The True Impact of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

I saw so may Pictures and footage today I'm in Shock,
As Humans the in trusted care takers of mother Earth,
many should should be ashamed of themselves.




Source of Picture MSN


Clean the birds, or kill them?



Oil-covered brown pelicans huddle together in a cage at the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Buras, La.

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/06/07/4475943-clean-the-birds-or-kill-them

 

The huge loss of wildlife is the worst part IMO. I know how difficult it is to get oil off these animals because I helped do it one year when many different types of birds were taken to the Marine Park in CC, to have oil removed from their feathers. We did save a good portion of what we had to work with.

 

I think we're in for a much worse go of it than anyone first assumed. Check out this newsweek article:

What the Spill Will Kill - Newsweek

"These undersea rivers of oil, though not nearly as concentrated as oil at the surface, are likely to affect the gulf through two mechanisms. The first is oxygen depletion, which has been estimated at 30 percent in the plumes. The other will be direct toxic effects of the oil and methane."

"The worst effect of large-scale death on the gulf floor is nothing as photogenic as dead pelicans, but much more pernicious. “The organisms most likely to be harmed by the oil plumes are those at the base of the food chain,” says biological oceanographer Andrew Juhl of Lamont-Doherty. “Most of the primary producers, such as phytoplankton, live throughout the water column. Effects on them would cascade to the larger species we care about.”"

I don't know what will or won't happen when we upset the carbon cycle, but that's what they're predicting. I went to my daughter, who is in advanced marine science programs through Harbor Branch, where she attends high school and who just competed on the state level with a project on dissolved oxygen levels and their affect on marine life. She said that, depending on the location, a drop in oxygen percentages of less than five percent can kill the marine life.

She says, "30% would be devastating. It would create a new dead zone."

 

This seems to show just how little attention was paid by MMS (which seems to be in Big Oil's pocket somehow) to the reports filed by BP for "drilling approval". The risk assessment and response files put forward by BP last year are not only seriously flawed, they seem (at first glance to myself) to be some sort of "form letter" that they just added some of the Gulf Coast areas to. They have dead guys listed as experts, they list life forms which don't live in the Gulf as being a "priority", they have the wrong names and numbers for some of their consultants, they just weren’t prepared for this one as they weren’t for the Prince William Sound fiasco.

And before you jump up and down and remind me that was an Exxon ship, let me point out that the BP Corp. was the majority shareholder of Alyeska when it happened., and Alyeska were responsible for oil containment and spill response. They responded so slowly, and so poorly they were replaced by Exxon experts. Just exactly the people who are in charge now. Maybe not the same "persons", but the same company, British Petroleum.

The Alaska spill occurred just after midnight on March 24, 1989, when the Exxon Valdez tanker carrying more than 50 million gallons of crude hit a reef after deviating from shipping lanes at the Valdez oil terminal. Years of cost cutting and poor planning led to staggering delays in response over the next five hours, according to the state commission's report.

What could have been an oil spill covering a few acres became one that stretched 1,100 miles, said Walter Parker, the commission's chairman.

"They were not prepared to respond at all," Parker said, referring to Alyeska. "They did not have a trained team ... The equipment was buried under several feet of snow."

The commission's report dedicated an entire chapter to failures by Alyeska, which was formed by the oil companies to run a pipeline stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Valdez terminal. BP had the biggest stake in the consortium and essentially ran the first days of containment efforts in Prince William Sound an inlet on the south coast of Alaska.

"What happened in Alaska was determined by decisions coming from (BP in) Houston," Plater said.

See:

BP had a key role in the Exxon Valdez disaster » Naples Daily News

For a peek at their flawed "spill plan", see:

AP IMPACT: BP spill response plans severely flawed - Yahoo! News

 

OK I just did some serious Math, Just to let many Icci Know I'm A certified Construction Plumber Also Heating System Installer, And I carry 2 Natural Gaz Licences as Pipe Fitter and Appliances.

I've heard experts, as the New information and the NEW Camera shots That Are Live and Very Clear. I took out even a stop Watch and Pied everything 5 times just to make Sure these counts are correct.

Every 15 seconds or less you have ONE Barrel of oil is coming Out of the Pipe. Remember the Pipe Is around 24" in Diameter, That's Why Pie Is Need So you have 12 Kilometers of pipe with A diameter of 24'' How many Liters or Gallons are in that Pipe? Like A green OutDoor Garbage Can thats the approximate diameter of the Pipe in question.

12,000 barrels or More of oil every 24hrs and thats a Low Estimate, Good Estimate 15,000 Barrels every 24hrs.

I believe that every 9 seconds one Barrel of Oil is Escaping, so my 12,000 barrels a Day is the Lowest possible, Not lower then That Impossible due to the Footage I saw and the Diameter of the Pipe. I use Math all day when I work and need to know the Amount Of Oil, Gaz, Water,++++ That's in a complete System I'm Building. Many times Architect Planes in the seizing of the pipes for a big Building are incorrect Natural Gaz Works on the Sizes of the Pipes for the amount needed to supply all the Appliances in Question.

P.S. I've been doing My trades for 30 years and I know my Pipes. And I don't Do service and Repair Commercial and Industrial.

Like I Stated we Block pipes like that every time Especially when the Inspector tests are done on drain Pipes Or Fluid Pipes are blocked and pressurized for Hours to pass the Code for no leeks or pressure lost.

A robot can easily do that Check this Picture this is a rubber test Plug can Built to withstand Tons of Pressure




This expands when you fill it with air Nothing Leaks they come in many Types or shapes. They make them for 24" Pipe


We Sent men to the Moon in the 60s in 2010 we can't efen Block a pipe from leaking, is this some kid of Sick Joke.

Just to let you all know BP gets fined $$$$ "per Barrel" of Oil that leaks. That's why they have down played the Amount of Oil Escaping to minimize the Total Fine they'll have to pay.

 

Clint, I don't disagree with anything you have said, but I do feel as though this situation has nowhere for the blame to fall other than BP. That said, I wonder why do we have a need to drill in water a mile deep. There are plenty of location closer to shore where it is safer to drill, and heaven forbid a disaster does occur, could be reacted upon in a much more efficient manner. As much as we hope it does not happen, whatever can go wrong, will go wrong as they say. When we look to the Exxon Valdez disaster let us also remember groups like the Sierra Club who blocked the planned over-land pipeline the oil companies wanted to build. A pipeline that had it been built, would have negated the need for the pipeline to end at Valdez, Alaska, thus preventing those 10 millions barrels of oil from entering the sea back in 89.

Like I said, even with the best intentions things can go wrong. We need to be sure that we haven't tied our hands to a point where it is nearly impossible to react to something in an efficient manor.

 

Problem isn't simply depth of the problem (its part of it), nor is it the pressure of the oil escaping (that's part of it too). The real problem is that this isn't a single pipe, nor is the inner pipe the one which is leaking. It is a "drill string" (name of the pipe inside) and a casing pipe. The cement which was supposed to be between the drill string (inner pipe) and the casing (outer pipe) is what "blew out" when the methane ignited on the rig, blew it up, and the whole assembly "tipped" over bending the pipes to a 90 degree angle.

Then when the cement wasn't up to holding the oil started gushing out between the two pipes. The gap between the two isn't really huge either, an inch or two at most. So you are going to need something like a doughnut to go around the innner pipe but butt up against the outer one. Then the inner pipe is also leaking now, so it too will need blocking. This is why that blowout preventor fail was so catastrophic. That thing is designed (when it funtions) to close off both sections of piping.

BTW, that is why we know more about the surface of the moon than we know of the sea bed. It is easier to get to the moon.

 

All That pipe has all been removed Mr Clint, Ok I just looked See. CNN Last Night with Mr Copper They cut all that pipe of that was Sheered and bent, that your talking about. That has all been completely removed and what you have Now is a Pipe 24" in Diameter which is perfectly round and no Cracks or leaks, The Oil is coming Out of the Top of the Pipe Now.

CNN has a Live Shot right now of the Pipe.

 

Yes they cut off the bad part, now the two other pipes are what is the problem. A pipe in a pipe. The oil is coming out of both the inner and outer pipes. And you can drop the "Mr.", and please drop the Clink. While I enjoyed the Col. in Hogan's Heroes, I don't appreciate your misuse of either my given name, or his character's name.

Forgot to add two links which show scematics of said problem.

See:

http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q...9jmdLj&sig=AHIEtbQ0qG5uG9oRnEwyUPVa_AFKTr2Z7w

For some reason the second link pertaining to the BP/Haliburton well set-up will not open. I'll try to find another. Try:

http://www.roughneckcity.com/uploads/ProbertTestimony_5-11-2010.pdf

If that fails, then Google up "Haliburton Testimony and Well Schematic Released".

 

For a "lighter side", the first clip here called "As*Quest 2010" is priceless.

Goto:

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Official Website | Current Events & Pop Culture, Comedy & Fake News

The third one up with Hitchins isn't bad either.

 

BP continues to come up with new plans to cap this bugger:

 

I just saw the Type-O Clint. "Clink" was just a typing mistake, I made the correction.

 

The problem with filling anything with 'air' down at those depths is the pressure. It would simple explode (or not inflate). Apparently some 21 year old girl came up with the idea of slipping a much smaller pipe into the leaking one, with dozens of deflated 'tires' around it. This would allow the oil to escape while its put in place (though how they'll get it in is questionable). Once in position, the tires would be inflated with hydraulics-fluid (apparently this fluid would survive the heavy pressure as opposed to air). With dozens of tires forming a solid barrier around the smaller pipe, it can be capped off etc. If one section of tires fail, there is apparently enough tires to keep the seal in place (at least using math/probability of failure etc).

Not being an engineer or anything, I am a little skeptical of the 'staying' power of rubber in this manner under such huge pressure. Based on the numbers that the 'cap' that is in place right now, it seems like well over 1Million Gallons of Oil a day have been leaking out of the thing (last I read, the cap - which doesn't collect nearly all of the oil - was siphoning off 960,000 gallons a day).

 

This is not looking good for BP; in that before the blow-out, fire, and rig collapse they were already considering this a "nightmare well" that was giving them trouble as they cut corners to save time and money.

"…another official recognized the risks of proceeding with insufficient centralizers but commented: "who cares, it's done, end of story, will probably be fine." (emphasis mine)

Goto:

BP Engineer Called Deepwater Horizon 'Nightmare Well' Days Before Blast, Oil Spill

Looks like "corner cutting" wasn't too great an idea.

 

I heard quickly today someone will be appearing in front of Congress I think, Mañana from BP? I heard an explanation that the Top Wigs at BP figured away of saving Millions of Dollars and took the risk cutting back on production procedures that takes time and $$$$$$$$$$$. And will be testifying to that effect.

What a Shame.

 

This oil spill sucks. Sorry if im off topic of everyone easl. I live right on the coast of florida! My dad rents two condo's together. His usual income is 6000 a month from both. He whent to pick up his check of 300 dollars the other day. Literally no money is coming in from any of other condo's. We had Economy melt down 2 years ago. High gas last year. Now this year oil. Every weekend I would go and dive into the ocean. Never need any gear, water so clear I just used my eyes. Now I go to the beach and see Tar balls, with black goo waves.

 

Apparently my province is going to be hit as the oil travels up the east coast. Thanks oil companies

 

Its always 'cutting corners, making money' that causes these things. There are REASONS for safety regulations and construction regulations. When you cut corners, bad things happen. Its not like BP wasn't going to make $3Billion in profits anyways, with how expensive gas is - saving a few thousand $$$ on one oil rig by cutting corners is certainly not worth it.

 

Now this throws a completely new and weird light onto the Deepwater Horizon rig, does it not?

Under International law, offshore oil rigs like the Deepwater Horizon are treated as ships, and companies are allowed to "register" them in unlikely places such as the Marshall Islands (this rigs "home"), Panama and Liberia — reducing the U.S. government's role in inspecting and enforcing safety and other standards.

"Today, these oil rigs can operate under different, very minimal standards of inspection established by international maritime treaties," said Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-Minn.), chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

Some offshore drilling experts, as well as some survivors of the explosion that led to the massive spill, say foreign registration also permitted a confusing command structure and understaffing — factors that may have contributed to the disaster.

Goto:

Foreign flagging of offshore rigs skirts some U.S. safety rules - latimes.com

That whole article is interesting to say the least, evenhanded since they present the other side of the argument and allow the Marshall Islands to defend themselves and their safety regulations. The only part in it that I dislike is the section where they reassert they are "abiding by the law as applicable" (paraphrasing). That is a dodge if I ever heard one.

 

Now employees on the rig say it was already leaking weeks before the accident. I figured there was more to the original story.Makes me wonder if leaking underwater rigs are a lot more common than is being said.... BP has to pay and pay hard. Someone has to go to jail .