The following is an April 2010 interview with Professor John Lowe, explaining how, where and how much of the profits from GOM oil leases are generated and distributed. Yet diver wages continue to decrease.

Professor JOHN LOWE (Southern Methodist University): Thank you very much.

SIEGEL: And tell me first, if a company bids on a lease to drill offshore and gets the lease, to whom does he pay his rent?

Prof. LOWE: Well, it depends where that lease is…

The following is a excerpt from a large government doc**ent on the Lousiana Offshore Oil Industry. Enjoy.

As the processes and techniques associated with underwater construction evolved, a very

specialized labor force was required. Though some jobs, such as…

The diving bell provides physical protection for the diver and a more comfortable environment

within which to undergo decompression. However, though it enables the diver to descend to

deeper depths and facilitates the return to the surface, it does not significantly alter the time on…

To meet the goal of increased bottom time and more rapid ascent, both mechanical and

biochemical problems had to be overcome. Under pressure, the density of air increases and

impairs breathing by reducing the mechanical efficiency of the lungs. Divers’ bodies absorb…

Outside the industry, the U.S. Navy was the principal source of technology and personnel. As

early as the 1930’s, the Navy began experimenting with gas mixtures that would allow divers to

go deeper and stay underwater longer. Diving was an important responsibility of the Navy in…

The following is an excerpt from a government doc**ent on the Louisiana Offshore Olifields. It gives a historical insight of the evolution of GOM oilfield divers and the ADCI. Enjoy.

The first diving operations in the Gulf of Mexico were little more than topside jobs completed…

The San Joaquin Valley has had many gushers, starting with the Shamrock gusher in 1896 and continuing with the spectacular Midway gusher in 1909. But none of these wells came close to rivaling the Lakeview No. 1 which flowed, uncapped and untamed, at 18,000 barrels a day for 18 months in 1910 and 1911.

Julius Fried, a grocer by trade, picked the site for the Lakeview well because he thought a clump of red grass indicated good oil land. When Fried and his partners naively…

Prior to the summer of 2009, the courts did not allow injured seamen to recover punitive damage awards in cases where a vessel owner refused to provide an injured seaman with maintenance and cure benefits. As such, in cases where there may have been issues relating to the veracity of the seaman’s complaint, there was no real penalty for the vessel owner denying such benefits. Although there were several strategic reasons for paying, or not paying, these benefits, punitive damages were not…

A long, dark shadow dimmed the bright hopes of the North Sea oil and gas industry after the June 1988 the Piper Alpha tragedy that killed 167. So two short months later, news of the Ocean Odyssey blowout reopened emotional wounds and increased the trepidation about the North Sea industry among the local…

Interesting interview linking BP, the CIA, and the rise of modern terrorism in the Middle East. 60 years ago BP was called the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

Excerpted from an interview with Stephen Kinzer, author of All the Shah’s Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror.

STEPHEN KINZER: Well, I’ll tell you an interesting story to start off. I was recently on a panel in the National Cathedral in Washington, and one of the…

NEW ORLEANS - Nearly 50 miles offshore at the big oil rig floating on a glassy-calm sea, a helicopter landed early on the morning of April 20, carrying four executives from BP, the…

When you think about how many trillions of dollars have been made on oil, how many lives have been lost over access to the fossil fuel, and how much the commodity has contributed to the advancement of developed nations during the past century, it’s…

By Iain Haddow

BBC News

The following is supposedly an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now have the pleasure of enjoying it as well.

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law (gas cools when it expands and heats…

Few realize the South Coast is the birthplace of the commerical deep-sea diving industry. Award-winning SBCC professor Don Barthelmess aims to get the word out.

By Rob Kuznia, Noozhawk Staff Writer | Posted on 05.03.2008

Is necessity the mother of invention? Sometimes. But in the case of modern commercial deep-sea diving,…

In the 1980's at the bequest of Firefighter Unions, firefighters were dying at younger ages and cancer was not listed as a job hazard. A nationwide study was conducted to determine if firefighters suffered from higher rates of cancer than the general population. The published data found that cancer rates among firefighters were up to 300 times greater than the general population, despite the fact that firefighters wore breathing apparatus and layers of protective gear when in…

The following article appeared in the Summer 1999 issue of the "Old" Underwater Magazine. Dr Harvey P. Hicks, PhD. was a regular contributor to Underwater Magazine and a column in each issue called The Corrosion Column. This article addresses the problems with Stainless Steel.

UnderWater Magazine Article reprint: Summer 1999…

The following article was written by Stephen Harrigan and appeared in the May 1981 issue of Texas Monthly Magazine. It gives a the newbie dive school grads a peek at what Ace, Flynn, Chuck, Bill, etc. are talking about when they refer to "old school." I especially like the comment about a "good tender." Enjoy ~ Diva.

DIVING FOR DOLLARS

Just off the Loop in Southwest Houston stands an…

WEEKLY WORLD NEWS

February 24, 1981

Convicts are being taken out of their barred cells and given a chance at a better life - as deep-sea divers.

And the elite few who survive the grueling 10 - month training reenter society as highly skilled underwater experts who can earn as much as $100,000 a year.

"It's a great profession and they are making…