AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Environment DRILLING FOR OIL OFF AC? NOOOOOO ......... !!!!!

Much like the suggestion that SD Newton has anything to do whatsoever with seismic surveys.
The boat is a cable layer also used to deploy sonar buoys as well as act as a support vessel for the Royal Marines and for the SBS for the UK Military.
It is run by SERCO, and is nothing whatsoever to do with the oil business. Right now I believe it is here in conjunction with a military exercise and will be launching RIB's

Thanks for the correct info Rig I am very, very happy to stand corrected. As you can see we are all very nervous about this and distrustful that we are not being told the truth. We are all happy to know it is not a seismic survey going on over our stated opposition. Thanks, Mike

When did you decide that seismic surveys were a no-no? Until now it was opposition to drilling.

No Jesse I have not read the thousands of reports. I have read papers on both sides. Some studies seem to indicate a relationship while others do not. I realize the science is not all in agreement and I acknowledge it as a possibility, no more or less. The sonic gun seems like the worst method.

Of course seismic survey is a step toward drilling for oil unless as Rig says they do seismic survey as they drill then either use the hole or not. The opposition is to offshore oil exploration. After the seismic is done they bring in the rig and start to drill based on the seismic survey. I researched it some and found some techniques that seemed questionable. Look at Underwater Seismology that Marty posted for me.
As we have learned here the degradation to the reef and environment has been caused by a multitude of small negative impacts. The effects accumulate and become significant. That includes dredging, our boat motors, run off from town, anaerobic septic systems, clearing of mangroves and more.
I think of oil exploration in the same way. Each part of the process has an environmental impact that needs to be looked at and assessed. The total impact from exploration, drilling, production and transportation needs to be considered not just one part of the undertaking. It is the cumulative effects we will live with.

So lets ban outboard motors too

I'm with Mike on that last point. Regardless what this ship is doing in detail, if it's a precursor to possible drilling then we don't want it happening. The more money these companies spend on surveying the area the more likely they are to want to recover their costs by drilling as and when they find oil. I have the impression most people here don't want drilling, period.

Maybe we could make them more environmentally friendly, use better maintenance techniques, keep them tuned up, bottoms clean stuff like that. Oil benefits a few. We could stop dredging easily. I would hate to think what might happen to our businesses if someone were to post a picture of an oil rig on the skyline behind the reef. I doubt that it would enhance property values.

I think everyone is getting really confused here. Seismic surveying of Belizean waters has by an large been completed many years ago. Modern techniques allow us to re-interpret seismic data with accuracies that could only have been dreamed of years ago.
Oil companies pay Belize, who own the seismic data, a hell of a lot of money to obtain the seismic data so that they can reinterpret it.
Where data already exists oil companies often use seismic while drilling to fill in missing data.
Any hole drilled by a drilling company here for several years to come will not be used to produce oil. After a discovery, it normally takes many years to come up with a production plan, infrastructure plans, etc. before the drilling of the first oil producing well will be drilled.
The project I am on now was discovered in 2000 and will not produce a single cubic foot of gas until 2013. This is a totally normal time frame.

San Pedro group starts its own anti-oil drilling campaign

The call for a ban to oil drilling and exploration is picking up momentum. That was launched by the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage in the past weeks and so far forty groups have joined that coalition. Recent information that licenses for offshore exploration have been issued dangerously close to the reef has stirred up enough emotions especially at La Isla Bonita which depends heavily on the tourism dollar. While on assignment in San Pedro, a New Five crew found another group that has also started its own drive against oil drilling in protected areas.

Elito Arceo, President, Ambergris Caye Citizens for Sustainable Dev

"We've been surprised at how many businesses have come by our office to get a piece of paper to take it and they've actually been signing it, from dive shops to hotels to of course other tour operators like myself and individuals who come in and sign. And I'd say your wife needs to sign this and they'd get their wife and family members so it's actually been going very well."

Marion Ali

"Has there bee anybody who has been reluctant in signing?"

Elito Arceo

"I'm sure there is but we haven't met them. I’m sure there might be some people out there. They haven't come by our office to complain or anything like that, so it's actually been very, very positive. And every morning we try to call on the local talk show and of course you can hear when the people are-you can feel their vibe."

Channel 5