Matt Simmons, Deceased, Gave BP Many Headaches

Matt Simmons

Matt Simmons, energy investment banker, an oil and gas industry insider, and a leading proponent of the “peak oil” theory that claims the Earth is running out of crude, died Sunday, August 8th.

Simmons authored Twilight in the Desert in 2005 in which he  explored the implications of running out of oil. He started Houston-based Simmons & Co. in May 1974 focusing on the oil-services industry and later expanding to offer research, institutional sales, and investment banking in the energy industry. In 2007 Simmons founded the Ocean Energy Research Institute to this end, a combination think-tank and venture capital fund aimed at exploration opportunities for harvesting energy from the seas. He had retired from Simmons & Co to work with Ocean Energy Research Institute. He is survived by by his wife Ellen and their five daughters.

He was found in a hot tub, said Tara Harrington, medical associate at Maine’s Office of Chief Medical Examiner. The official cause of death is stated as drowning. Heart disease was listed as another significant cause on the death certificate. It is being tagged as an accidental drowning.

Simmons had been a very outspoken critic of BP and the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

He spoke out about a second or third leak on the sea floor in the early stages of the disaster. Simmons told NBC News that a major area of seepage was coming from an area about seven miles from the well. Simmons called it the “elephant behind the mouse.” He was called Dr. Doom by some, for his views on the disaster.

In this June 15th Bloomberg video, Simmons said that a nuclear device would be the only option to stop the leak and the military should take over capping the well. He estimated the gusher at 120,000 Barrels per day, contrary to the official and false government announcement.  He also believed oil was to be found in 40% of the Gulf area, beneath the surface. He pointed a finger at a few key players, too.

July 21 (Bloomberg video) – Simmons said pressure readings were a diversion, that the gusher had killed the Gulf with a deep oil lake.  He offered he did not believe the Gulf could be cleaned, or if we could, it would cost over a trillion dollars. His pointing finger was still sharp.

He was on virtually all of major media outlets, often talking about BP and the disaster. Big media had seen him as very creditable, due to his history and experience in the oil field industry. One may be confident  he gave the Obama administration and the “big people” of BP many migraine headaches. I am sure he would have given them a few more, before all were said and done

Gulag Bound has not discovered whether or not an autopsy was or is to be performed.

Godspeed and God bless Matt Simmons. Keep his family in your prayers.