The Piper Oil Field Engineering Essay

The Piper Oil Field Engineering Essay Introduction On the night of June the 6th, 1988, an explosion took place on the Piper Alpha oil and gas production platform. It led to a series of fires that eventually melted the platform into the waters of the North Sea, killing a hundred and sixty seven men, and resulting in insurance losses of U.S. $3.4 billion. To date, it remains the worst offshore disaster in the history of the Petroleum industry, defined in terms of both human and financial loss. The images of horror broadcasted from the disaster site, the final tally of human lives lost, and the enormous financial loss shock Occidental Petroleum, the operator of the platform, violently. It has since become worthy of thorough examination, to fully assimilate the numerous lessons it has to offer. Ronin Advanced Systems investigated the events leading up to that night, pinpointing the deficiencies in the fragile Safety Matrix then applied by Occidental Petroleum, in order to provide viable recommendations that can help prevent such accident s from happening in the future and increase the overall Operational Safety of offshore installations. Purpose and Scope The impact of the Piper Alpha disaster on the Petroleum industry was huge. It was on such an unprecedented level that every oil company made it an absolute requirement to document it as a Case Study. The purpose of this research is to isolate the faults and errors carried out by both the management of Occidental Petroleum as well as the crew of Piper Alpha, which directly resulted in the disaster. This report will cover several topics regarding the Piper Alpha offshore production platform, including its location, construction, modification, Safety Matrix and Record, as well as the timeline of the disaster and its aftermath. Throughout the report, we do not include any on-site research from the Piper oil field. Assumptions Our recommendations are based on the assumption that the Piper Alpha disaster could have been completely avoided. This is in turn based on the fact that its management made a series of wrong decisions, which seriously compromised the safety level on board the platform and rendered its crew helpless in face of accidents. The failure of the crew to act appropriately with respect to the sequence of events of the disaster can only be attributed to the failure of Occidentals management. The assumption is also based on the factual and documented deterioration of the safety level on board the platform after its modification to produce gas. Several gas leaks were recorded and a research commissioned by Occidental to investigate the newly installed Gas Lines which found them of extreme risk was ignored. At the end of this report, we will prove without a shred of doubt that the assumption holds; thus, deeming our recommendation worthy of being put into action as soon as possible. Methods The information in this report was compiled from various sources including Lord Cullens Public Inquiry, numerous printed and electronic publications, video footage from the British Royal Air Force helicopters, as well as the numerous support vessels, that were present on site during rescue operations and the accounts of the survivors. Limitations As mentioned earlier, this research is limited to materials and information available in the Public Domain via the Internet, various publications, and recorded video footage. In addition, Ronin Advanced Systems was not able to send any personnel to the disaster site to perform on-location examination due to the following main reasons: The incident happened on July the 6th, 1988. The Piper Alpha offshore production platform melted down to its core. Furthermore, its remains were later detonated and removed by Occidental Petroleum. Piper oil field A hundred and twenty miles from Aberdeen, beneath some of the fiercest waters of the North Sea, lies the Piper oilfield. A joint venture of four companies, known as the OPCAL (short for Occidental Petroleum Caledonia) and led by Occidental Petroleum, obtained a license to explore those waters in 1972, after the British government allowed offshore exploration licenses in 1964 (Miller, 1991). The Piper oil field was discovered in the early months of 1973, prompting OPCAL to commission the construction of the Piper Alpha platform, as well as the pipelines and Onshore Support Installations. Oil production started in late 1976. At its peak, the Piper oilfield produced 30,000 tons of oil daily. Nearby, two more fields were discovered; those were the Tartan and the Claymore oilfields. Two more platforms were commissioned and named after the two fields respectively. The three vast oilfields Piper, Tartan and Claymore are usually referred to collectively as the Piper oilfield. Figure 1: Location of Piper Oilfield with respect to Aberdeen and Flotta Oil Facility As shown in Figure 1, OPCAL built the Flotta oil terminal on the Orkney Islands to collect and process oil from the three massive fields. As the development of the three platforms progressed, more oil and gas lines were laid, resulting in Piper being at the heart of a busy network of pipelines. Its platform acted as both a communication systems hub as well as an oil and gas collection point, before relaying it all onto shore on one main line, namely the Main Oil Line or MOL, which is the line seen connecting the Piper field and Flotta in Figure 1. This report will dedicate an entire subsection to further examine the pipeline network surrounding the Piper oilfield and its neighbouring counterparts. It will also discuss the impacts that network had on the level of Operational Safety on board the Piper Alpha platform and how it actively contributed to its tragic and total eradication off the waters of the North Sea. Piper Alpha Piper Alpha, the platform that exploited the Piper oilfield, stood tall at two hundred metres above seabed. Its sheer size made it seem almost indestructible. It was originally designed for oil production, but was later adapted to produce natural gas as well; a decision that proved to have tragic consequences. Producing almost ten percent of Britains North Sea oil and gas in 1988, Piper Alpha was highly productive. It was deemed a lucrative investment for Occidental Petroleum, shoring millions of dollars annually. It is assumed that at the time of the accident, the platform was the heaviest offshore production rig operating in the North Sea. Figure 2: Piper Alpha Offshore Oil Gas Production Platform Piper Alpha was a fixed platform constructed by McDermott Engineering at Ardesier and UIE at Cherbourg, with sections united at Ardersier during 1975 (Wikipedia, 2010). The platform consisted of four modules (A, B, C and D) separated by Fire-Proofed walls, and arranged such that the most dangerous works such as drilling were as far as possible from the Accommodation Block. At the time of the accident, the platform operated thirty-six well heads using various technologies that were then available. Figure 3, an East-side Elevation of the platform, illustrates its modular design and the locations of the areas of interest to the scope of this report, mainly Modules C, D and the Oil Separation Compartment in Module B. Figure 3: East Elevation of Piper Alpha the impacts of the 1980 Gas module fitting Impact on the platform Layout I Production Level 84 In 1980, a Gas Recovery Module was installed on the Piper Alpha platform. This decision left an unfortunate legacy in its design, as some of the gas compression works had to be sited in Module C, which was later called the Gas Compression Module. Figure 4 illustrates the layout of Production Level 84. It clearly shows how the compression works in Module C were close to many sensitive areas in Module D, such as: the Control Room, the Electrical Power Gas Turbine Generators, the Emergency Diesel Generator, the Fire Pumps Manual Control Panel and some of the Electrical Switch Rooms. The Accommodation Block, where the crewmen lived, was located above Module D, with the Helicopter Pad (or Helideck) on top of it as shown in Figure 3. Figure 4: Production Level 84 Firewalls Hazard: Blast-Proof Walls Since Piper Alpha was initially designed to produce oil, only Fire-Proofed walls were installed to separate its four modules instead of Blast-Proof walls, which are installed on gas production platforms. Figure 4 shows the locations of the Fire-Proofed walls as well as their ratings. The B/C and the C/D walls did not withstand the first explosion. Their failure was the beginning of the end for the platform. Hazard: Fire-Fighting System Piper Alpha was equipped with a state-of-the-art Automatic Fire-Fighting System. It relied on two different sets of pumps for operation; electrically powered and diesel powered. They would suck in huge amounts of seawater via underwater inlets to douse any fires. However, the safety procedures on the platform dictated that the system would be switched over to manual control in case divers were in the water regardless of their locations with respect to the inlets so that they would not get sucked in. That procedure never considered the possibility of a fire or an explosion blocking access to the Manual Control Panel, preventing the crew from operating the pumps and eventually causing the fire to rage unchallenged. ii deck support frame: level 64 Two large gas pumps, designated A and B, were placed in Module C. Those were responsible for pressurizing the produced gas and sending it to the offshore Manifold Compression platform MCP-01, some thirty miles to the North West of Piper Alpha. They were also responsible for providing the gas required for generating Electrical Power that fed the entire platform. They operated in redundancy; i.e. one was operated and the other was put on standby in case the former stopped working. Those two pumps were present on level 68, sixteen levels below production level number 84. Figure 5: Deck Support Frame of Level 68 Location of Pumps A B A pipeline eighteen inches in diameter acted as the Main Gas Line (MGL), carrying the gas production of Piper Alpha to the Manifold Compression Platform, MCP-01. A year later, another eighteen-inch pipeline was extended from the Tartan platform to Piper Alpha, in order to collect gas production from both rigs before sending it on the Main Gas Line to MCP-01. Later on, another sixteen-inch pipeline was extended from Piper Alpha to the Claymore production platform, to feed its onboard Gas Lift System. Hazard: Gas Lines In Figure 5, all gas lines also known as risers were secured with automatic Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs) and Pig Traps to cut off gas flow in an out of the platform in case of emergencies and failures. However, there were no Remotely Operated Shutoff Valves (ROSOVs) on any of the lines that the neighbouring platforms could use in case the ESVs had failed or in case things on Piper Alpha had gone out of control. Moreover, two years prior to June the 6th 1988, Occidental Petroleum commissioned a report to investigate the safety of the platform after the added functionality and pipelines. The report portrayed a fearful image, clearly warning of the dangers of the gas lines. The findings stated that those gas lines would take hours to depressurize, mainly due to their capacities that was defined based on their lengths and diameters. The report went on to speculate that should anything happen to those lines, they could result in a High-Pressure Gas Fire that would be virtually impossi ble to fight. Thus, putting the entire platform at risk, and threatening the lives of its personnel. Impact on the Pipeline network Since the Piper oilfield was the first to be discovered, and Piper Alpha was the first platform to come online, its historic development and that of adjacent fields meant that the platform would become a centre for communication systems, as well as oil transfer, reaching land-based operations (Drysdale Evans, 1998). The belated installation of the Gas Module, and the subsequent extension of Gas Lines, further complicated an already complex network of pipelines interconnecting the three platforms Claymore, Piper Alpha, and Tartan with one another as well as with MCP-01 and the Flotta oil processing facility. Figure 6 shows this complex network of oil and Gas Lines connecting the four platforms and onshore installations. The Main Oil Line (MOL) carried oil from Piper to Flotta. Oil was routed from Tartan to Claymore, via a separate line, and from there it was sent onto the MOL, some thirty-five miles west of Piper. The MOL also carried the main communication cable (originating at Piper Alpha) between the three rigs and Occidentals Control Centre (OCC) on the Orkney Islands. Hazard: Oil Back Pressure The legacy of that design had not only reduced the level of Operational Safety on board of Piper Alpha significantly, but also it had put the entire communication system at risk. The design simply jeopardized losing all cable-based communications with OCC, in case an explosion or a massive rig fire took place. Furthermore, due to the lack of any Remotely Operated Shutoff Valves (ROSOVs) which would prevent the back flow of oil because of pressure differences and/or major failures in the Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs) the design exhibited a Back-Pressure nature that would allow oil from the Tartan and Claymore platforms to flow directly back into Piper Alpha instead of going down the Main Oil Line to shore should Piper Alpha stop pumping oil. That hazard was an important factor in fuelling the oil fire that started in the Oil Separation compartment in Module B on board of the platform in peril. Figure 6: Claymore, Piper, Tartan Pipeline Network spiral to disaster The common image of the disaster can be attributed to a single devastating explosion on board the Piper Alpha. In fact, once it took place, the catastrophe unfolded gradually. During one crucial hour, there were critical moments that it could have been averted. However, an unfortunate series of events led to the total destruction of the platform. On the morning of July the 6th, Pump A was undergoing routine maintenance and its pressure valve was removed for inspection. Another maintenance overhaul, which would have taken two weeks, was scheduled for the same pump but had not begun then. The valve removed was placed between the pump and the gas pipe feeding it. The service crew sealed the pipe with a Blind Flange; a flat metallic disc used to temporarily cover pipes and risers during various routine maintenance jobs. When the Day Shift ended at 6:00 PM, the job was not done. The supervising engineer prepared a Permit-to-Work (PTW) stating that the pressure valve was removed and that the pump should not be started under any circumstance (Wikipedia, 2010). The engineer then headed to the Control Room, where he found the platforms manager busy. He chose not to inform him that Pump A was out of order, and instead signed the new PTW, placed it on the managers desk and left to the Accommodation Block. This was the first critical moment in the timeline of the accident. The failure of the engineer to inform the manager with the serious condition of the pump is nothing but a clear example of terrible lack of communication between colleagues. It showcases a superficial attitude and approach by Occidentals personnel towards Safety. This failure is one of the main reasons of the disaster, if not its main trigger. An hour later, another maintenance job was taking place underwater; divers were carrying out a routine inspection and welding job on one of the pipes. Therefore, and as we explained previously, the Automatic Fire-Fighting System was switched to manual control. This was a safety practice to ensure that divers would not get sucked in through the underwater inlets of the powerful fire extinguishing pumps. It is worth noting that on other platforms Fire-Fighting systems were controlled manually only if divers were very close to the inlets. This practice, which was enforced to ensure the safety of the divers, reduced that of the platform drastically and deprived it from an automated response by the Fire-Fighting System that could have saved it from its fatal doom; yet another critical moment down the course of the horrible disaster. At 9:45 PM, Pump B suddenly stopped and could not be restarted. The pumps were responsible for providing gas to the Gas Turbine Generators, which in turn provided the entire platform with Electrical Power. The sudden stop of Pump B, and the failure to restart it, threatened the total loss of Electrical Power during ongoing drilling operations. This meant that the drilling head could get stuck at enormous costs. The system provided fifteen minutes of backup power, via the Emergency Diesel Generator, during which the only two choices were either restarting Pump B or bringing Pump A online; a crossroads that sent the platform and its crewmen down the spiral to disaster. Pressured as time went by with no success at restarting Pump B, the engineer who was sent down to inspect the pump was forced to consider bringing Pump A online. He returned to the Control Room on level 84 and searched through the PTWs, trying to determine whether Pump A could be started or not. He located the PTW for the General Overhaul that had not started then, yet failed to find the newer one that stated that the pumps pressure valve was removed. He signed off the General Overhaul PTW and returned to level 68 to start Pump A. The reason why the engineer could not find the newer PTW is simple; the pressure valve was in a different location from the pump and therefore its permits were stored in a different box, as PTWs on board the platform were sorted by location. The engineer never checked the PTW box for the location where the pressure valve was. None of the personnel present in the Control Room then was aware that a vital piece of the pump had been removed. The platforms manager assumed from the existing documents that it would be safe to start Pump A (Wikipedia, 2010). In fact, no one noticed that the pressure valve had been removed as it was placed several metres above the ground of level 64. Furthermore, it was blocked from line-of-sight by gas risers. Ten minutes later, Pump A was started, allowing gas to flow into it in the absence of the pressure valve, which quickly resulted in an overpressure the Blind Flange could not withstand. Gas started to leak at very high pressure and in great amounts, with audible sounds that took the crewmen on level 64 by surprise. The leak triggered several gas alarms. However, at exactly 9:50 PM, and before anyone could realize the situation and plan a response, the gas ignited and exploded, blowing through the Fire-Proofed walls. In the initial blast, the Fire-Proofed walls B/C and C/D failed. Panels from the C/D wall were propelled into Module D, destroying the Control Room, the Emergency Diesel Generator, and the Gas Turbine Generators, starting a hydrocarbon fire fed by a mixture of gas and diesel and blocking access to both the Manual Control Panel of the Fire-Fighting System as well as the Lifeboat Entry Points. The platforms manager quickly pressed the Emergency Shutdown button, closing the Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs) on the sea lines and ceasing all oil and gas production, before ordering an evacuation of the Control Room. This should have isolated the platform entirely from the flow of oil and gas. However, Panels from the failing B/C Fire-Proofed wall flew into Module B, rupturing another gas pipe as well as the main oil separation manifolds, starting an oil fire in the Oil Separation compartment, which spread out to all of Module B within a few minutes. Figure 7: The Initial Fire on Piper Alpha. Black smoke indicating an Oil Fire is seen rising from Module B The manager headed to the Radio Room, where he ordered a Mayday call to be transmitted. The Radio Room was then evacuated and all personnel headed to the Fire-Proofed Accommodation Block awaiting further instructions or evacuation by helicopters. Although Occidentals management was aware that a gas explosion on board Piper Alpha would be devastating, the managers on Claymore and Tartan never Shutdown oil production after they received the Mayday transmitted out of the burning platform. Even though black smoke could be seen on the horizon, which meant that there was an oil fire, the managers never suspected the failure of the Emergency Safety Valves (ESVs). The oil fire, fed by oil from Tartan and Claymore, heated up the Tartan Gas Line to the point it failed. The pipeline ruptured, releasing 15~30 tonnes of gas (pressurised to 120 ATM) per second. The gas burst into a massive fire ball that engulfed the entire Piper Alpha platform as well as a Fast Rescue Craft launched from the Multi-purpose Vessel Sandhaven. This situation was exactly what the report commissioned two years earlier had warned against; a High-Pressure Gas Fire that would be impossible to put out. At this critical moment, the fate of the platform had already b een decided, with no viable means of reversing it. The massive fire ball can be seen in Figure 8, as it instantaneously contained the platform and darkened the clear blue sky above it. Figure 8: Sequence of Images taken from a Video Footage captured by a Support Vessel showing the Explosion of the Tartan Gas Line. MV Lowland Cavalier can be seen on the Right As Figure 8 vividly illustrates, the wind was blowing in the direction of the Helideck, which in turn pushed fire and smoke towards it, making any helicopter landing absolutely impossible and an act of suicide. No further instructions were given to the trapped crewmen, who took shelter in the Accommodation Block, while smoke began to penetrate it. Some were seen jumping off the platform and into the water, against what their training instructed. Ironically, those were the ones who survived the tragic ordeal. The actions of two crewmen are worth noting. As the situation worsened, they donned Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and tried to make their way to the Manual Control Panel of the Fire-Fighting System to start the diesel pumps. Those two men were never seen again and their bodies were never recovered. Nearby, and as the situation rapidly escalated, the managers on Claymore and Tartan believed that they did not have the authority to order an Emergency Shutdown of production without first consulting their superiors. The initial explosion knocked off the main communication line with OCC; however, Tartans manager somehow contacted his superior, and was instructed to stay online and continue pumping gas and oil. Meanwhile, Claymores manager tried for more than twenty minutes to raise OCC by satellite phone, but to no avail. When he finally succeeded at contacting his manger, the MCP 01 Gas Line failed and exploded, as they were speaking, at exactly 10:50 PM. It was not until that point that Claymores manager finally ordered an Emergency Shutdown of production, after receiving instructions from his superior, who also instructed him to contact Tartan and tell them to shutdown as well. Figure 9: Sequence of Images taken from a Video Footage captured by a Rescue Helicopter showing the Explosion of the MCP 01 Gas Line. The MSV Tharos can be seen on the Right By the time both platforms had ordered an Emergency Shutdown, there was no turning back for Piper Alpha; the platform was destined to burn for hours more to come, until the pipelines were depressurised, and all the hydrocarbons they carried were depleted. The fearsome heat ate its way at the machinery and steelwork comprising the once gigantic platform in a tremendous scene that horrified everyone who saw it. The final chapter in the disaster was inevitable and quite expectable. The gas line feeding Claymore finally failed and ruptured at 11:20 PM. The third explosion was the final nail in the platforms coffin. After withstanding the intense heat for more than an hour, the Generation and Utilities Module D, home to the Accommodation Block, finally slid into the sea. Most of the platform soon fell after it. Forty-five minutes past midnight, the entire platform was gone, and only Module A was all that remained. Figure 10: Image from Video Footage taken by a Rescue Helicopter landing on the MSV-Tharos as the Final Explosion of Claymores Gas Line take place The Role of nearby Support vessels The Multi-purpose vessel LowLand Cavalier (mv lowland cavalier) Although the Lowland Cavalier was the closest to Piper Alpha at the time of the initial explosion, she was only equipped as a Diving Support vessel then. She pulled away to safety immediately, after signalling the underwater divers to surface. Her role in the disaster was limited to reporting the first explosion. Figure 11: Recent Photos of the MV Lowland Cavalier The Multi-purpose vessel Silver Pit (mv silver pit) The Fast Rescue Craft MV Silver Pit was a converted fishing ship, with a small Landing Area (yellow circular area seen in Figure 9). It was the first support vessel to respond. The largest number of survivors thirty-seven out of fifty-nine was recovered by her crew. Her coxswain, James Clark, received the George Medal a second level civil decoration of the United Kingdom Commonwealth in recognition of his tremendous efforts in the Search Rescue operation (Scottish TV, 2010). Figure 12: Image taken from a Video taken by a Rescue Helicopter during a Winch-Recovery of a Survivor picked up by the MV Silver Pit the Multi-purpose vessel sandhaven (mv sandhaven) Though her actions show obvious disregard for common logic and safe practices, the efforts exerted by the crew of the Sandhaven were remarkable; they raced against time to rescue Pipers oilmen from the raging inferno. In an insane act of bravery, and in defiance to every safety rule and procedure known in the world of Offshore Rescue Operations, she approached the burning platform to a very close distance, launching a fast rescue boat with three men on board that rescued six of Pipers crewmen. However, when the gas line from Tartan exploded, a massive fire ball engulfed the burning platform as well as that boat, killing two of its crewmen along with all of survivors. The lone survivor on board that boat, Ian Letham, was also awarded the George Medal in recognition of his participation in the relief efforts during the tragic ordeal. Figure 13: The Tharos (Left Background) Sandhaven (Small Red Boat) next to Piper Alpha just as Tartans Gas line exploded the Multi-purpose Support Vessel Tharos (msv tharos) The Tharos was a semi-submersible, multi-purpose support vessel. She comprised several roles such as Fire-Fighting, Construction, Accommodation and Diving Support. She also carried a fully operational hospital and was equipped with a massive Helideck. She was commissioned by Occidental Petroleum precisely to deal with emergencies on offshore platforms. On June the 6th, 1988, and by pure chance, she was anchored close to Piper Alpha. She should have been a Godsend; however, upon approaching the burning platform, her crew started her water cannons too fast, tripping the Fire-Fighting system and wasting ten long minutes before successfully restarting it. Furthermore, those cannons were deemed very powerful, thus restricting the Tharos to as where to use them; since the stream could seriously injure or even kill anyone it hits. Figure 14: Images taken from Video Footage taken during the landing of a Rescue Helicopter on the Helideck on board the MSV-Tharos showing the Vessels powerful cannons engaged in Fire-Fighting Operations Figure 12 shows how close the Tharos was anchored to Piper as well as the locations of the MV -Lowland Cavalier and the MV Silver Pit mentioned earlier in this section. Figure 15: Locations of Support Vessels from Piper Alpha Worse still, the Tharos was equipped with an extensible bridge that could have worked as an escape route for the personnel trapped onboard, but due to flaws in its design it proved useless. The extension mechanism was too slow, taking five minutes to move two feet; so to extend to its full thirty metres, it would have taken over an hour. At 10:50 PM, the Tharos ran out of time; the MCP-01 Gas Line ruptured and burst. A huge fireball burnt brightly in the dark sky over the North Sea, and to date is considered an icon of the Piper Alpha disaster. The gas burning was more than the entire consumption of the United Kingdom. The intense heat threw the Tharos back, forcing her to return the bridge into its storage position, and from then on, her crew could only witness as Piper slowly melted and collapsed (McGinty, 2009). Figure 16: Screenshot from a Video Footage taken by a Surveillance Camera on board the MSV-Tharos showing the Extensible Bridge being extended towards Piper Alpha Figure 17: The Tharos docked to Piper Alpha via its Extensible Bridge Weeks before the Disaster Figure 10 shows the extensible bridge docked to Piper Alpha weeks before the disaster. Had the Tharos attempted to approach Piper to such a close distance, the situation would have turned into a nightmare, and the Tharos would have been engulfed in flames just like the Sandhaven. The Tharos continued fighting the fire from a safe distance until the morning of the following day. Divers from the Tharos recovered many bodies from the sea bed and from the galley area of the Accommodation Block, where most of the crewmen onboard gathered awaiting extraction by helicopter. The vessel supported the Fire-Fighting and Well Kill operations that eventually led to the extinguishing of the burning well three weeks later (Wikipedia, 2010). The Aftermath The Day After With the break of light of the following day, the scale of the disaster was unravelled. The entire platform melted down to its core through the night and sank into the sea. Ironically, Module A, once considered the most dangerous section of the platform, remained fairly intact. That was attributed to the fact that the Fire-Proofed wall separating modules A and B did not fail. Of the massive platform, only what shows in Figures 15 and 16 was what was left. Figure 18: Module A carrying a sign with the platforms number and name Piper A Figure 19 : The Remains of Piper Alpha with the MSV-Tharos in the Background Human Loss A total of a hundred and sixty seven men lost their lives in the disaster; of which, a hundred and sixty five were Piper Alpha crewmen. A hundred and sixty four of them died on site and one died later in hospital. Two crewmen from the MV Sandhaven died, along with six survivors from the platform, when their fast rescue craft was engulfed in flames after the explosion of Tartans gas link. Only sixty one men survived, almost all because they had decided to ignore what little training they had been given and jumped off the burning platform. Financial Loss The total financial loss amounted to U.S. $3.4 billion. It was paid in full by insurance companies that insured the platform and the personnel against operational hazards. The insurance companies also covered the cost of the Clean-Up operation. Damage to Public Image Occidental Petroleum claimed that their Safety Record was impeccable, claiming that it was the first time in twelve years that they had had a causality in the North Sea. However, their statement was challenged when various sources revealed that an oilman died four years earlier on board Piper Alph

A Farewell to False Love

Trevor Robinson Kanshaw 1st 3/25/13 A Farewell to False Love essay â€Å"If only one could tell true love from false love as one can tell mushrooms from toadstools† In the poem A Farewell to False love, Sir Walter Raleigh uses loaded language to prove that false love is hard to notice until you’ve already gone through the relationship. Raleigh uses such quotes as: â€Å"A mortal foe and enemy to rest†, and â€Å"A gilded hook that holds a poisoned bait† to make us as the reader to feel that false love is bad.Raleigh also uses this poem to make us be more cautious or realize false love from true love. Raleigh uses the quote, â€Å" A siren song, fever of the mind† as a classic form of allusion in reference to The Odyssey, a classic Greek story. In The Odyssey, the sirens used their songs to lure in sailors only to kill them. Raleigh uses â€Å"a sirens song† to relate to a trap or some type of trick. When he uses fever of the mind he means tha t people are to infatuated with them to even notice false love.The poem also includes the quote â€Å" A substance like the shadow of the sun† which contains redundancy, whereas the sun has no shadow. A quote such as this one is confusing, yet deep in the sense that the sun cannot have a shadow; Compared to Raleigh’s feeling that he cannot find true love. The line being redundant also has its meaning. It means that false love is unneeded and should cancel itself out. Raleigh repeats the theme that false love is a lie, a deceiver, and untrue over and over through ought the poem. All the lines mean the same thing in different ways.

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Essay

There is no definition of abnormal psychological which has approval by the psychological social groups. Although, knowing of ones abnormal mindset is essential in assessing personal behaviors in determining what is intended (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Abnormal social content is often looked upon as personal behavior opposing to social normality. This structure is essential in analizing the abnormal mindset and focus to accurately filter conduct presented whether unusual or usual. This paper will determine the start of what presents abnormal mindset and how the developement is originated for use scientifically. Lastly, the paper will inspect the psychodynamic, humanistic and existential, behavioral, cognitive, sociocultural, family support and biological theoretical areas important to the strength of abnormal psychology. Origins of Abnormal Psychology The development of abnormal mindset can be transcribed for thousands of years. To this date, people have evolved in specified cases of undesired conduct. Historically, unusual conduct is seen as biological, psychological outcomes seen also as supernatural factors (Hansell & Damour, 2008). The observation of unusual conduct is often believed individuals acknowledge the idea of depletion of bad spirits, devils, and intities (Hansell & Damour, 2008). As far back as the Mesolithic period, normal practices of torture would be practiced to those who displayed unusual conduct to be pardoned. Additionally, the use of exorcisms was performed to extinguish the existance of paranormal activities. Additionally, in the Roman era the chemicals in an individuals head would be released to extinguish the individuals from unusual conduct. This tyoe of consequence was passed on into the Dark Ages; Europeans viewed this conduct as psychological disease which drew evil spirits to such individuals for pos session. Torture was practiced on individuals who presented unusual behaviors, and was common to relinquish an evil spirt for centuries. Challenges to Defining and Classifying Normal and Abnormal Behavior Though an individual can present unusual conduct, he or she is viewed as one who violates expectations or rules in a society or culture (Hansell & Damour, 2008). A lack of understanding is particularly notable because of various traditions and culture is viewed differently in consideration of the beliefs of certain traditions. An example is, a typical American will eat at a fast food chain for a quick bite at the work place, whereas many cultures from euopean all the way to middle eastern will bring his or her ethnic food to ingest, but do not condone this type of conduct. On the flip side, woman in the Middle East receive harsh abuse and it is not against the law for men to treat woman this way, but in the United States it is against the law for men to abuse their woman and he will receive a criminal offense for such behavior. In other words, it depends on the culture to consider if the unusual conduct violates law or social acknowledgement, decisions are relatively complex from are a to area. Unusual conduct can affect people negatively presently, but may be viewed as usual conduct in the future. How Abnormal Psychology has evolved into a Scientific Discipline The scientific element concept within the unusuwl aspects of psychology was developed by Hippocrates, a greek doctor. Hippocrates believed biological patterns are responsible for such unusual conduct. Hippocrates believed through biological cause an individual will be more likely to be cured from such illness. Also, Hippocrates referred the brain as a componant being responsible for an individual’s intelligence, awareness and cleverness. With such reference, these components play a significant role in how an individual displays his or her conduct (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Historically, thousands of years ago, individuals who displayed unusual conduct were labled as witches, or unusual conduct would draw in devils. The frequent attendance of church would increase because of the severity of such fear of evil. Following, the enligtenment era develoloped where unusual conduct was analysed throughly before considered a consequence for various discrepancies of an individuals brain f unctions, an acceptance was generally regarded as a psychological disease that accounted for the use of various remedies that were implemented (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Development of Abnormal Psychology: Biological and Theoretical Perspectives Unusual psychology on a biological viewpoint invests with the unusual acts that rooy from an inbalance within the brain. The use of psychotropic medications are used on a theraputic regimen to help elliviate symptoms; additionally, treatments used such as electro- convolsive therapy , and psychdynamic hypothisis to aid human contact on influences psychological through the unconscious mind (Hansell & Damour, 2008). For most part, an individual’s conduct is essential and is charactorized from a previous experience. Psychoanalysis is used as an approach in the theraputic needs. The use of the behavioral model is essential when conditioning is relevent. Depending on the situation, the use of operant and classical conditioning are considered (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Therefore, unusual conduct, and its reactives are performed to elleviate psychological disorders through the conditiining process and behavioral therapy to cure such disorder. In the 1960s, Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck implemented the cognitive approach to establish cognitive function using procedures to open conduct, stimulate ideas, feelings which establish personality and individual attitudes (Hansell & Damour, 2008).

Relationships and Marriage - Dont Marry! - 1494 Words

Dont Marry! Marriage is quite likely the one most damaging force our species have ever invented, up to and including war. Harold Christensen, author of Marriage Analysis, is not the only person who believes marriage is in many ways hogwash. To borrow a phrase from the 1980s, young women simply have to say no to marriage. Not only is it unnecessary, but a bad habit as well. We young women who are now at the age for which marriage becomes a regular topic of conversation need to stick together Single woman must learn the satisfaction, the fulfillment that awaits them by refusing to be taken in by those who insist that to be feminine, normal, happy, and fulfilled, they must marry. Lets take the premise first:†¦show more content†¦Has she ever been attracted to a man to whom she were not legally bound? Choosing to be single can lead to all of these wonderful things. Do not pass them up! On the other hand, do not expect many people to understand your peace and joy either. Louise Casler states in The Decade of Change, Ever since I made it widely known that Im single because I choose to be single, Ive been psychoanalyzed by more amateur psychiatrists than you can shake a couch at. According to Casler, people assume she must have something wrong with her if she doesnt believe in marriage. People have called her bitter and a latent lesbian, and she has been told that she hates men, regardless of the fact that she has a perfectly marvelous time with men. When women choose the single life, immediately all eyebrows rise. As women, we can be happy and content being single, even if others believe such a lifestyle is not normal. So, dont be normal. Besides, what exactly is normalcy? Nobody has yet come up with a working definition of that word, so how can anyone say an unmarried lady is abnormal? In what way? Is she abnormal because she does not want to play the game? Because she chooses independence? She could be almost anything else in the world, except single, and nobody would call her abnormal. Different maybe, but not nuts. Just let her forego the uncertain pleasures of wifehood, and she is immediatelyShow MoreRelatedMarriage Is The Right Or Wrong?933 Words   |  4 PagesIn today’s society, couples either rush into marriage, get married for the wrong reasons, or don’t marry the right person. Marriage has become a blank canvas that people create themselves and ignore what God intentionally created marriage for. When I look at my life and what I believe, marrying the love of life will be what I think about until the actual day I get married. Who I end up marrying, I want them to be compatible with what I believe and want in life and I also want to feel the feelingRead MoreA Midsummer Night s Dream By William Shakespeare1026 Words   |  5 Pagesarranged marriages were the norm in several societies. In the comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare, Hermia is in love with Lysander, but her father wants her to marry Demetrius. She escapes into the woods with Lysander. Just like Hermia, many people around the world are forced to marry someone that their parents choose for them. Love marriage vs. Arranged marriage is always a debated topic. While there are instances of love marriages working out, there are arranged marriages whichRead MoreSame Sex Marriage Should Be Legalized972 Words   |  4 PagesSame sex couples have been waiting for same sex marriage to be legalized for many decades. According to Ken LaMance, â€Å"One of the first documented challenges to same-sex marriages occurred on May 18th, 1970, where two men applied for a marriage license in Heppenin County, Minnesota† (LaMance). Their request was denied because they felt marriage should be between a man and a woman. Civil Unions were the first step in legalizing same sex marriage. Civil Unions were introduced in 2000 in Vermont. CivilRead MoreGuest of the Sheik by Elizabeth Warnok Fernea814 Words   |  3 PagesMarriage is important in human society. Marriage is â€Å"the customs, rules, and obligations that establish a special relationship between a sexually cohabitating adult male and female, between them and any children they produce, and between the kin of the bride and groom† (Arenson, and Miller-Thayer 520). Most of the cultures are used to seeing only female and male getting married but looking deeper into the society; we can see there are more to it. There are many different types of marriages. In anRead MoreThe Bachelors Argument Essay990 Words   |  4 Pagesagainst marriage.† By pointing out how not everyone that gets married isn’t guaranteed a happy and successful out come, such as a happy and loving marriage. If we were follow through with the bachelor’s argument as if it was set standard set in stone, not giving marriage a chance could possibly lead to the lose of one finding true because they never got a chance to marry the person they thought they’d love and could have lasting relationship. Moller argument isn’t enough to reject marriage as a wholeRead MoreShould Gay Marriage Be Legal?737 Words   |  3 PagesShould Gay Marriage Be Legal? Why should gay marriage be legalized? Gay marriage is wrong amp; disrespectful to god. The institution of marriage is a tradition between a man and a woman, not two men or two women. Marriage is already threatened with high divorce rates (between 40% and 50%) and with 40.6% of babies being born to unmarried mothers. Allowing gay marriage would weaken the institution. Gay marriage could also mess up a lot of cultures, like those that believe in polygamy, which meansRead MoreArranged Marriage in India Essay1534 Words   |  7 PagesArranging a Marriage in India Serena Nanda Arranged marriages in Indian society have been the norm for many centuries. Even today, an overwhelming majority of Indian people have their married arranged by their parents, or respected family members.As American we never really contemplate the idea of having someone choose our life-long partner. That’s not the case in other nations such as India, arranged marriage in India is a very common practice, yet here in the United States arranged marriages are frownedRead MoreThe Negative Effects Of Cohabitation1104 Words   |  5 PagesCohabitation â€Å"Americans often talk as if marriage were a private, personal relationship. But when two people live together for their own strictly private reasons, and carve out their own, strictly private bargain about the relationship, we call that relationship not marriage but Cohabitation.† (Waite 1) Cohabitation is becoming increasingly common and is a growing trend in America. According to the latest Census Bureau, couples living together outside of marriage has reached an all-time high, almostRead MoreCohabitation Is Good For American Society1072 Words   |  5 PagesOver the years your typical American family, society is used to seeing, has changed over the years. They’re now more diverse and will keep on changing as society goes on. There have been specific changes made to marriage like single mothers, same sex couples, and cohabitation all these have been good for American society. Cohabitation is good for American society. They’re many more changes made to soc iety depending on each person’s culture as well. Since the 1960’s, American family has changed. AccordingRead MoreMarriage Discrimination: Ending Soon1120 Words   |  5 PagesSame-sex marriage is defined as a union between two people who are of the same gender or biological sex. And marriage equality refers to giving equal treatment to same-sex marriage as compared to heterosexual marriage. Due to the varying definitions of marriage, this topic carries with it a large amount of controversy. In her literary piece, â€Å"Marriage just lets the state back in†, Kerry Howley opposes the claim that the efforts to legalize same-sex marriage are of any use whatsoever and supports

Safe And Clean Neighborhoods Program Essay - 1400 Words

In the 1970’s a program named the â€Å"Safe and Clean Neighborhoods Program† was implemented in twenty-eight cities across the state of New Jersey. By taking police officers out of their patrol cars and into the neighborhoods, walking the beat, the program aimed to improve the wellbeing of communities as a whole. The effects of this program gave groundbreaking insight to the role law enforcement plays in providing the conformity necessary for a community to feel a sense of pride and security. The program also gave way to new understandings of how a community’s aesthetics can either discourage or entice criminal behavior. Ultimately, research following the enactment of the program provided a comprehensive look into the degression of a community’s safety as it becomes increasingly less respected by it’s inhabitants. This program received much ridicule from law enforcement professionals as it decreased, in their eyes, the versatility of their service to the community. It seemed as that in removing officers from their patrol vehicles, it would not allow them to respond quickly to other calls and better protect their patrolled communities. As they came to find, it actually gave the people in those communities a greater sense of security and pride in their home turf. II. INTRODUCTION and PROBLEM STATEMENT In relation to the advantages of officers walking the beat, James Q. Wilson and George L Kelling found in their article titled Broken Windows, that police presence would yield aShow MoreRelatedCrime Prevention in New Orleans729 Words   |  3 Pagesopportunities, and rebuilding neighborhoods also helped the crime rate. These initiatives are a way to get younger people off the streets by mentoring and educating at risk youth. The government inaugurated a new approach for reducing crime by creating an organization called â€Å"NOLA for Life.† It was established to provide crime prevention strategies for determining the causes of the problem and involves a strengthening in the Law Enforcement with Intervention Programs that have been proven effectiveRead MoreLow Income Areas Lack For Unhealthy Meals Essay903 Words   |  4 Pagesthat cannot be purchased. No access to healthcare means that they have no one to help them cope with or treat their illnesses. (frac.org, 2014) There may be fewer opportunities for low income children and adults to get physical exercise. Unsafe neighborhoods prevent children from playing outside whether it is because of crime or high traffic and no open space to play outside. Parks and sidewalks are not well maintained, if they exist in the first place. Low income children are less likely to participateRead MoreThe Keep Indianapolis Beautiful : A Great Appreciation For Art, Nature And Sense Of Community1023 Words   |  5 Pagesrelocate to in America for better careers and quality of life. However, back in the 1940’s Indianapolis was referred to as a â€Å"raw, dirty and unkept city†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , a city people should avoid. Gangs, drugs, loitering and other illegal acts surfaced many neighborhoods and communities during that time. Considering where Indianapolis is today, one would never believe this city used to be ins such despair. Thanks to many civic leaders, devoted women and passionate residents, Indianapolis went from a trashy, neglectedRead MoreDisorderly Youth in Communities783 Words   |  3 PagesCity Attorney Delgadillo and formulated an anti-gang plan that has incorporated prevention, interdiction and suppression using numerous programs. These programs include: L.A. SAVES, Kid Watch L.A., Anti-Truancy Program, Operation Bright Future, Safe Homes, No Secrets, Project PARENT, Homeboy Industries, Dispute Resolution Program, and First Chance. These programs do things such as identify and arrest wanted violent offenders, use volunteers to watch over kids to and from school, educate parents onRead MoreThe Ensuing Information Will Be A Detailed Explanation1747 Words   |  7 PagesThe ensuing information will be a detailed explanation of a graffiti clean-up program for the City of Billings in Billings, Montana. This program was a long-standing idea of the Billing Crime Prevention Center. Previously, no one was available to implement the graffiti clean-up project. The Billings Cri me Prevention Center (CPC) is a division of the Billings Police Department. This organization staffs a paid coordinator, a police officer, and a different police secretary who floats in and outRead MoreRace And Gentrification. Is Gentrification Causing Segregation1351 Words   |  6 Pagesthat gentrification is making the city more modern, safe, and appealing to other people. However, these people in their naivety fail to comprehend the hidden consequences and impact of gentrification on various ethnic groups and low-income families. Gentrification is a master of disguise that hides itself with assumed correlations to everyday people. One such assumption is that gentrification will increase the socioeconomic diversity of a neighborhood. Lance Freeman stated â€Å"socioeconomic diversity isRead MoreHomeless And Have Hiv / Aids1617 Words   |  7 Pageschallenge mostly overcome. Despite that our country and its leaders were woefully slow to acknowledge the seriousness of the AIDS epidemic and take immediate steps when it was discovered last century, non-governmental agencies and federal and state programs and policies along with grassroots organizing has made a huge difference for those seeking shelter but carrying â€Å"extra baggage† as it might be politely and lovingly called. Dealing with the homeless among the HIV/AIDS population has been challengingRead MoreEssay about Designated Smoking Areas Needed for College Campus1209 Words   |  5 PagesCollege campus’s are in need of an area for those who smoke to do so in a safe environment. Right now the only place for us to go is the unsafe streets surrounding the campus. Although smokers choose an unsafe habit, it is their right to do so in a safe area. It is the college’s duty to provide this safe place. It is estimated that 28.5 % of college students are smokers (uri.edu). There has been an increase in colleges and other corporations to have smoking bans, it is their belief that facultyRead MoreBrooklyn, New York, Where A Lot Of Stars Were Born Or Raised?1473 Words   |  6 PagesBrooklyn, New York, where a lot of stars were born or raised, from Christopher George Latore Wallace (Biggie Smalls) to Harvey Keitel. Brooklyn is the neighborhood I grew up in, since the year 1994 till now Brooklyn has had a drastic change. Brooklyn was one of the most dangerous boroughs In New York City, but over the years that has changed. It went from seeing drugs use and lots of violence on the street, to a calmer community with different ethnicity and cultures. Even-though there still existRead MoreAir Pollution And Its Effects On The Environment1210 Words   |  5 Pagesorganization called, The Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), helps communities fight for social justice so they can improve the quality of life for residents and help advocate for environmental justice. The EHC is notable for the work that they do in neighborhoods with a significantly large percentage of pollution. They address it by urging residents to speak up for their basic rights. Human and Environmental health are important for the future of our planet. Areas like Barrio Logan and City Heights have

Leadership Strategies For Leadership Development - 1336 Words

CM3100-Week Four-Coaching â€Å"The environment has changed—it is more complex, volatile, and unpredictable. The skills needed for leadership have also changed—more complex and adaptive thinking abilities are needed. The methods being used to develop leaders have not changed (much). The majority of managers are developed from on-the-job experiences, training, and coaching/ mentoring; while these are all still important, leaders are no longer developing fast enough or in the right ways to match the new environment† (Future Trends, 2014, p. 5). In Mr. Petrie’s review â€Å"Future Trends in Leadership Development,† he looks at four leadership trends he has identified through his research on the subject. Those four trends have been identified as (1)†¦show more content†¦10). The horizontal development calls for improving skills, abilities, and behaviors. It is training which involves listening to experts, and training seminars that are content-heavy. The training calls for a lot of book learning and exams. Horizontal development is identified as an approach that is most useful in solving problems. Situations arise, and techniques are learned for solving them. Mr. Petrie in his interviews asked the question, â€Å"What do you think needs to be stopped or phased out from the way leadership development is currently done?† (Petrie, 2014, p. 10). They answered, â€Å"Competencies: they become either overwhelming in number or incredibly generic. If you have nothing in place, they are okay, but their use nearly always comes to a bad end.† (Petrie, 2014, p. 10). The horizontal development is associated with a competency model for the development of a leader. The vertical development consists of stages of development that people mature and progress, and grow as they interact with and make sense of their world. Mr. Petrie uses an analogy of pouring water into a glass and wrote, â€Å"In metaphorical terms, horizontal development is like pouring water into an empty glass. The vessel fills up with new content (you learn more leadership techniques). In contrast, vertical development aims to expand the glassShow MoreRelatedLeadership Development Strategy And Succession Plan1297 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership development is the key to success in the United States Army as it continues to operate in a rapidly changing and increasingly complex environment. After more than a decade of continuous combat deployments, leadership development lost its significance and became a low priority within most units army-wide. Over time, it resulted in a cultural effect that operational mission requirements take priority over leader development. The intent o f this paper is to examine the existing leader developmentRead MoreEffetiveness of Leadership and Management Development Is Dependent on the Organizational Strategy3055 Words   |  12 Pagesuse key elements of the management development cycle to evaluate critically the claim that the effectiveness of leadership and management development is dependent on the organisational strategy. In this case, the report provides a clear discourse on the reasons the effectiveness of leadership and management development must be aligned to organisational strategy. Therefore, the primary objective of this report is to argue that for leadership and management development to be effective, they must be alignedRead MoreLeadership Strategy : A Critical Activity For Growth And Success Of An Organization834 Words   |  4 Pagesthat a well-defined business strategy is a critical activity for growth and success of an organization. Many also know that without strong leadership that is collectively working together to achieve goals throughout the organization even the best and boldest strategies will fall short of their fullest potential (Pasmore, 2014). Leadership Strategy provides the roadmap for the development of leadership talent and culture. Having skilled leaders to carry out business strategy is crucial to success, butRead MoreAssignment 4: Southern Company Case Study Essay1647 Words   |  7 PagesCompany brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Historically, Southern Company hired at the entry level and promoted individuals internally to fill leadership positions. The company typically had a very low turnover rate which resulted in an older and more tenured workforce. Over the years, Southern Company developed a group of leaders that possessed a profound level of business knowledge and alignedRead MoreEstablishing A Leadership Development Program1227 Words   |  5 PagesThis is a major problem inside of the fleet department at Entergy and will need to be addressed by the creation of an adequate leadership development plan. This paper will talk about establishing a leadership development program its strategies and objectives as well as the participants who will participate in the program. 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It is known throughout cooperate world by many, that leadership affects various areas of anRead MoreStrategic Management and Leadership Skills1089 Words   |  5 PagesStrategic Management and Leadership skills Assignment: Tutor: Date Set: Date of Submission: Instructions: Mr Tayo Tewogbade March 2011 17th April, 2011 Answer all questions Learning outcomes and criteria covered by this assignment 1. Understand the relationship between strategic management and leadership 2. Be able to apply management and leadership theory to support organisational direction 3. Be able to assess leadership requirements 4. Be able to plan the development of leadership skills AssessmentRead MoreEssay Strategic Leadership1068 Words   |  5 PagesStrategic Leadership The only thing harder than being a strategic leader is trying to define the entire scope of strategic leadership a broad, difficult concept. We cannot always define it or describe it in every detail, but we recognize it in action. This type of leadership involves microscopic perceptions and macroscopic expectations. Volumes have been written on the subject, which may in fact contribute to the difficulty of grasping the concept. One finds confusing and sometimes conflictingRead MoreA Competency Model Of Leadership1366 Words   |  6 PagesLeadership Competency Model A competency model of leadership is a simple concept, â€Å"it describes the behaviors and skill managers need to exhibit if an organization is to be successful† (Hughes, Ginnett Curohy, 2015, p. 251). Within organizations there is an importance for the development of leaders in today’s society to meet the needs for their organization. While the leader needs to display unique leadership for their organizations, there are certain attributes and quality which are needed for

Stopping by woods on a snowy evening free essay sample

â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† written by Robert Frost, was on of his most famous works. Robert Frost was an American poet but most of his poems were written while he was in England, and they were published there. â€Å"Stopping by Woods† is a great poem because it is easy to understand, but when you read it again there is something more to it. One begins ask is the author trying to say something else. Thus the reader has two ways to analyze this poem, the surface analysis and the deeper analysis. The reader is also able to learn that this poem has two main themes; choices and isolation. The first stanza of the poem says â€Å"Whose woods these are I think I know/His house is in the village though/ He will not see me stopping here/ To watch his woods fill up with snow. † On the surface of the poem the reader understands that this man is traveling in the woods and he sees a house that makes him remember whose woods those are that he is traveling in. The speaker of the poem also says that he is not planning on staying in the woods. On a deeper level the reader beings to question why is he not going to stay in the woods. Is the traveler afraid of the owner of the woods, does he need to be somewhere, if so, where is it that he needs to be? Is one of his loved ones extremely sick that he needs to get there quickly; maybe he just really wants to get home. Another analysis for this stanza is that the traveler knows that those belong to Gods and he knows that God is watching him. But the traveler does not mind, he is enjoying the view. The second stanza states â€Å"My little horse must think it queer/ To stop without a farmhouse near/ Between the frozen lake/ The darkest evening of the year. † The surface analysis of this stanza is that the traveler is simply appreciating the woods on darkest evening of the year, and his horse thinks it is unusual that they have stopped in the middle of the woods. The deeper analysis of this stanza could be that the things that his horse is thinking could really be the traveler’s conscience. He is really the one who thinks it is weird that they have stopped in the middle of nowhere. Being between â€Å"the woods and frozen lake† could also be a symbol about his eccentric feelings that he is not able to unravel. Why is he feeling that way? He cannot figure that out. â€Å"The darkest evening of the year† could be a metaphor that the traveler has hit rock bottom. He is extremely depressed and the reader when analyzing this poem deeply is able to see that. But why is he depressed? The reader begins to wonder about his past and what brought him to those woods. The third stanza of the poem â€Å"He gives his harness bells a shake/ To ask if there is some mistake/ The only other sound’s the sweep/ Of easy wind and downy flake. † The surface analysis of this stanza is that his horse shakes his head because he does not think they should be in the woods, and the traveler can hear the horse’s bells shaking as he enjoys the wind and the falling snow. The deeper analysis is that the horse’s bells could actually be the traveler’s conscience making him feel bewildered and conflicted about something. Perhaps he is confused about what to do in a certain situation, or perhaps he is thinking about a decision he made that he is not happy with, or something he should of done but did not do it. The fact that he can hear the wind and nothing else shows the reader that he is lonely. Maybe his loneliness is what is causing his depression. Maybe the thing he cannot decipher is why he is all alone with no one at his side but his horse. The last stanza of the poem states â€Å"The woods are lovely, dark and deep/ But I have promises to keep/ And miles to go before I sleep/ And miles to go before I sleep. † The surface analysis is simple, the traveler really enjoys the woods but he needs to get going because he needs sleep, and he has a long way to go before he can sleep. A deeper analysis could be that the traveler has enjoyed the woods but being there alone has made him depressed. When he says that he has promises to keep, one can assume that either he has figured out what was making him upset and he has a solution so he must go; or perhaps he has finally realized that although there are some things in his life he is not happy about but there is always time to make things right and he must go do that. The last two lines of the poem are very powerful, the traveler is saying that before he dies he has a lot of living to do; he repeats that line as to emphasize that to the readers and to himself. The themes of this poem, isolation and choices, are seen throughout the poem. The author is isolated from other humans because is in the woods by himself with only his horse. The author has a lot of choices to make, whether he should stay in the woods or not. These two themes tie in well with the deeper context of the poem. For example the traveler is isolated because he is depressed, he wants to be alone with his thoughts. The traveler’s choice to continue his journey rather then stay in the woods ties in with the analysis that before he dies he has a lot of living to do. He made the choice to continue the journey of life. Robert Frost’s â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening† is a great poem to encourage others. The deeper meaning of this poem is that although life gets hard sometimes, and although it would be much easier to give up and stay in the woods enjoying the snow and the wind, we must move on and continue our journey of life because there are great things ahead for everyone and we all have a lot of living to do before we die.