Dying BP Gas Stations and 27,000 Abandoned Gulf Wells

Gas Station owners who acquire their gas from BP, whether located in one of the 5 affected Gulf States or not, are changing their names and shifting their suppliers to simply stay in business.

Did BP Really Set Itself Up Like This? Yes, This Is A Real Game!

Due to national boycotts of anything and everything tagged BP, the individual distributors of their gasoline are feeling the punishment. 

Gas station owners who have made supply deals with BP and other connected companies are changing the names of their establishments, finding new suppliers, and doing anything they can to detach themselves from the villainous companies. 

On average, the fueling stations who have lost money from the BP Oil Spill have lost anywhere from 10% to 40% of their average revenue. Across the U.S., there are approximately 11,000 gas stations distributing BP gasoline. 

BP has made a commitment to reimburse independent owners of BP product distributors, but those payments are yet to be seen. 

If the Deepwater Horizon spill doesn’t prolong this problem for years to come, we can look to the 27,000 oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico that have been abandoned by oil companies. 

Oil Wells Lost

According to the Associated Press, the Gulf of Mexico is host to approximately 27,000 abandoned natural oil and/or gas wells, left by major oil giants. Many of these wells are going unwatched; nobody knows how much oil these individual wells could be releasing on a daily basis. Of 27,000 wells, about 12,500 are plugged at one end, but open at another. BP abandoned approximately 600 of these wells. 

When an oil company abandons a natural well, they are required to present a plan to seal the well within one year. Unfortunately, this minor detail goes unnoticed “once in a while.” About 1,000 natural gas and/or oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico have been abandoned with no real plans to seal them off. 

Where are the enforcement officials for problems like this? Why does it take an international disaster to bring open eyes to an issue so massive? 

Scientists have discussed the pressurization of wells such as these. If left alone long enough, the wells can pressurize and eventually erupt like volcanoes. 

The oil issue we are facing can be symbolized by someone dealing with an addiction. The problem is slowly getting worse and worse, but the oil industry is doing everything they can to avoid admitting it exists. By ignoring it for so long, they have gotten used to it. Now, since the problems have built up upon themselves, they have no choice but to deal with the consequences. Unfortunately for the Earth, the oil industry hasn’t hit that realization yet. 

Since oil is obviously not a healthy, clean solution to energy problems, what is? What do YOU think is the best energy alternative?