Vollmer Client Helix Promotes Plan for Faster Response to Offshore Oil Spills
By Jay Andrew, Vollmer Public Relations
It's been more than three months since the Deepwater Horizon exploded at the Macondo reservoir in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Since that time, there's been much speculation about the future of offshore drilling and whether or not, despite decades of rigorous attention to safety and technology, the industry is prepared to deal with another event of this magnitude. The tragedy triggered an array of developments, including the split of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) into two agencies, a moratorium on deepwater drilling, a backlog of permits for shallow water drilling and a partisan squabble on the lifting of industry liability caps, an action that could potentially drive smaller drillers and operators out of the Gulf.
By Jay Andrew, Vollmer Public Relations
It's been more than three months since the Deepwater Horizon exploded at the Macondo reservoir in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Since that time, there's been much speculation about the future of offshore drilling and whether or not, despite decades of rigorous attention to safety and technology, the industry is prepared to deal with another event of this magnitude. The tragedy triggered an array of developments, including the split of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) into two agencies, a moratorium on deepwater drilling, a backlog of permits for shallow water drilling and a partisan squabble on the lifting of industry liability caps, an action that could potentially drive smaller drillers and operators out of the Gulf.
In late May, Vollmer began working with Helix Energy Solutions to develop a public and government relations strategy that would leverage Helix’s firsthand experience on what it views as the missing component in oil spill response policy: containment. Helix asserts that through the use of existing technology and equipment, it is possible to design a flexible solution for quicker response and better containment in the future. Indeed, as one of the world's leading well intervention companies, Helix currently has four key assets participating in the response to the Deepwater Horizon blowout.
Vollmer recruited a lobbying partner in Washington, Bracewell & Giuliani in an effort to shape policymaking at the intersection of Washington's energy, environmental and maritime circles. The successful communication strategy incorporated targeted meetings with Congressional members and staffers and a series of interviews with high-profile media outlets, including The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, CNBC, Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal. One key result of the effort was language contributed to two separate bills, one introduced through the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the other through the House Science Committee.
Now there's been a new lot cast in Washington by the major oil companies who want to accelerate the engineering, construction and deployment of equipment designed to improve capabilities to contain a potential future underwater blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. On the policymaking front, it seems likely that partisan disagreements in the Senate will delay passage of legislation responding to the Gulf oil spill until at least September, when Congress returns from its summer recess.
Article links:
The Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/deepwaterhorizon/7063412.html
The Houston Chronicle NewsWatch: Energy
http://blogs.chron.com/newswatchenergy/archives/2010/06/feedback_from_d.html
Reuters
Now there's been a new lot cast in Washington by the major oil companies who want to accelerate the engineering, construction and deployment of equipment designed to improve capabilities to contain a potential future underwater blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. On the policymaking front, it seems likely that partisan disagreements in the Senate will delay passage of legislation responding to the Gulf oil spill until at least September, when Congress returns from its summer recess.
Article links:
The Houston Chronicle
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/deepwaterhorizon/7063412.html
The Houston Chronicle NewsWatch: Energy
http://blogs.chron.com/newswatchenergy/archives/2010/06/feedback_from_d.html
Reuters
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