Cuban Deep Water Drilling: A Recipe for Disaster

The lead article in today’s New York Times, “Cuba’s Oil Plans for Deep Waters Raise Concerns,” shows how political barriers can stand in the way of common sense.

The article notes that Cuba currently is authorized to drill deep water oil wells in its territorial waters just 45 miles from the Florida Keys, and United States companies are barred from providing any safety consulting due to the embargo that’s been in effect since 1960.

The Cuban oil industry is unprepared to respond to an oil spill and would have to mobilize equipment from the North Sea, Japan and China, a process that could take up to a week, while the oil could hit U.S. shores in just three days.

Cuba does not have its own underwater robots or submersibles similiar to the ones used by BP, and it does not have the rigging equipment capable of drilling a relief well. The ideal situation would be for U.S. oil companies to coordinate with Cuba in advance instead of reacting on an ad hoc basis.

But politicians are wary of crossing the Cuban immigrant vote in South Florida, and oil companies do not want to be the target of a boycott by the same. So, instead we have a situation where there is still a moritorium on drilling in the Gulf for U.S. companies while Cuba gets ready to drill its own wells that could prove just as dangerous.