Scientists and other participants in the Gulf Project — some of whom work for Texas Tech — will meet with the governor July 28 to discuss details and unknowns related to the project’s up-and-coming efforts to learn more about methods of preventing and responding to deep-water oil disasters.
Gov. Rick Perry, following his announcement of the project on July 6, began the formation of a research group for the Gulf Project — a collaborative, state-wide effort that will research methods of preventing and responding to deep-water oil spills such as the Deepwater Horizon spill.
Currently the group consists of more than 25 scientists from Texas Tech, the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Rice University and the University of Houston. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Research Partner to Secure Energy for America, the Texas General Land Office and the Texas railroad commission are also participating in the group.
Chas Semple, assistant vice chancellor of Governmental Relations for the Texas Tech University system, said no one is excluded from the research group — universities and state organizations are providing scientists, but the project is not limited to them alone.
He said the Gulf Project’s goal is to make sure something like the BP oil spill does not happen again.
“We got called by the Governor’s office because they were interested in making sure (something) like the BP oil spill doesn’t happen in Texas, or anywhere,” Semple said.
Lucy Neshed, spokesperson for the Governor’s office, said the project is going to look into responding to deep-water leaks by starting with what they already know.
“They’re going to look into what the existing technologies are and what the gaps are and how to bridge those moving forward,” Nashed said.
Semple said there are still a lot of unknowns, but the meeting with the governor late this month should help to resolve them.
He said one of the major problems the project faces is the lack of facilities that will enable them to test different methods of prevention because oil spills take place deep below the sea surface.
“When the sea levels are a mile deep or more the pressure down there is such that we can’t have divers,” Semple said, “so the industry uses Remote Operated Vehicles.”
Nashed said since the project is so young it has not yet established where exactly funding will come from or what specific prevention methods will be tested.
Kent Hance, Texas Tech University System Chancellor, said in a news release that he appreciates the opportunity Tech has been given to participate in this research.
“Texas Tech appreciates the governor’s foresight with establishing this collaborative effort,” Hance said. “We appreciate the opportunity for Texas Tech to participate.”