200,000 Gallons A Day

[momoffuzzyfaces]

BP acts like they should get a reward because they put that cap thing on that has the vents and it's "helped some". What I want to know is WHY DON'T YOU SHUT THE DARN VENTS?!!!!!!

[Lady's Human]

(Just an assumption, I've heard some pretty outrageous figures for the pressure at the wellhead....)

Because with the pressures involved it would probably blow the cap off of the pipe, making things even worse, possibly leaving them with no way at all to capture the oil.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

(Just an assumption, I've heard some pretty outrageous figures for the pressure at the wellhead....)

Because with the pressures involved it would probably blow the cap off of the pipe, making things even worse, possibly leaving them with no way at all to capture the oil.

They may be going to make things worse all on their own. FOX News just reported that BP has decided to put a bigger cap on the thing to maybe close it further. BP is saying that it will have to take the old cap back off, which means more oil gushing again, then TRY and put a new cap on, if possible.
Lord have mercy! They are going to mess around until we have a volcano of oil going non stop.

[RICHARD]

People/tourists are taking the tarballs home as souveniers.

----------------

Here's a little tidbit about the location/depth of the wellhead.


If we weren't as uptight about the location of the wells and not forcing them to be placed so far offshore?

The costs involved to drill would not be a high and any efforts to shut off a spill would not be as complicated.


----------------

For those who remember the Union Carbide chemical spill in Bhopal, India that killed a bunch of people?

There was a trial held in India and the defendants were fined 2k and sentenced to 2 years in jail.

I love justice.

[momcat]

After almost 50 days, nothing seems to be getting any better. It's obvious that BP doesn't know what they're doing yet they continue to minimize the extent of this disaster. While BP plays trial and error, massive amounts of oil continue to leak into the Gulf and irreparably damage fragile ecosystems.

So many things have gone wrong. I have a hard time believing technology to at least partially resolve the situation doesn't exist. Technology has intruded into so much of our daily lives, why isn't it being used for something good for a change?

President Obama could have jumped on this right from the start. When this first started, why did he not call a meeting of engineers, oil company experts, environmental experts, and other scientists to accurately assess the full extent of the disaster and develop a plan to effectively deal with this?

So many residents along the Gulf Coast have lost their livelihoods along with their way of life, protective barrier islands are disappearing because plant life is destroyed, wildlife are dying. All this because BP chose greed over safety and corporate responsibility.

On a personal level, the worst part is the feeling of absolute helplessness. All I can offer to the fine folks along the Gulf Coast who have already lost so much are my prayers.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

One news report this morning said that it's mostly gas that's coming out of the hole now, not oil. So, that's supposed to be a good thing?

[RICHARD]

One news report this morning said that it's mostly gas that's coming out of the hole now, not oil. So, that's supposed to be a good thing?

Actually yes,

I have been in bed with a "gas leak" before.

When the 'oil' spills? That's a different story.

[lizbud]

One news report this morning said that it's mostly gas that's coming out of the hole now, not oil. So, that's supposed to be a good thing?

Here's a live video feed of the oil gushing out. The black stuff looks
like crude oil, not just natural gas.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/...oil-spill.html

[lizbud]

After almost 50 days, nothing seems to be getting any better. It's obvious that BP doesn't know what they're doing yet they continue to minimize the extent of this disaster. While BP plays trial and error, massive amounts of oil continue to leak into the Gulf and irreparably damage fragile ecosystems.

So many things have gone wrong. I have a hard time believing technology to at least partially resolve the situation doesn't exist. Technology has intruded into so much of our daily lives, why isn't it being used for something good for a change?

President Obama could have jumped on this right from the start. When this first started, why did he not call a meeting of engineers, oil company experts, environmental experts, and other scientists to accurately assess the full extent of the disaster and develop a plan to effectively deal with this?

So many residents along the Gulf Coast have lost their livelihoods along with their way of life, protective barrier islands are disappearing because plant life is destroyed, wildlife are dying. All this because BP chose greed over safety and corporate responsibility.

On a personal level, the worst part is the feeling of absolute helplessness. All I can offer to the fine folks along the Gulf Coast who have already lost so much are my prayers.

Excellent post. I agree with your assessment of the Gov response. I think
officials actually believed BP's PR BS.They believed the company had a fall
back plan to control the leak.

[RICHARD]

Excellent post. I agree with your assessment of the Gov response. I think
officials actually believed BP's PR BS.They believed the company had a fall
back plan to control the leak.

Here's a little tidbit for you all..

The Exxon Valdez accident was in an area that pretty screwed up to get to.

Cold oil don't move as quickly.

Plus, the currents will help dilute the oil faster.

I remember guys on the clips that were helping clean up by picking up rocks and cleaning them individually.


Not really good stuff to worry about in the first place, but more positive than having to do it in Alaskan weather/areas.

It's a bad situation, but doesn't anyone think positively anymore?

It's all common sense and I laugh, get angry and turn the channel when some IDIOT with more schooling that I have cannot look at the problem at hand and say something that doesn't call for the end of the world.

It's a messed up deal, but we will overcome it.

------------

Now? remember when someone starts b!tch!ng about OSD, tell them we can get cheaper oil if we move those platforms a tad closer to shore. That way, when it blows up, we don't lool like idiots in the media.

[IRescue452]

I've always wondered one thing? If we're sucking all this oil (and that from other companies) daily from the center of the earth, and its not being replaced, how are we changing the surface pressure of the earth by creating a giant air pocket underneath? Will the earth eventually cave in and become a giant sinkhole? Will we be able to empty a single cut-off oil pocket and then allow it to fill up with millions of gallons of water so as to replace the pressure in the pocket and to help with the problem of rising sea levels? What exactly is draining gazillions of gallons of oil from the center of the earth doing to us long-term?

[RICHARD]

I've always wondered one thing? If we're sucking all this oil (and that from other companies) daily from the center of the earth, and its not being replaced, how are we changing the surface pressure of the earth by creating a giant air pocket underneath? Will the earth eventually cave in and become a giant sinkhole? Will we be able to empty a single cut-off oil pocket and then allow it to fill up with millions of gallons of water so as to replace the pressure in the pocket and to help with the problem of rising sea levels? What exactly is draining gazillions of gallons of oil from the center of the earth doing to us long-term?

Some technques call for water to be pumped back into a well.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

Some people want to nuke the well. Oh, great just what we need!! A bigger hole and the entire gulf radioactive!!!

[lizbud]

I've always wondered one thing? If we're sucking all this oil (and that from other companies) daily from the center of the earth, and its not being replaced, how are we changing the surface pressure of the earth by creating a giant air pocket underneath? Will the earth eventually cave in and become a giant sinkhole? Will we be able to empty a single cut-off oil pocket and then allow it to fill up with millions of gallons of water so as to replace the pressure in the pocket and to help with the problem of rising sea levels? What exactly is draining gazillions of gallons of oil from the center of the earth doing to us long-term?

I woud really like to hear an answer to your question. I have no idea what
would happen.

[Lady's Human]

Mass of the earth:5.9742 × 10^24 kilograms or 5974200000000000000000000 kg.

Mass of one barrel of oil:138.8 kg (avg) 276000000 Kg of oil have leaked so far, given an avg of 40K bbl/day


4.6198654213116400522245656322185 x10-17% (read, a really tiny, infinitesimal fraction) of the earth's mass is involved.

I wouldn't worry about it.

Not even close to the mass % you lose if you pop a zit.