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According to a new study by Quest Offshore Resources, Inc., if permitting in the Gulf of Mexico for offshore development returned to pre-spill levels before the Obama administration’s moratorium, as many as 190,000 jobs could potentially be created in the next two years.  This study was done for the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA).  Projected jobs could include not only offshore drilling, but also indirect jobs including companies nationwide that supply the oil and gas industry with valves, pipes, rope and other related equipment.  Randal Luthi, president of NOIA said, “This new study clearly shows that the offshore oil and gas industry is an essential part of creating and sustaining…American energy, the American economy and American jobs.” NOIA and API are citing the report as new evidence that lawmakers and regulators should do more to accelerate drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and also expand oil and gas development on the outer continental shelf. API president Jack Gerard said that the oil and gas industry is “still not as close to providing all the benefits it could.”  He also stated that having a strong domestic industry that is allowed to produce more of the energy our nation needs is “the best way to help our economy, strengthen our energy security…and help drive down our debt.” The report also found that the Gulf offshore oil and gas industry contributed more than $26 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product in 2010.  Over the next couple years, the potential addition of jobs to increase production of domestic oil and natural gas may be extremely beneficial to our economy as we pay down our financial debt. Resources: http://www.api.org/Newsroom/gulf-jobs-possible.cfm http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2011/07/study-restoring-gulf-drilling-to-pre-spill-levels-could-create-190000-jobs/ www.noia.org

OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, recently released its annual statistical bulletin showing Venezuela as the world’s largest oil reserve holder. Venezuela’s reserves reached 296.5 billion barrels in 2010, easily surpassing Saudi Arabia with 264.5 billion barrels the previous year. This discovery has led to investments in the Venezuelan reserves. Italian oil giant, ENI, plans to invest $7 billion in a project in the Orinoco Belt to increase output to 240,000 barrels a day by 2018. This investment includes plans to build a refinery to process the extra-heavy crude extracted by the upstream division into diesel fuel for the European market. However, there are doubts on how economically viable it is to recover the extra heavy oil in the Orinoco Belt. Many are skeptical of the viability of the Venezuelan reserves. “I doubt the recovery factor could go much higher than 25% and much of that oil would not be economic to produce,” Venezuelan oil geologist and former Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) member, Gustavo Coronel, told the Associated Press earlier this year. Iraq and Iran, whose combined reserves equaled 294.3 billion barrels in 2010, joined Venezuela at a recent OPEC meeting, declining to back a Saudi-led push to increase production. In the future, the boost in the reserves may empower members of OPEC who are in favor of maintaining high prices for crude. In 2010 alone, OPEC members’ overall gross domestic product (GDP) climbed 11% to $2.3 trillion, and total value of their petroleum exports rose to $745.1 billion. Only time will determine if Venezuela will be able to support the potential of their abundant natural resource. Resources: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303795304576454251217542830.html http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/07/18/venezuela-oil-reserves-surpassed-saudi-arabia-in-2010-opec/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8476395.stm http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=407227&CategoryId=10717 http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-15/eni-to-loan-pdvsa-2-billion-venezuela-s-ramirez-says-1-.html

Ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands between people and their environments and technological tools.   Having effective “fits”, guarantee higher productivity, avoidance of illness and injury, and increased satisfaction among the workplace population.  Ergonomic risk factors are often found in jobs that require repetitive or prolonged exertions of the hands; frequent lifting of heavy objects, and prolonged awkward postures.   Jobs containing these working conditions will have a higher probability of causing a musculoskeletal problem.   Here are some simple tips on posture and exercises to help you stay ergonomically healthy and reduce your chances of musculoskeletal problems in the future: For optimal workspace posture, your ears, shoulders, and hips should line up vertically.  Additionally, you should observe the 90/90/90 Rule: Knees, elbows, and hips/legs bent at 90 degree angles.  There should be adequate clearance between desk and thighs, so you are not sitting too high.  Your monitor should be a proper viewing distance, about 18-40 inches and keep hips as far back in the chair as possible.  Additionally, using ergonomic furniture will help optimize workspace posture.  Having the correct hand posture will help minimize potential disorders such as carpal tunnel.  Carpal tunnel is the compression of the median nerve in the wrist caused by swelling or irritation of tendons and tendon sheaths.  Hands should be at a neutral position, not having the wrist bent inside or outside.   Here are some prevention exercises:  First, extend and stretch wrists and fingers in a handstand position, holding for 5 seconds.  Then, straighten wrists and relax fingers.  Thirdly, bend wrists down, hold for 5 seconds.  Repeat this process ten times, loosen, and shake arms.  Many jobs that entail repetitive motions are at high risk of work related injuries.  Taking breaks throughout the working period, forcing muscles to relax, and adjusting pace of work can help reduce chances.  Overall, ergonomics aims to put people first, taking into account their capabilities and limitations.  It focuses on making equipment, tasks, information, and the environment suit each worker.  Being aware of ergonomics may help reduce potential risk factors in your workplace and increase overall productivity.    Resources: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/repetitive_motion/repetitive_motion.htm http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg90.pdf http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/computerworkstations/ http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/searchresults.relevance?p_text=ergonomics&p_status=CURRENT&p_title=&p_focus_filter=SLTC_STATIC

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