Drill Farther, Baby

[metta]

Drill Farther, Baby

Oh, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, it is much bigger than anyone thought it was! The exploded oil rig has, it turns out, three leaks, and is spewing out five times as much oil as previously thought, as much as 5000 barrels a day, though the Coast Guard (the socialist government protectorate) and the rig's operator (fine American company British Petroleum) do not at all agree as to how much oil is beneath the hundred mile long oil slick. What lessons are we learning? Bipartisanship! Gulf coast Republicans and Democrats politicans are coming together; they have sent a letter to the president, asking him to change the administration's pro-offshore drilling plans, and asking him to set a 125-mile oil rig off-shore boundary.

http://www.theawl.com/2010/04/drill-farther-baby

 

[rareboy]

Jesus H. Christ.

Nothing would do for the republican'ts than we had to have oil rigs everywhere.

And are they saying it doesn't matter as long as the oil is only damaging the area away from the Amuricun shores?

I say put the rigs within 1/2 mile of the coast.

And then deal with it.

 

[Joshua_me]

Mrs Palin says she''ll try to take shots at the oil slick from her helicopter.

 

[Críostóir]

I wonder if they'd cap it if the fastest way turned out to be one that would prevent it from ever being used again?

Thought not.

 

[DeeChai]

It's odd that BP has the strictest safety programs yet the worst records. I think I can still feel the heat from when their Texas City refinery blew up.

 

[Críostóir]

If BP doesn't pay and pay for this, there's no justice in the world.

Which there isn't, but let's see how it goes this time.

 

[nwjim87]

I wonder if they'd cap it if the fastest way turned out to be one that would prevent it from ever being used again?

Thought not.

One thing BP has to consider is the cost/benefit ratio. If the recovery effort is cheaper than losing the well permanently, no VP is going to give the go ahead to cap it off.

However this is not the case. They are currently attempting to drill a relief well to reduce pressure in the original well. There is a valve on the sea floor that is supposed to be closed in such situations, but early news reports stated they have had difficulties in doing so. This suggests they do want to close that valve. I can't see how closing a well on an oil reservoir would prohibit you from drilling a second well. Is there anyone familiar with the oil industry who could confirm/deny?

 

[nwjim87]

If BP doesn't pay and pay for this, there's no justice in the world.

$6million/day

infrastructurist.com/2010/04/30/the-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-shown-in-graph
Looks like I can't post urls yet, but the above is my source.

 

[nwjim87]

We can hope it won't be nearly as bad as Exxon Valdez. Whereas Alaska had no warning, the Gulf Coast has had days to prepare. From BP's website:

The onshore activity is focused on five locations in the potentially affected states: Venice, Louisiana; Pascagoula and Biloxi, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida. Staging posts are in place stocked with people and material, including about 100,000 feet of boom, to protect the shoreline in each area. In addition, a sixth staging post is now being set up in Port Sulphur, Louisiana.

Hayward added: "BP is fully committed to taking all possible steps to contain the spread of the oil spill. We are taking full responsibility for the spill and we will clean it up, and where people can present legitimate claims for damages we will honour them."

 

[Críostóir]

One thing BP has to consider is the cost/benefit ratio. If the recovery effort is cheaper than losing the well permanently, no VP is going to give the go ahead to cap it off.

However this is not the case. They are currently attempting to drill a relief well to reduce pressure in the original well. There is a valve on the sea floor that is supposed to be closed in such situations, but early news reports stated they have had difficulties in doing so. This suggests they do want to close that valve. I can't see how closing a well on an oil reservoir would prohibit you from drilling a second well. Is there anyone familiar with the oil industry who could confirm/deny?

I agree that BP won't do this voluntarily. I think they should be ordered to do it at once.

Fuck their relief well. According to the BP spokespeople, that will take THREE MONTHS.

And they should be ordered to clean up all the mess and repay all the people who were hurt by it. Even if the entire company has to be broken up and sold off to pay for it.

Companies are people, right? The fucking SCOTUS ruled that. I think this is the one case when I'm in favor of the death penalty!

 

[nwjim87]

I agree that BP won't do this voluntarily. I think they should be ordered to do it at once.

Fuck their relief well. According to the BP spokespeople, that will take THREE MONTHS.

I believe you misunderstood - right now it looks like the relief well is the only way to stop the leak.

 

[Críostóir]

We can hope it won't be nearly as bad as Exxon Valdez. Whereas Alaska had no warning, the Gulf Coast has had days to prepare. From BP's website:

But it's lot more oil. The Exxon Valdez spill was a limited amount of oil in a tanker. This is a well leaking 5000 barrels a day. They've already tried to stop it from reaching the coast, without success. The environmental damage has begun; it won't stop until the well is capped and all the oil is cleaned up, and it could be years or decades before the Gulf Coast recovers.

BP owes all those shrimpers and crabbers a living.

 

[vulgar_newcomer]

I live on the Gulf at the mouth of Tampa Bay. Earlier this week it smelled like a old car burning oil was running. I didn't put it together until it was on the news that the smell of the oil was because of the wind direction. That has ceased for the time. It must be very thick much closer to the spill.

While BP owns this, BP is part of Amoco too. However put the blame right on the a company we all know.
That is Halliburton, Dick Cheney's little business buddy. This is who operated the thing, they are the contractors and it is Halliburton - Chevron which has much vested interest and political clout in Gulf water drilling.

This is the big one, but its not unique. There are spills and messes all the time. Its money that keep them hushed.
On April 7th a pipeline broke on channel 69 near Venice Louisiana in a National Wildlife refuge. This was a chevron pipeline going to the Empire City terminal and it spilled 20,000 gallons of oil but didn't get much coverage only accessible by boat, no one sees this shit. The birds, the dead otters, gators, fish, clams, plants thats all and they ain't talking. The industry was lucky though that the little press that 20,000 gallon spill was causing was burried in the news due to the Horizon blowing apart a few days later.
...... They knew from day one how much oil was spilling, it was the goal to keep it quiet and maybe they could stop it before the press got hold of the real facts. In fact the Coast Guard likely knew and released the wrong data as well. Little doubt the federal Government knew from hour 12 after the accident that the oil was in free blow.
Also notice how little coverage the dead dudes got or are getting compared to the coal miners, who rightfully should get coverage but 11 oil dudes are dead and nearly nothing on them. There would be less if the platform were capped and not leaking, thats how it is. Make everything look uneventful - problem free in the petro business,



Here is the big question I would ask all these whining tea party and drill baby drill people.
When it comes to taxes they claim they don't want to strap future generations with incredible debt.
So how come when it comes to leaving the only Earth we have all fucked up beyond recognition for future generations that's okay?

.....but I already know the answer , Its all bullshit they really don't give a shit about leaving debt to future generations they care about "me, me, me" and what its costing them now not after they are dead,.......... the same with the drill baby drill they could give a shit if the Earth, or their Country has any of its natural heritage left not fucked up by mining and drilling.

Here is something about Deepwater Horizon and Halliburton's involvement

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/04/deepwater_horizon_rig_had_hist.html

This is a good site for tracking spills

http://skytruth.org/

 

[Críostóir]

I believe you misunderstood - right now it looks like the relief well is the only way to stop the leak.

It's the only way BP is considering. THEY say it's the only way to stop the leak.

Remember, they won't consider methods that render the well unusable. I think they should be forced to consider methods faster than three months...at knife point if necessary.

90 days. 5,000 barrels a day. 450,000 barrels will leak out before they can START drilling the relief well. That's unacceptable.

 

[nwjim87]

But it's lot more oil. The Exxon Valdez spill was a limited amount of oil in a tanker. This is a well leaking 5000 barrels a day. They've already tried to stop it from reaching the coast, without success. The environmental damage has begun; it won't stop until the well is capped and all the oil is cleaned up, and it could be years or decades before the Gulf Coast recovers.

BP owes all those shrimpers and crabbers a living.

Actually it will take 50 days to overtake the 11 million gallons the Exxon Valdez spilled. See:
infrastructurist.com/2010/04/30/the-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-shown-in-graph/

 

[Críostóir]

Actually it will take 50 days to overtake the 11 million gallons the Exxon Valdez spilled. See:
infrastructurist.com/2010/04/30/the-gulf-of-mexico-oil-spill-shown-in-graph/

I'm sure we cross-posted, but it will take 90 days to start drilling the relief well. This hasn't surpassed the EV yet, but if they can't do a lot better than 90 days it certainly will.

 

[nwjim87]

I'm sure we cross-posted, but it will take 90 days to start drilling the relief well. This hasn't surpassed the EV yet, but if they can't do a lot better than 90 days it certainly will.

Agreed.

However from an engineer's perspective I can't think of any other ways to cap an underwater well. Any ideas?

 

[theblackajah]

It's odd that BP has the strictest safety programs yet the worst records. I think I can still feel the heat from when their Texas City refinery blew up.

If they had the strictest safety programs and a true safety culture, they wouldn't have blown 2 operations up in the span on 6 years.

 

[Críostóir]

Agreed.

However from an engineer's perspective I can't think of any other ways to cap an underwater well. Any ideas?

A large quantity of explosives to crack the bedrock and collapse tons of stone on top of the well?

A nuke, to MELT the rock on top of it?

I dunno, these are stupid-disaster-movie ideas. I'm no engineer. BP should be thinking of a) better ways and b) ways to shave time off that 90 days. They shouldn't be allowed to regard their own bottom line or even their survival as a company in their decision-making.

 

[Joshua_me]

While BP owns this, BP is part of Amoco too. However put the blame right on the a company we all know.
That is Halliburton, Dick Cheney's little business buddy. This is who operated the thing, they are the contractors and it is Halliburton -

Yeah, I was just reading about this...

It was quite an eye-opener to find out it was Halliburton that constructed the rig, installed all the "fail safe" safety equipment that didn't work and even poured the damned concrete.

Wouldn't you think we'd hear *something* about that in all the endless media coverage of this tragedy ?

The American media is a joke. Being 100 percent corporate owned themselves, it's like the fox reporting on the hen house.

This may well be a tragedy of *epic* proportions. If the oil gets into the right loop currents - which it most likely will, it can be carried all the way down the west coast of Florida, through the Keys and then back UP into the Atlantic.

Vulgar... We smelled that burning oil smell here in Sarasota, too. And it was enough to keep the elderly (which, Lord knows we have a LOT of ) and other folks with breathing problems inside in the A/C just so they could breathe properly...

I shudder to think what the coming weeks may bring.