Gulf oil catastrophe critical

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              Corporate Interference
              During June, T B O'Brien stated that the firefighters were still
              waiting for bulldozers, backhoes, cranes, more than 300 trucks
              and a host of smaller specialized tools.

              He blamed the huge US Bechtel corporation for the delays, stating
              that Bechtel were insisting on a long bidding and testing process
              before ordering and shipping well-known equipment that could be
              had off the shelf in Dubai, just a few miles down the Arabian
              Gulf.

              Although Bechtel is working as the purchasing agent for the
              Kuwaiti oil company it is difficult to understand why it is
              insisting on such procedures.

              in the main Bechtells role is that of heavy civil engineering and
              "downstream" oil engineering such as pipeline and refinery
              construction. It does not normally engage in a "hands-on" role
              where drilling and firefighting are concerned.

              It seems likely that whatever Bechtel is doing, the facts are
              very well known to the US administration and the White House.
              Bechtel was co-founded by former CIA Director John A McCone and,
              in later years, employed both George Schultz and Caspar
              Weinberger as President and Vice-President respectively.

              The Bottom Line
              For the last five months at least, the Kuwaitis have been well
              aware of the need for a large number of heavy duty drilling rigs
              to drill directional relief wells into the 300 rogue high-
              pressure blowouts. Despite this knowledge, none have been put to
              work, despite the deteriorating situation.

              Internationally, the situation has been confused to a certain
              extent with the public perception that the raging fires were the
eption can be changed there is
              little chance of a public outcry loud enough to influence the
              activities of either Bechtel or the US administration.

              Such is the level of confusion that even F081, after their
              excellent work in the area, state that "More firefighters must be
              trained ... creative ideas for extinguishing oil fires being
              advanced by top university personnel should be tested and put in
              place."

              The only way the 300 rogue blowouts can be cured is by cutting
              off the pressure deep underground with directional relief wells.
              It is the only route to environmental salvation. If action is not
              taken very swiftly to move a large number of! rigs into the high-
              pressure fields, this final solution may also be denied.

              *Joe vialls is an oil project consultant with almost 20 years
              experience at the sharp end of the oil and gas exploration
              industry.
Box ID = BX000000
Unit = CONST ENG LABS  
Parent Organization = ;CORPS OF ENGS  
Folder Title = SMITH PAPERS POST GULF WAR RECOVERY                                                             
Subject = Gulf oil catastrophe critical
Document Number =         92
Image file name = 00000023.tif