[Hoot Gibson]

Hoot, do you agree or disagree that horizontal drilling is a lot more risky than normally used drilling methods. The drilling technique BP was using in the Gulf was also considered a riskier technique.

Blame lies with both BP and the Govt.

My major was in mining engineering - not petroleum engineering, so I do not profess any special technical knowledge on the subject. I suspect that horizontal drilling from shallow water or from a man made island would be safer than deep water vertical drilling.

I used to work for a company that owned a Canadian subsidiary that was among the pioneers of horizontal drilling (gas wells) and I do not recall any accidents. The results, in terms of gas production were disappointing. The cost of angle drilling and horizontal drilling is much higher than conventional vertical well drilling, so companies tend to avoid the method when vertical drilling is practicable.

It makes no sense to me that non-vertical drilling would be more dangerous in an environmental risk sense than vertical drilling - but like I said, it is not my field of expertise.

People should also understand that the top engineers in the energy field work in the private sector. It would be helpful to know the background and qualifications of the so-called experts who are quoted in articles attacking energy companies. Sometimes, they have no technical background and are nothing but career bureaucrats.