Thursday – A Little Personal

I thought I would give a view of our shipping channel which I took this last week.

This is a large oil tanker moving toward the Port of Corpus Christi to pick up a load of Oil that has come from the Eagle Shale oilfield. This is oil that has been extracted from the shale by the process called fracking. This fracking process is responsible for the low price of oil these days. It is not because of the abundance of oil from the process but the decision of OPEC to reduce the price of oil to make this process too expensive to be practical. The potential for fracked oil was over 30% of the use in the US. That strategy is working since exploration and building of new facilities has been slowed considerably.

On the left is the tail end of a ferry that connects our island to the mainland. The ferry cuts across the shipping channel and usually has to yield to the large tankers.

You can see the ferries better with this longer shot. Also, you can see a drilling platform to the right. These are built locally and then shipped all over the Gulf. This one has been brought back for rehab and retrofit for another deployment.

Here is a picture taken from this same spot of a platform heading out to sea after it was manufactured. This was taken a couple of years ago.

And finally a close up. You can see the size as compared to the people on the dock.

Tags: A little personal, author, books, fiction favorites, John W. Howell Author, My GRL, novels, thriller fiction

25 comments

teagan geneviene · August 13, 2015 - 4:40 am ·

John that was amazing. I’m so glad you shared — especially with your explanations and the older shot that shows the scale of things.
I’m always fascinated by day-to-day things (that aren’t part of my day). The ordinary things that we realize exist, but they’re out of sight and so out of mind.
Wishing you a thriving Thursday. Hugs!

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Charles Yallowitz · August 13, 2015 - 5:28 am ·

Wow. All this time I thought drilling platforms were permanent structures. Never realized that they could be moved. Very informative. 🙂

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 7:45 am ·
  
  Yep. Built and then towed into place.
  
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Dan Antion · August 13, 2015 - 6:11 am ·

Thanks for sharing this John. It’s amazing to see such big things being made and then moved.

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 7:45 am ·
  
  I knew you would like it. Thanks
  
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Jill Weatherholt · August 13, 2015 - 6:48 am ·

Wow! How cool, John. Thank you for sharing this. I’m all for lower gas prices. 🙂

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 7:44 am ·
  
  I’m sure. I guess we all are. (except for the oil producers)
  
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Almost Iowa · August 13, 2015 - 7:44 am ·

When we first arrived in Port Aransas, I could not understand why we had to take a ferry over such a small distance. Why not build a bridge?

Then one morning, I watched a platform being towed through the channel… “Oh,” I said to myself, “that’s why.” 🙂

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 7:50 am ·
  
  Yup. Gotta stand there and watch to understand. Thanks
  
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Keith Channing · August 13, 2015 - 8:32 am ·

From what I can gather, Saudi Arabia is losing money on its oil exports at present. Perhaps some of the more expensive extraction methods, as well as postponing the day the world runs out of oil, will somehow serve to put a brake on price rises. Having said that, the speculators will still do their best to distort the prices to suit their own greedy, self-serving agendas. Of that I have no doubt.

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 10:43 am ·
  
  I agree. Wish it wasn’t true but sadly it is.
  
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Debbie · August 13, 2015 - 10:11 am ·

John, thanks for sharing these photos and explanations. It’s been a long while since I’ve seen similar scenes along the Gulf Coast, and frankly, I must say I miss them. Drilling can be dangerous work — I didn’t realize those platforms were moveable!

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 10:39 am ·
  
  They are like ships except they have no engine. Thanks Debbie.
  
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sknicholls · August 13, 2015 - 2:54 pm ·

Monstrous! Seeing them up close with people for scale and wow. Thanks for sharing.

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 4:24 pm ·
  
  It is unbelievable how big they are. Thanks
  
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The Coastal Crone · August 13, 2015 - 4:32 pm ·

Thanks for sharing a different view of the shipping channel. Down here we take these sights for granted as part of the landscape. Well done!

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1. John W. Howell · August 13, 2015 - 4:40 pm ·
  
  We do too but it is fun to pretend it is new.
  
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Professor VJ Duke · August 14, 2015 - 7:21 am ·

I would smuggle myself over and do some mischief, I think!

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1. John W. Howell · August 14, 2015 - 7:35 am ·
  
  Pretty funny. I thought of the same thing
  
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  1. Professor VJ Duke · August 14, 2015 - 7:53 am ·
    
    Let’s do it!
    
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    1. John W. Howell · August 14, 2015 - 8:06 am ·
      
      I was there yesterday and it is surrounded by an eight-foot fence, Guards are there as well. It will take planning.
      
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Phillip McCollum · August 14, 2015 - 4:29 pm ·

I remember when you posted those previous platform photos. Those engines of the economy amazed me then, amaze me now.

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1. John W. Howell · August 14, 2015 - 4:33 pm ·
  
  They are something. Thanks
  
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macjam47 · August 15, 2015 - 7:06 am ·

Thanks for sharing this. A very interesting view for a midwesterner.

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1. John W. Howell · August 15, 2015 - 7:32 am ·
  
  Thanks for looking at it. It is interesting for we Texans too.
  
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