# Repsol to drill for oil off the Canaries



## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

The old dilemma, the economy vs the environment.

Supreme Court rules in favour of oil prospecting off Canary Islands

A bit ironic given that the westernmost island, El Hierro, has just become completely self-sufficient with renewable energy.

What do people here think? Should it go ahead? Will it damage tourism?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

I wonder, how many of the tree hugging protesters, travel on petrol driven vehicles, go on trips using gallons of aviation fuel, turn on the electric light generated from oil fired power stations.

Perhaps the Green Peace vessels should now be powered by coal fired steam turbines.

There have been widespread protests here in the Canary islands, however no one protests when huge oil rigs dock for re fits. No one protests when huge Europe bound supertankers stop over to re supply and re-fuel, and no one protested at all when I first came here, from Trinidad, on a Shell Tanker laden to the ginnels with fuel oil for Las Palmas.

The protests court hearings are of little consequence, for just outside the Canary Island waters, in Moroccan waters, there are at this very moment three oil industry vessels, and two survey ships, i am not sure but I also believe that there is an oil exploration rig on site.

I believe that if the Oil/Gas prospecting goes ahead in Spanish Canarian waters, safety methods will be put in place, should an unlikely spillage occur in either the Canarian or Morrocan sector. The Spanish will have control, leave it to the Moroccans, there will be no Spanish control.

The inauguration of the El Hierro, Hydro electric wind generation takes place next week…….but we found out today that it will be quite some time before electricity is actually generated.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

there are investigations/plans to do the same near us

our local govt is running a campaign to get it stopped

Xàbia Diu No / Jávea Says No! | José Chulvi

CONCERNS LODGED WITH THE SENATE IN MADRID OVER OIL DRILLING IN THE GULF OF VALENCIA | José Chulvi


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## DunWorkin (Sep 2, 2010)

I wish they would find it in my garden


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

DunWorkin said:


> I wish they would find it in my garden


Sound good doesn't it?

Trouble is they will buy next door and drill under you.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I'm just (rather selfishly) thinking that finding oil off the Canaries could have the same effect on the ports of Cadiz, Puerto Real or Algeciras as North Sea oil did for Aberdeen, which would be fantastic for the economy round here.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> I'm just (rather selfishly) thinking that finding oil off the Canaries could have the same effect on the ports of Cadiz, Puerto Real or Algeciras as North Sea oil did for Aberdeen, which would be fantastic for the economy round here.


That's the whole point isn't it?

Spain and Andalucia in particular are in no financial position to be too picky about this. 

I entirely agree with previous comments about people complaining while driving their cars, heating their homes and otherwise living their affluent lives - all powered by oil and gas.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Surely people have the right to complain or protest regardless. It'd would be a sad day when people didn't bother.
A long time ago I realised any most crusades are flawed by hypocrisy which is probably why I'm so apathetic these days.
Even if it's simply the 'not in my backyard' argument. A very annoying and even more futile argument but still valid to a degree. 

Anyway, it sounds like a bum deal. By Royal decree and to hell with anybody else. Not that it will change anything. It could possibly be good for somebody, not us. It'll never be us and we wont see any savings at the pump.

And I can't see how it would affect tourism unless it's 50 foot from the shore. I would still go to the islands as most would.

Interestingly maybe they should try more fracking around that bad boy volcano. Seems to be doing alright for the Americans.
Fracking is turning the US into a bigger oil producer than Saudi Arabia - Americas - World - The Independent


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Shhhhh the Volcanoes are sleeping


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

> I wonder, how many of the tree hugging protesters, travel on petrol driven vehicles, go on trips using gallons of aviation fuel, turn on the electric light generated from oil fired power stations.
> 
> Perhaps the Green Peace vessels should now be powered by coal fired steam turbines.


There's been uproar this week when it was reported that one of Greenpeace's senior executives was commuting 250 miles to work by plane several times a month. 

Greenpeace chief Pascal Husting commutes by plane | UK Newsday

He's now going to let the train take the strain:

Greenpeace says programme director to stop commuting by plane | TODAYonline

Typical, huh?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Alcalaina said:


> I'm just (rather selfishly) thinking that finding oil off the Canaries could have the same effect on the ports of Cadiz, Puerto Real or Algeciras as North Sea oil did for Aberdeen, which would be fantastic for the economy round here.


The distances of 900+ land miles, puts the Peninsular ports at a huge disadvantage, when there is the huge nearby Port of Las Palmas, where the facilities for servicing supplying the oil prospecting industry are already in place.


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## califa (Jun 22, 2014)

Hepa said:


> The distances of 900+ land miles, puts the Peninsular ports at a huge disadvantage, when there is the huge nearby Port of Las Palmas, where the facilities for servicing supplying the oil prospecting industry are already in place.


Hello, first of all

And in Tenerife, we have an oil refinery...but the people here says that the oil is going to be refined in 
Morocco


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

califa said:


> Hello, first of all
> 
> And in Tenerife, we have an oil refinery...but the people here says that the oil is going to be refined in
> Morocco


I read that the oil refinery in Santa Cruz, is in the process of closing for good.


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## califa (Jun 22, 2014)

Yes, the land where the refinery is located is really valuable...and in that part the coast you could build another beach


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

califa said:


> Yes, the land where the refinery is located is really valuable...and in that part the coast you could build another beach


That will hike up the price of fuel, which will hike up the price of just about everything


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

jimenato said:


> That's the whole point isn't it?
> 
> Spain and Andalucia in particular are in no financial position to be too picky about this.
> 
> I entirely agree with previous comments about people complaining while driving their cars, heating their homes and otherwise living their affluent lives - all powered by oil and gas.


Yes I know a lot of people like that.  They are frequently related to the vegetarians who buy tinned meat for their dogs and cats.

I suppose the other issues are:

- how much of the tax revenue from oil would stay in the country (Repsol is notorious for creative accounting)

- would it have a big negative impact on tourisim in the islands (people's perception of the likelihood of oil slicks on beaches, etc)

- how many jobs would actually go to Spaniards.


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## califa (Jun 22, 2014)

Hepa said:


> That will hike up the price of fuel, which will hike up the price of just about everything


Yes, Cepsa will leave the islands, they aren't going to build another refinery here, they have said it before and all the fuel will have to arrive from the continent. But the politicians (and their friends) have been looking at that land for years, and i suppose that all the people that have been living here know how they think.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Pazcat said:


> Surely people have the right to complain or protest regardless. It'd would be a sad day when people didn't bother.
> A long time ago I realised any most crusades are flawed by hypocrisy which is probably why I'm so apathetic these days.
> Even if it's simply the 'not in my backyard' argument. A very annoying and even more futile argument but still valid to a degree.
> 
> ...


Fracking?
Are you serious?

I wouldn't mind so much if the government gave the same interest and investment to other sources of energy ie renewable energy, which in fact they have commited to in the 20:20:20 agreement. They have in fact taken away incentives and blocked schemes to introduce solar power for example. The legislation they signed seems to have slipped their mind ...
The 2020 climate and energy package - European Commission
_The climate and energy package is a set of binding legislation which aims to ensure the European Union meets its ambitious climate and energy targets for 2020._

_These targets, known as the "20-20-20" targets, set three key objectives for 2020:_


_A 20% reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 levels;_
_Raising the share of EU energy consumption produced from renewable resources to 20%;_
_A 20% improvement in the EU's energy efficiency._


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Fracking?
> Are you serious?


I may of been a touch facetious there.

Then again I am a consumer so it could be said that I shouldn't complain and in fact be thankfull that fracking has put off peak oil for a few decades.

Oh.... that was facetious too, must be the humidity.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Madliz said:


> There's been uproar this week when it was reported that one of Greenpeace's senior executives was commuting 250 miles to work by plane several times a month.
> 
> Greenpeace chief Pascal Husting commutes by plane | UK Newsday
> 
> ...


I wouldn't say that was typical. One hypocrite doesn't invalidate the principle that there are too many unnecessary air-miles. There are far more totally dedicated members, who take huge risks, for example the ones who got arrested when exposing the inadequate safety measures at the Russian oil rig recently.

I think the Greenpeace leadership has lost its way lately though. It has been investing (and losing) in currency speculation and other rather bizarre activities. Sadly the same happens to many charities who start off with the right intentions, but get sucked into activities that go directly against their original principles.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

> Sadly the same happens to many charities who start off with the right intentions, but get sucked into activities that go directly against their original principles.


Hence I considered it fairly typical, sadly.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Most oil disasters, with the recent notable exceptions, have been caused by the transportation of oil cargos in unsuitable badly maintained vessels, crewed by those that cannot gain employment elsewhere.

At the moment there are thirteen oil tankers traversing Canary Island waters, several are super tankers.

Nineteen passing through or in the vicinity of the straits of Gibraltar, one would have expected more protests in relation to the transportation of oil especially since the disaster off Northern Spain some years ago.

Spanish oil tanker disaster | guardian.co.uk | guardian.co.uk


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Hepa said:


> Most oil disasters, with the recent notable exceptions, have been caused by the transportation of oil cargos in unsuitable badly maintained vessels, crewed by those that cannot gain employment elsewhere.
> 
> At the moment there are thirteen oil tankers traversing Canary Island waters, several are super tankers.
> 
> ...


TBH I wonder whether oil spills are quite the environmental disaster they are sometimes made out to be. 

I sailed into Milford Haven the year after the Sea Empress spilled 72,000 tones of crude at the entrance to the harbour. There was no sign of anything amiss at all and according to Wiki the environmental impact wasn't huge.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jimenato said:


> TBH I wonder whether oil spills are quite the environmental disaster they are sometimes made out to be.
> 
> I sailed into Milford Haven the year after the Sea Empress spilled 72,000 tones of crude at the entrance to the harbour. There was no sign of anything amiss at all and according to Wiki the environmental impact wasn't huge.


Presumably somebody somewhere paid for the clean up job to be done. I wouldn't expect visible damage months after, but deep sea pollution, contamination of fish stocks (which in turn would effect birds and those who live from fishing) and plant life. I would take the opposite view - how could the area possibly be unaffected by an oil spill?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hepa said:


> I wonder, how many of the tree hugging protesters, travel on petrol driven vehicles, go on trips using gallons of aviation fuel, turn on the electric light generated from oil fired power stations.
> 
> Perhaps the Green Peace vessels should now be powered by coal fired steam turbines.
> 
> ...





jimenato said:


> That's the whole point isn't it?
> 
> Spain and Andalucia in particular are in no financial position to be too picky about this.
> 
> I entirely agree with previous comments about people complaining while driving their cars, heating their homes and otherwise living their affluent lives - all powered by oil and gas.


I think a lot of people metaphorically sit outside "environmentalists" houses just waiting for them to do something "wrong" much the same as the paparazzi sit outside celebs houses waiting for them to come out without make up on or some other awful "crime".
Just 'cos you're interested in the environment doesn't mean you don't use a car, never eat meat, don't buy clothes from China or hug trees, but it might mean that you know a bit about how to drive keeping an eye on petrol consumption, think about how/ where something has been made, buy meat where the animal has actually seen the outside world and enjoys contact with plants and animals. It's interesting that to some people this is something to be ashamed or is something that should be criticized and ridiculed. Is it a closet activity? Is it a way of life that is in some way inferior to those who take their weekend plane trips, merrily feed the owners of the sweat shops of the world and can't be arssed to recycle I wonder?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Presumably somebody somewhere paid for the clean up job to be done. I wouldn't expect visible damage months after, but deep sea pollution, contamination of fish stocks (which in turn would effect birds and those who live from fishing) and plant life. I would take the opposite view - how could the area possibly be unaffected by an oil spill?


In certain circumstances oil spills can dissipate naturally in sea water and eventually even crude oil will biodegrade, the following link explains how,

ITOPF - About Marine Spills - Fate of Oil Spills


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hepa said:


> In certain circumstances oil spills can dissipate naturally in sea water and eventually even crude oil will biodegrade, the following link explains how,
> 
> ITOPF - About Marine Spills - Fate of Oil Spills


Yes, I'm sure they do, but to what cost?
Did you notice who wrote this article? Not entirely unbiased I would imagine!


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Yes, I'm sure they do, but to what cost?
> Did you notice who wrote this article? Not entirely unbiased I would imagine!


The people who wrote the article are the people who probably have the most knowledge on the subject, the professionals who on a daily basis deal with oil products that the likes of you and me demand


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Hepa said:


> The people who wrote the article are the people who probably have the most knowledge on the subject, the professionals who on a daily basis deal with oil products that the likes of you and me demand


I agree they probably do know a lot about it, and of course I know very little, but their information is completely biased. Of that I have no doubt.

And yes, I live and partake in an oil based society. I have no intention of denying it, and have never tried to.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I think a lot of people metaphorically sit outside "environmentalists" houses just waiting for them to do something "wrong" much the same as the paparazzi sit outside celebs houses waiting for them to come out without make up on or some other awful "crime".
> Just 'cos you're interested in the environment doesn't mean you don't use a car, never eat meat, don't buy clothes from China or hug trees, but it might mean that you know a bit about how to drive keeping an eye on petrol consumption, think about how/ where something has been made, buy meat where the animal has actually seen the outside world and enjoys contact with plants and animals. It's interesting that to some people this is something to be ashamed or is something that should be criticized and ridiculed. Is it a closet activity? Is it a way of life that is in some way inferior to those who take their weekend plane trips, merrily feed the owners of the sweat shops of the world and can't be arssed to recycle I wonder?


I bet I'm 'greener' than you!

This is because (admittedly mostly by luck rather than judgement) my actions, rather than my words and intentions, make me a very parsimonious user of resources.

But I am a realist and realise that if I wish to carry on with my privileged lifestyle and allow the 90% of the world who have less than me to do the same then some eggs are going to get broken.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jimenato said:


> I bet I'm 'greener' than you!
> 
> This is because (admittedly mostly by luck rather than judgement) my actions, rather than my words and intentions, make me a very parsimonious user of resources.
> 
> But I am a realist and realise that if I wish to carry on with my privileged lifestyle and allow the 90% of the world who have less than me to do the same then some eggs are going to get broken.


Just like to make it clear once and for all that I'm not putting myself up as a paragon of virtue in "greeness". I try to be as concious as possible in my choices _within my chosen lifestyle_. I get the impression that I'm more aware of ethical/ sustainable/ ecological information in some areas than others, and cluless or mistaken about about other areas.I would also class myself as realistic - and completely lacking in any idea competiveness in this area. I'm not interested in being greener than my neighbour. Eggs, like hearts, will get broken on both sides of the ecological fence (that would be one that hasn't been creosoted)


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Hepa said:


> Most oil disasters, with the recent notable exceptions, have been caused by the transportation of oil cargos in unsuitable badly maintained vessels, crewed by those that cannot gain employment elsewhere.
> 
> At the moment there are thirteen oil tankers traversing Canary Island waters, several are super tankers.
> 
> ...


There are_ constant _protests about environmental damage in the Strait of Gibraltar. The spills are mainly from bunkering (offshore refueling) rather than transportation, but because each one is relatively small they don't hit the headlines. However mussels and other shellfish in the bay are too toxic to eat and oil has to be cleaned off the beaches all the time. 

Gibraltar: The oil slick floating off the Rock | VoxEurop.eu: European news, cartoons and press reviews


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Looks like the drilling has started…….

Cairn starts drilling offshore Morocco and adds exploration acreage to its Atlantic Margin portfolio


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Good news for the 75% of Canary Island residents who voted against it.

Repsol drops Canaries oil exploration | In English | EL PAÍS


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Alcalaina said:


> Good news for the 75% of Canary Island residents who voted against it.
> 
> Repsol drops Canaries oil exploration | In English | EL PAÍS


In light of recent events, I'm not really surprised. Probably not worth them going ahead with crude oil at the price it is now, even if the reserves there were larger.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> In light of recent events, I'm not really surprised. Probably not worth them going ahead with crude oil at the price it is now, even if the reserves there were larger.


The Moroccans have found oil in the waters adjacent to the Canaries. REPSOL found gas but not enough to prove profitable.

The Canarian government are ironically now encouraging oil rigs and exploration vessels to use the ports of Las Palmas and to a far lesser extent Santa Cruz, for the servicing and engineering repairs of the many vessels engaged in the massive oil industry off the African Coast. There must have been eight huge oil rigs in Puerto de la Luz, Las Palmas when we were there last Christmas.


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