the name Anglo-Persian Oil Company. In 1954 they changed their name to British Petroleum and merged with Amoco in 1998. (BP Public Website, 2010) “The Texas City Refinery is BP’s largest and most complex oil refinery... It was owned and operated by Amoco prior to the merger of BP and Amoco.” (Michael P. Broadribb, 2006) Throughout their history, there have been a number of accidents that have been caused by negligence and disregard of safety precautions. Unfortunately many lives have been cut short or seriously injured as a result. My research will focus on the 2005 Texas City Oil Refinery Explosion. I will attempt to look into the ethical implications that surrounded this disaster before and after the event and suggest what BP could have done to prevent the incident then and in the future.

Fracking is a complex political topic; nonetheless, fracking is showing a positive impact on the United States economy and leaving a harmful footprint behind the environment. In addition, consumers are experiencing a significant amount of savings due to the overwhelming supplies of oil; thus, the revolution in new technology is triggering an improper fracking system that contributes to airborne pollution and water contamination. Higher authorities should implement the concepts of sustainability and ethical views of large corporations and businesses to protect the consumer’s safety.

This debate covered the controversial issue of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The two sides that can be taken within this debate are, Bruce McKenzie Everett’s side or John Rumpler’s side. Everett believes that hydraulic fracturing is completely worth it, due to the fact that the economic benefits outweigh the negative impacts on our environment. While Rumpler argues that there are very crucial tolls fracking is taking on our environment, and also our health. Throughout the article there are 6 question proposed to each person. The first, and maybe most important, question asked is ‘is fracking safe?’ Everett responds first by saying that nothing in the world is entirely safe, and then continues to nullify the multitude of threats fracking

A relatively new process for extracting desired shale oil from the bowels of the earth seems to be shaking things up around operation sites. Environmentalists and oil tycoons have been debating for years over the safety of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, since areas with a high concentration of fracking operations have been affected by several environmental problems. Though many scientists argue that correlation does not necessarily mean causation, the media and many environmentalists use these environmental problems around fracking sites as proof of the long term damage fracking causes. Although it has domesticated the oil industry and reduced usage of coal as a fuel source, fracking is undoubtedly related to many detrimental environmental impacts, such as water table pollution and increased seismic activity.

That being said, like conventional wells, fracking wells need to be monitored and maintained. Well casing failures, improper cementing, well leaks, spills of fluid, as well as improper dumping of wastewater are all examples of mishandling and create a climate of distrust of oil and gas companies. Supporters of fracking claim that responsible operators, with governmental oversight (regulatory policies), make for a perfectly safe drilling environment. Drilling of oil is complicated and challenging, but safe drilling and production practices have been known and used for decades. Environmentally harmful incidents are preventable by following industries best practices.

That is not to say that the natural gas reserves are going to be sucked dry tomorrow, either. As of right now, the United States is the only country that is drilling for natural gas on such a scale. Soon other countries around the world are going to join in and throw off the supply and demand. Many articles are already prophesizing that the natural gas bubble will burst before 2017. Right now the country may be profiting from this all, but these small towns that have been revitalized by the gas boom are dealing with a few unexpected consequences. Their small roads are now plagued by hundreds of noisy semi-trucks carrying supplies to and from the wells, and that is without mentioning the adverse impacts fracking is taking on the water, air, land, and health of

BP Exploration and Production, Inc. (BP) (defendant) and Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (Anadarko) (defendant) co-leased oil and gas rights in the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf) and co-owned a producing well on the leasehold. A blowout occurred in the well while Deepwater Horizon, a mobile offshore-drilling unit (MODU) owned by Transocean (defendant), was engaged in drilling operations on the well. Deepwater Horizon broke off the well and sank. As a result, oil flowed from the well, through what remained of the riser that had connected the well to Deepwater Horizon, and into the Gulf. The United States government (plaintiff) sought to impose joint and several liability on all defendants under the Oil Pollution Act (OPA), 33 U.S.C. §§ 2701-04, for the

In her case study, the author Emily Ahonen (n.d) makes us revisit the gulf oil spill that took place on April 20, 2010. She begins the paper by giving us a brief background about the Gulf oil spill and how it went on to become the largest spill in the history of U.S. The drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, is believed to have exploded due to “a series of safety, regulatory, and oversight problems” (Ahonen, n.d.). As stated by the National Oil and Hazardous Substance Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP) of 1994, the Gulf spill was declared a spill of national significance after nine days of disaster. The NCP held the responsible party, British Petroleum, accountable for the costs related to response efforts.

BP being the responsible party had the liability to bear all the costs and organizational duties associated with the cleanup effort while the Coast guard monitored and approved the things. Part of BPs liability depended on how much oil has been leaked. Therefore, it was in the financial interest of the company to do everything it could do to:

The BP oil spill has offered a moment for reflection for leaders around the world about their most basic beliefs. To many people, the BP oil spill has brought home the idea that future corporate leaders must develop personal ethical standards for making decisions that go beyond just a financial calculation. There are plenty of business practices that are legal, but fall short in being ethical. But I believe being ethical does pay off, slowly and steadily. You may lose some opportunities, but your reputation and self-perception is

Applying the theory of Utilitarianism to the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill we see that BP’s decisions in this case don’t appear clearly ethical. The harms to human and environmental stability caused by the spill seem to weigh heavily against the benefits to the local and U.S. economy of deepwater drilling itself.

The Moral issue in the case we are confronting is that oil companies are abusing the general population, contaminating nature, weakening the governments regulations, and deceiving everybody for their profits which is not acceptable of a mammoth organization like BP. Oil being a natural resource is being extracted by the company for their vested interests neglecting the society and the climate. The food pyramid is getting affected due to its short cuts and lapse in guidelines and total negligence resulting in gross cheating and mass killing of live stocks in sea as well polluting the air. The government intervention at crisis is an example of socialism. BP operations are in more than 100 countries with several reserves are creating chaos for the people working with them and society, showing capitalistic nature safeguarding its profits. The company many a times neglected the workers safety and environmental standards and intentionally avoided the necessary steps that could have stopped many catastrophes that led to many deaths and causalities (Cherry & Sneirson, 2010). The company has to be positive and develop to powerful changing business force at both macro and micro level which impact the business environment. There has to be a balance between the financial and ethical commitments. The company striving to work for only stake holders is not moral and ethical. What was their concern when it comes to the ethical responsibility to society? My sincere feeling is that giant