GOM Oil Spill - BP Stops Oil Leak

[attallaman]

The governor of MS declared a state of emergency this afternoon for the entire MS gulf coast, the news article is courtesy of WLOX.com:

http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=12407929

[attallaman]

This will be devastating to the wildlife and ecosytems, not to mention the livelihoods of those along the coast.

Is it me, or does it seem like they never had a true backup plan in case something like this ever happened to stop the leak from 5,000 feet down?

The back up plan was the BOP valve. Which failed. When the well "kicked" the valve either failed to activate or simply could not handle the explosive pressure. Not all BOP valves are created equal. The reliability of subsea BOP valves has been an issue for decades.

I heard today on all the major cable new channels that oil rigs in other parts of the world have some kind of a safety switch on the rig itself where crews working the rigs could use in case of such an accident like what happened in the GOM last week but it was also reported today that oil rigs in the GOM don't have these safety switches because the US government does not require them to be installed on oil rigs in the GOM. You think that will change as a result of last week's GOM oil rig accident?

[Nate-Gillson]

Well I just hope they manage to slow down the oil leak before the entire GOM is covered in oil.

[WeatherLovingDoc]

From our petroleum chemist and oil distillery-designing classmate in Houston, the second explosion apparently happened so fast and with such force (? gas related) that there may not have been enough time for the safety switches/valves to be activated. I don't think this GOM-leased rig ($1 million per day to BP) didn't have safety back ups. The most important valve, the BOP valve, apparently did not work as fully expected.

In followup to my most recent post above:

"The oil slick is currently 30 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico loop current. Experts say, in a worst case scenario, it could reach the Space Coast within the next couple of weeks (watch video graphic)."

http://www.wftv.com/countybycounty/23323364/detail.html

[CajunMama]

The first oil-coated bird was found and i'm sure there will be many more to come. Oyster beds were closed also

First Bird Found Coated with Oil

By Melissa Canone

Posted: Apr 30, 2010 2:50 PM
Updated: Apr 30, 2010 2:51 PM

FORT JACKSON, La. (AP) - Rescue crews are cleaning the first bird found coated with oil that's been spewing from a sunken rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Quantcast Workers with Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research, which is based in Delaware, are using Dawn blue dishwashing soap to scrub the oil off the young northern gannet. The commercially available detergent is commonly used to clean animals.

The rescue center says the bird was found offshore, not on the shoreline.

The bird is normally white with a yellow head and long, pointed beak but was covered in thick, black oil. The rescuers are cleaning the bird at Fort Jackson, a historic landmark about 70 miles southeast of New Orleans.

It was the only animal being cleaned late Friday morning, but rescuers expected many more to come in throughout the day.

[attallaman]

News item posted on WDSU.com tonight about the GOM oil spill.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/23327495/detail.html

[somethingfunny]

Even with all of the coverage we're seeing today, I'm not sure many people truly appreciate what a BIG deal this disaster is.

[Dionne]

Coast Guard Admiral Mary Landry says people should not get "fixated on an estimate of how much is out there."

Huh?

[Stephanie]

This will be devastating to the wildlife and ecosytems, not to mention the livelihoods of those along the coast.

Is it me, or does it seem like they never had a true backup plan in case something like this ever happened to stop the leak from 5,000 feet down?

The back up plan was the BOP valve. Which failed. When the well "kicked" the valve either failed to activate or simply could not handle the explosive pressure. Not all BOP valves are created equal. The reliability of subsea BOP valves has been an issue for decades.

I heard today on all the major cable new channels that oil rigs in other parts of the world have some kind of a safety switch on the rig itself where crews working the rigs could use in case of such an accident like what happened in the GOM last week but it was also reported today that oil rigs in the GOM don't have these safety switches because the US government does not require them to be installed on oil rigs in the GOM. You think that will change as a result of last week's GOM oil rig accident?

Excuse me, but who the f*** came up with that bright idea???

We reap what we sow, folks....

[Stephanie]

Coast Guard Admiral Mary Landry says people should not get "fixated on an estimate of how much is out there."

Huh?

This woman obviously doesn't have the ability to communicate with the public.

I'm going to take it that it's going to be WORSE than the estimates of how much is out there.

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

Finally remembered my password.

The above is why the majority of Canadians will do their damndest to keep rigs out of the Arctic as well as having oil shipped through there (re Exxon Valdez)

CBC's (Canadian Broadcasting Corporations) comment area http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/05/0 ... alcomments is filled with people expressing their sadness over what happened in the Gulf (and their determination to keep it from happening in Canada's coastal waters).

My sympathy to every living thing that has been effected by this horrendous tragedy.

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

I'm sure this was mentioned above but in case it wasn't:

U.S. regulators don't mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon, hired by oil giant BP PLC, didn't have one. With the remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated.

The efficacy of the devices is unclear. Major offshore oil-well blowouts are rare, and it remained unclear Wednesday evening whether acoustic switches have ever been put to the test in a real-world accident. When wells do surge out of control, the primary shut-off systems almost always work. Remote control systems such as the acoustic switch, which have been tested in simulations, are intended as a last resort.

Nevertheless, regulators in two major oil-producing countries, Norway and Brazil, in effect require them. Norway has had acoustic triggers on almost every offshore rig since 1993.

The U.S. considered requiring a remote-controlled shut-off mechanism several years ago, but drilling companies questioned its cost and effectiveness, according to the agency overseeing offshore drilling. The agency, the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service, says it decided the remote device wasn't needed because rigs had other back-up plans to cut off a well.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000142 ... st_Popular

[Tom8]

Here is my idea how to catch this oil in one day

use greenhouse foil

[Dionne]

Hans Graber, executive director of the university's Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing, said Saturday that the spill is moving faster and expanding much quicker than estimated. Graber says the size of the slick was about 1,150 square miles on Thursday. By the end of Friday, he says it had tripled to about 3,850 square miles. Graber says estimates of only 1,000 barrels spilling a day seem to be more public relations than anything accurate.

This is gonna get really bad. I've also read that Retired General Honore is on site.....which IMHO is the best news yet!

[MGC]

I could smell the oil this morning at my house in Pass Christian. Walked down to the beach but could not see any oil yet. I'm afraid it is only a matter of time before the oil reaches the beaches here along the NGOM coast. Katrina and now this man-made disaster......MGC

[jinftl]

Fascinating to watch what is happening to the 'drill baby drill' rallying cry.....this could go down as one of the worst political slogans in history. I can see the campaign commericals now.....

[cag1953]

My husband and I went over to Pensacola Beach late this afternoon,and like MGC,we could smell oil. It wasn't constant,but every once in a while you would get a whiff of it. The air just didn't smell the same. You can always smell the salt water and you couldn't do that today.

[Stephanie]

My husband and I went over to Pensacola Beach late this afternoon,and like MGC,we could smell oil. It wasn't constant,but every once in a while you would get a whiff of it. The air just didn't smell the same. You can always smell the salt water and you couldn't do that today.

That's just too damn sad.

[Ivanhater]

I am volunteered to help on Pensacola beach as well as thousands others along the NGOM coast. I am done with finals and ready to help anytime needed. The news keeps getting worst!

[jinftl]

Maybe this will serve as a warning and prevent the path of preparing to drill all around the coastline of the u.s. from moving blindly and politically ahead. The timing screams 'stop the insanity' of 'drill baby drill'.