And they couldn't of just pinched the well closed because....

[mriddick]

Early on during the oil spill it was suggested they should send down a hydraulic clamp and clamp the well head, this was dismissed because the casing supposedly could fail, there could be other leaks, O rings could fail etc... Yet we had to wait 90 days for them to basically do the same thing with a cap? I guess hindsight is always 20/20...

[abpt1]

Early on during the oil spill it was suggested they should send down a hydraulic clamp and clamp the well head, this was dismissed because the casing supposedly could fail, there could be other leaks, O rings could fail etc... Yet we had to wait 90 days for them to basically do the same thing with a cap? I guess hindsight is always 20/20...
well the fastest way to not lose money is my guess........We all know pouring oil into the ocean dont cost as much as a well of that size being closed for a long time .

[El Laton Caliente]

As I understand it, this was a very high risk operation and if it goes bad you are really out of good options. This big piece of steel & hydraulics also had to be designed and fabricated.

[abpt1]

As I understand it, this was a very high risk operation and if it goes bad you are really out of good options. This big piece of steel & hydraulics alsi had to be designed and fabricated.

Yes but they could have permently closed it with out question from day one .....even if it took a moab . They chose not to because of the bottom line .

[mriddick]

That was the line I heard as well, however in the end that's really all they did and at best they saved 2 weeks off the real fix. I know it's hindsight but they could of been where they are today in roughly a week after the disaster VS 90 days...

[abpt1]

That was the line I heard as well, however in the end that's really all they did and at best they saved 2 weeks off the real fix. I know it's hindsight but they could of been where they are today in roughly a week after the disaster VS 90 days...

yep .

[El Laton Caliente]

I know we have used explosives to put out fires but I don't know that they ever capped one that way. What if it blew a bigger leak that you couldn't cap?

This was very risky because there is/was a high chance of the casing being damaged below the ocean floor level and it could rupture/break off at a level that you cannot get to. This basically leaves a dirt & rock hole with no pipe to plug. In that case you pretty much have to bleed the well dry...

[El Laton Caliente]

Let me put it this way, if this wasn't a hign risk operation why would they pay for billions in clean up and monitary loss if they could just cap the well.

And BTW, did you notice this happened when the government/whitehouse got involved? The govenment was willing to risk BP and the parnertner's reputation and cash when the oil company was not.

I'll say it again. If this went wrong, it could not be fixed. And I take acception as to it taking a week or ten days to build and install a hign pressure, remote operated, custom designed & built cap for an application that has never been done before. Normal delivery for a standard high pressure valve in that size & pressure rating is six months.

[abpt1]

I know we have used explosives to put out fires but I don't know that they ever capped one that way. What if it blew a bigger leak that you couldn't cap?

This was very risky because there is/was a high chance of the casing being damaged below the ocean floor level and it could rupture/break off at a level that you cannot get to. This basically leaves a dirt & rock hole with no pipe to plug. In that case you pretty much have to bleed the well dry...

Really I dont know shit about wells...SO I will leave that to you ELC !


I just like big bada booms LOL !



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8WLYzA0lCs

[Sherman]

The whole operation was a complete clusterfuck. From what I have read, the problem was the depth and the pressures( water and well head ) that the well was at. Do I think they could have gained control of the well early on? Absolutely! I think the White House didn't want to gain control. It is a excellent way to push a green agenda and make everyone see that oil is evil and windmills, solar panels, etc. are a better alternatives. The blowout was BP's fault, but the White Houses fault it took 3 months to gain control and to impede the clean up. This is the way I see it.

Sherman.

[chiak47]

We aren't out of the water yet...It will take some days to see if this thing works.

[GovGotToGo]

The bigger issue here is why companies are forced to go so far away from shore, and drill so deep, where it becomes impossible to easily fix problems that happen. If the environwhacks would let us drill both onshore and in shallow coastal waters, this deep water drilling suddenly becomes far less profitable, leading to less accidents of this kind.

I don't blame BP at all in this case, to me, government regulations skewed the drilling market, putting us all at risk for this very situation we are in.

[chiak47]

The bigger issue here is why companies are forced to go so far away from shore, and drill so deep, where it becomes impossible to easily fix problems that happen. If the environwhacks would let us drill both onshore and in shallow coastal waters, this deep water drilling suddenly becomes far less profitable, leading to less accidents of this kind.

I don't blame BP at all in this case, to me, government regulations skewed the drilling market, putting us all at risk for this very situation we are in.

I don't think it's that simple. The issues that caused this blowout were all human error by direct knowledgeable oversite which translates to pure laziness by both the .gov and BP/transocean/haliburton.
Human error of this magnitude is unacceptable and those who caused it need to be brought to trial for their actions or lack of in this case.

Also...No contingency plan for a disaster at this depth proves that they were lazy.
Example, a relief well drilled at the same time the main well was drilled would have been a smart move, one that is required by several nations...

Results...

http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs526.snc3/29912_10150202571180436_765260435_13099729_562688_ n.jpg

http://imgur.com/UxN1X.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs520.ash1/30622_10150197418340436_765260435_12933658_4270962 _n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs324.ash1/28372_10150200648540436_765260435_13037172_6089872 _n.jpg

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/oil_06_11/g37_23742267.jpg

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/oilspill_05_12/o01_23334333.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs326.ash1/28472_10150201389030436_765260435_13055961_2170754 _n.jpg

http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/oilspill_05_12/o15_23349365.jpg

http://cf.komonews.com/100607_oil_spill_lg5.jpg

http://cf.komonews.com/100605_gulf_oil_spill_lg32.jpg

[El Jefe]

The fact remains, if we drilled on land and in shallow water we wouldn't have this mess on our hands. This clusterfuck can be layed at the feet of greenie commies as much as BP.

[imanaknut]

If they tried to crimp that type of pipe, it would have caused cracks along the crimp line which would have eventually blown out causing more problems.

I hope the green movement is happy that they forced deep water drilling. As a former governor of Alaska recently said, if they allowed drilling on land, say the Alaskan north area, if the pipe broke they could walk up and fix it, but no, we can't drill on land and get our own oil. We have do drill so far off shore that we risk exactly what happened. We have so much oil under the surface of the USA it isn't funny, but there are too many rules and regulations blocking the drilling and recovery of US oil.

[GovGotToGo]

The above two posts are spot on. No one in their right mind would think that all accidents are preventable, but what IS preventable is the LOCATION and therefore the EASE of repair/mitigation. NO OIL COMPANY in their right mind wants to drill in deep water, they would all much rather be in shallow water, or on land.

I might remind us all, that there are oil docking stations in and around Nigeria that leak as much as that well did on a DAILY BASIS.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/?id=102202&story=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-delta-shell

[El Laton Caliente]

The other thing to remember is this IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S OIL WELL! They leased it to BP!

[abpt1]

This was completely unacceptable for the white house or BP let that leak for as long as they did ....with out question .

[chiak47]

NO OIL COMPANY in their right mind wants to drill in deep water

That is neither here nor there. Land drilling has nothing to do with what is going on now. They had a job to do where they said they had backup plans in case this kind of problem were to arise. They were incompetent and now that region is wasted. They from day one have been downplaying this and critical earth is dying due to it.

Those marshes affect every single one of us here in the USA and the reality is; is that this fuck off was avoidable. They had a chore, claimed they could do it without any major catastrophe and they dropped the ball...

Remember, these fucks were looking at porn all day and whenever a gov inspector came on board they already had the forms filled out for him to sign without any inspections...
No oversight brought us to this point and ALL fucking parties are responsible.

[chiak47]

The other thing to remember is this IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S OIL WELL! They leased it to BP!

That is neither here not there either. An emergency plan should have been in effect from day one and obviously one was not.

[chiak47]

It's incompetence like this that has gotten us to this point.

The oil companies are in the wrong as well as the feds...I don't care how you try and spin it.


http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9GFR3R80.htm
Maine firm works to get oil boom to Gulf

A Maine company that has 15 miles of oil containment boom sitting in a warehouse says it's been getting the runaround in its efforts to sell the boom and have it delivered to the Gulf of Mexico to help with cleanup efforts.

Packgen President John Lapoint III said BP PLC has visited his plant twice to inspect his product, and that he has provided test results proving that his boom meets strength and abrasion standards. He said the situation underscores the need for the federal government to take a more active role in aspects of the spill cleanup.

"BP isn't a boom expert. They are drilling experts. They are oil experts," he said. "And their efforts and energies need to be focused on putting the plug in that hole and not being distracted by all this other stuff they need to do."

Packgen, a 32-year-old company based in Auburn, manufactures polypropylene containers designed to store and transport hazardous materials. After seeing there was a need for boom to contain the oil spilled in the Gulf, Lapoint altered the production process to make 70,000 to 80,000 feet of boom on speculation.

More than 2.5 million feet of boom has already been deployed in the Gulf to help contain the oil that has been spewing into the ocean since the April 20 explosion of an offshore oil rig, with another 586,000 feet ready to be deployed, according to BP.

Lapoint has been making his pitch to BP for weeks now, but his boom is still sitting in a warehouse in Maine. He's enlisted the help of Maine's two U.S. senators, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, and Gov. John Baldacci.

BP is scheduled to send an inspector to his plant for a third time this week, he said. In the meantime, he said he's provided proof that his product meets standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials showing the product makes the grade.

BP didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Collins said she's not convinced that the administration and BP are using all available resources to contain the spill.

"For example, we know that the Coast Guard has an immediate and ongoing need for additional containment boom. We also know this need will not abate any time soon," the Republican senator said. "Yet, a company in Maine that could help to produce this much-needed boom has had great difficulty in getting BP and the Coast Guard to take advantage of its capability."

[old Grump]

Every time somebody says nuke this country or that country or that group I always say no but this is one time that boggles my mind that they didn't and they didn't for political reasons.

[gpwasr10]

"Pinch off"? That would be akin to "pinching off" a turd born of cheese binge eating...

[GovGotToGo]

That is neither here not there either. An emergency plan should have been in effect from day one and obviously one was not.

You are acting like those lawyers that sue homeowners who shoot intruders. They ignore the fact that the burglars should not have been in the house in the first place. You act like it is perfectly natural for the oil rig to be in the place it is. You ignore the fact that all off this WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT INTERFERING in the oil drilling market. Once the natural way of doing things is perverted by government, than any resulting problems are in my mind, neither "here nor there".

[chiak47]

You are acting like those lawyers that sue homeowners who shoot intruders. They ignore the fact that the burglars should not have been in the house in the first place. You act like it is perfectly natural for the oil rig to be in the place it is. You ignore the fact that all off this WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED WITHOUT THE GOVERNMENT INTERFERING in the oil drilling market. Once the natural way of doing things is perverted by government, than any resulting problems are in my mind, neither "here nor there".

Your missing the point...I'm not saying it wouldnt be easier to drill on land, what I am saying is there were safety plans that were avoided by all parties involved and that is what really matters.

At this point in the game; what does drilling in Alaska have to do with the GOM being destroyed right now and at this juncture?

[Prometheus168]

From the beginning I said "Dust off and nuke the entire site from orbit"

[GovGotToGo]

Your missing the point...I'm not saying it wouldnt be easier to drill on land, what I am saying is there were safety plans that were avoided by all parties involved and that is what really matters.

At this point in the game; what does drilling in Alaska have to do with the GOM being destroyed right now and at this juncture?


The Gulf will be fine. Oil leaks constantly from the gulf floor. Seawater kills oil. Just look at Prince William sound!

[chiak47]

The Gulf will be fine. Oil leaks constantly from the gulf floor. Seawater kills oil. Just look at Prince William sound!

So your saying that this will have no long term effect on the gulf even with all that dispersant that they are laying down and the fact that this spill laid out 35,000 to 90,000 gallons of oil a day for close to 90 days.

Seeing how you like to compare disasters...Even if you take the government or BP's numbers for what they claim 35,000-90,000 barrels a day is equivalent to one Valdez every four to seven days. That's using their numbers...

Then this dispersant that they are using is outlawed in many nations due to it's lasting toxicity. There is no real data concerning tha amount that they have sprayed. The numbers released by the EPA is different than the numbers released by BP and the MSM seems to just grab numbers out of thin air...
But fuck it, it's just earth right...


Here is a headline from BP's own site...
Deepwater Horizon Response: Corexit too toxic, says EPA
http://bpoilnews.com/gulf-oil-spill-response/gulf-oil-spill-chemical-dispersant-too-toxic-epa-gives-bp-24-hours-to-pick-another/

BP told the EPA basically to fuck off when the EPA told them to use less intrusive bio-agents to clean the spill.

Wait, it gets better...
Here is an excerpt from yesterday's NYT..
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2010/07/15/15greenwire-epa-chief-calls-for-more-authority-over-disper-72278.html

BP PLC has deployed more than 1.8 million gallons of dispersant in the Gulf since its record-breaking oil leak began in April, sparking concerns among environmental and public-health advocates as well as some scientists and several members of the Senate Appropriations Committee's science panel, before which Jackson and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration senior official Larry Robinson testified today. Senators from both parties raised alarms about the limited test data currently on the books and the ability of manufacturers such as Nalco Co., which makes BP's Corexit dispersant, to file confidentiality claims that shield the ingredients in their products.

Wait...1.8 million gallons? As of yesterday?
Here is a story from the AP dated May 5th 2010
Chemicals used to fight Gulf of Mexico oil spill a trade-off

Crews battling the spill already have dropped more than 156000 gallons of the concoction -- a mix of chemicals collectively known as "dispersant" -- to try to break up the oozing oil, allowing it to decompose more quickly or evaporate before washing ashore.

It does not add up...
What's funny is R.Limbaugh was on the radio recently and he was trying to downplay this...You must of listened to that show.

[remy1492]

I agree with Laton. while it did take a while you only get ONCE CHANCE to do it right.
The whole seafloor there could have cracked open with leaks if done wrong, then what would you do?

Petro engineers are highly educated and VERY well paid to know exactly what they are up against and what will happen.
They knew about this well and its dangers before this all happened, they also knew there was no solution to a problem.
Luckily, they knew enough to know they had one chance and only one chance to fix it.

Hope it works, blame or not, cause if it doesn't we literally will be swimming in oil.

[GovGotToGo]

In 10-15 years, no one will even remember this shit. No matter how hard we try, mother earth wipes our mistakes clean, given the right amount of time.

[Ruskiegunlover]

no, when it comes to who is at fault for the cause, you have to look at WHO IS AT FAULT FOR WHY WE WERE DRILLING THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE. BECAUSE DEMS WON'T ALLOW DRILLING ON LAND. THATS a crime. Had this happened on land we would have had it capped in 2 weeks, and the oil leaking wouldn't have gone further then a mile. Period. Dems pushed us into off shore drilling WITH regulation, and then they turn around and say we need more regulation......

Jesus, why not just go ahead and start the great leap forward, and cultural revolution, as thats what they want to push us into.

[RJ Shooter]

http://www.sunnewspapers.net/articles/edStory.aspx?articleID=459501 ;)

[El Jefe]

Something that should be added to this discussion, besides drilling on land and in shallow water, we should be building nuclear plants like it was the space race in the 60's! In the short term we'd have the oil we need and for the long haul could gradually switch over to electric power without strangling the economy or individual households. Cheap power is good for America, I wish our retarded President could grasp that concept.