Energy firm 'discovers oil' off Greenland - Business News, Business - The IndependentEdinburgh-based explorer Cairn Energy today hailed signs of a possible oil discovery in the untapped waters off the coast of Greenland...Greenpeace warned that Cairn's announcement was "grave news" and threatened the fragile Arctic environment.
Cairn said it was too early to gauge the potential of its find, with the well not yet drilled to its target depth.
It has been drilling in the area 110 miles (175km) off Disko Island in west Greenland since July, with plans to reach water depths of between 985ft (300m) and 1,640ft (500m) - more than twice the 500ft (152m) drilling moratorium initially imposed by US President Barack Obama after the Deepwater Horizon explosion.
Greenpeace, whose Esperanza ship is currently positioned within sight of Cairn's rigs in Greenland, claimed Cairn was risking another devastating oil spill by targeting "ever more dangerous, difficult-to-reach places".
It said tough conditions and icebergs posed a risk to operations in the region.
Campaigner Leila Deen added: "If a spill happened here, this pristine area would face an environmental catastrophe. The BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico showed what can happen when they drill in deep and remote places." ...
And of course even if oil is extracted without accident, spillage or other incident, when we use this finite fossil fuel we are: adding further to climate change and poor air quality; still hanging on to what should be our energy past and not focussing on the only energy future that is sustainable ie energy efficiency and renewables.
Also see: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/23/cairn-oil-strike-arctic-fears
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