Recent posts from Green Tech Inside BP’s war room Chevy, OnStar sponsor EV rescue classes Think drives into Brazil Network of Web-savvy EV-charging stations on tap Smart-grid companies feel growing pains Zipcar fuels up for an IPO National Semi develops chip for ‘smart’ solar panel BP fails to plug oil well with ‘top kill’ method Related Obama in Gulf as BP reports progress BP tussles with latest bid to contain oil spill BP fails to plug oil well with ‘top kill’ method BP suffers snag in oil containment effort Presidential commission to probe Gulf oil spill Fake BP Twitter account remains shrouded in mystery Week in review: Facebook resets privacy strategy BP says it’s tackling oil spill, will pay claims Add a Comment (Log in or register) (12 Comments) prev next by baconstang June 2, 2010 11:51 AM PDT The way things are going, i’d have thought they were meeting in a bar. Like this Reply to this comment 1 person likes this comment by iff2mastamatt June 2, 2010 3:56 PM PDT Why all of the hate? I’m not specifying you in particular, but everyone seems to be playing the “blame game” instead of trying to do something to make the condition better. Honestly, no one has any idea on how to fix the leak, but people rather hate BP and think it’s going to make the situation better. They should be 100% liable for the spill, but we all need to focused on protecting our coastlines and wildlife as our first concern. Like this by Commander_Spock June 2, 2010 12:07 PM PDT Re: “The scheme was called “top kill” and involved pumping heavy drilling fluids, known as drilling mud, into the blown-out well to stifle the flow of oil and allow the top of the well to be sealed with concrete. The technique had worked to seal other wells, but never one out of control in 5,000 feet of water. There was a risk that the extra pressure caused by pumping in mud could rupture the top of the well, and increase the amount of oil gushing into the sea. …”
Well, as we all know this approach did not succeed; and, if the opinion of yours truly could have been add then the opinion would have been to try something very different to this; and, in some ways similar to the “next” attempt but starting from a position of what is known about dimensions, shape, material/s from which components are made…. where the “fracture of the piping’ occurred; then, (rather to attempt to “plug” the thing…) proceeded to manufacture and have “Male and Female” Sealed Joint (Flanged or Bolted….. whatever); and, Walla! Problem solved.
All in all, did this “repair” work have to take soooooooooooooo………. long to get fixed??? Like this Reply to this comment by iptofar June 2, 2010 12:24 PM PDT The most troubling part is the lack of planning and preparation incase of a worst case scenario. It’s obvious from what i’ve read shortcuts were taken and equipment was not maintained. Put those two together and you get what we have now.
It’s pretty obvious that the admin is not in charge but do you really want lawyers in charge of situations like these?
Good story. Like this Reply to this comment 1 person likes this comment by Chimel31 June 2, 2010 1:24 PM PDT It is horrifying how mismanaged this crisis has been and still is, by both BP and the Obama administration. Looking at all the attempts to stop the spill since the early ones, I almost had the feeling that BP was focusing more on how not to lose all this oil and make profit out of it rather than preventing a disaster.
As for the government, Obama said from the beginning that BP is responsible and will have to pay for it, but he did more than let them pay, he let them lead the effort instead of supervising it, not even enlisting the best minds of the country in an open call for help.
The beaches around where the Exxon Valdez was grounded are still leaking oil over 20 years later (NBC showed yesterday someone digging a small oil in the sand, which quickly filled with water and oil), so it now looks clear that the Gulf of Mexico will be impacted for centuries to come. Fisheries are doomed for generations, Louisiana fishermen should start looking for other jobs now instead of clinging to false hopes. Even worse, the usage of the dispersant is actually hiding the true scale of the disaster, the little oil killing Louisiana marshes is nothing compared to the oil now lying at the bottom of the Gulf, or the miles long layers floating between waters. Not to mention the possible health issues brought by the dispersant, and the combination of oil plus dispersant. At best, the clean up effort will clean the surface of the coast lands and beaches, not the oil that sank underground or that still lay in the Gulf.
I don’t know, why don’t they sink a huge concrete or metal slab over the spill, a BP supertanker for that matter, with a pipe in the middle to pump that oil and relieve the pressure, instead of coming up with complex and failing devices? At this depth and because of the urgency, only the simplest designs can be effective in a timely manner. Like this Reply to this comment 1 person likes this comment by Renegade Knight June 2, 2010 2:22 PM PDT The slab won’t work. If by chance you could get one large enough to actually work, I doubt a ship big enough to carry it, exists.
Obama would pretty much need to declare martial law to take over the operation. Then he would have to draft the same engineers working for BP to solve the problem. It would cost time only to end up about where they are now. Like this by furwatup June 2, 2010 2:43 PM PDT I have a feeling the engineers from Exxon, Chevron, Anadarko, and Shell will resent your comment “not even enlisting the best minds of the country” as they are the best minds in the country in this field. I see it his way, if you are such a wise arse why don’t you get your own boat and go down there and fix it. What do you think the federal government knows about deep water drilling, they don’t really know about being a federal government to begin with let alone oil and gas. The good thing is, Dumbama doesn’t do a good job presiding over this country in foreign or domestic affairs now. Where are we going! Like this by Adam-M June 2, 2010 5:37 PM PDT
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