BP evacuating nonessential staff from US Gulf as storm nears
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HOUSTON -
BP is starting to evacuate nonessential personnel from its oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico as a storm system off the coast of the United States strengthens, a company spokesman said Saturday.
BP, by far the largest oil and gas producer in the Gulf of Mexico, is the latest to start withdrawing workers from the offshore region as the large storm system is forecast to have a 90 percent chance of transforming into a tropical cyclone within the next two days, according to National Hurricane Center forecasts.
The London-based oil company operates four of the seven largest oil and gas platforms in the Gulf, which produced a combined 410,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day in 2010.
"We will begin evacuating nonessential personnel from BP-operated facilities in the Gulf, as well as taking other precautions to safeguard our offshore workforce and operations," BP spokesman Brett Clanton said.
BHP Billiton Ltd. Friday shut in production at two of its US Gulf wells, while Anadarko Petroleum Corp., Marathon Oil Corp., Murphy Oil Corp., and Royal Dutch Shell Plc., started evacuating nonessential staff from their production platforms. Oil and gas companies employ thousands of workers on production platforms scattered throughout the Gulf.
Lawmakers are ready to question the ousted head of the Internal Revenue Service as Congress holds its first hearing on the tougher scrutiny the IRS gave tea party and other conservative groups that applied for...
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DOD photo
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday ordered the military to recertify all 25,000 people involved in programs designed to prevent and respond to sexual assault.
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A Humvee carrying six Navy SEALs and two other sailors overturned during a training exercise at Fort Knox in Kentucky, killing one of the SEALs and injuring the others, military officials said Friday.
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Friday, May 17 2013 11:20 AM EDT2013-05-17 15:20:51 GMT
Remember when reading their diary or snooping through their drawers was good enough? Online and in real life, more and more parents are setting up elaborate surveillance systems.
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(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
The Treasury Department's top investigator for tax matters is telling Congress that he is still investigating whether outside political pressure caused the Internal Revenue Service to improperly target conservative groups.
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The numbers sum up the frenzy that has taken over the Golden State since it joined the madness over Powerball, which has seen its jackpot soar to $550 million for Saturday's drawing.
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Thursday, May 16 2013 2:18 PM EDT2013-05-16 18:18:19 GMT
An Idaho man convicted of breaking into a Boise zoo and brutally beating to death a Patas monkey will spend up to a year in state prison, where he'll take part in a treatment program.
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The Justice Department is opening a criminal investigation of the Internal Revenue Service.
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Two Metro-North trains collided around 6 p.m. in Fairfield, Conn., in between the Fairfield and Bridgeport stations. At least 60 people have been hurt, the governor said.
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A welcome sight in Coney Island: workers cleaning umbrellas, wiping down counters, and putting the finishing touches on a rebuilt Original Nathan's Famous.
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The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority has approved the master plan for the American Dream megamall in the Meadowlands sports complex. The approval at Friday's special board meeting means the
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Democratic Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who represents New York City, said he will resign June 20 amid a sexual harassment scandal and run for a City Council seat.
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A 21-year-old Hofstra University student was shot and killed during an apparent home-invasion robbery in Uniondale, Long Island. The suspect also died in the incident.
A 21-year-old Hofstra University student was shot and killed during an apparent home-invasion robbery in Uniondale, Long Island. The suspect also died in the incident.
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A Humvee carrying six Navy SEALs and two other sailors overturned during a training exercise at Fort Knox in Kentucky, killing one of the SEALs and injuring the others, military officials said Friday.
A Humvee carrying six Navy SEALs and two other sailors overturned during a training exercise at Fort Knox in Kentucky, killing one of the SEALs and injuring the others, military officials said Friday.
