Deepwater Horizon

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 28 May 2010, 12:10

emordnilap wrote:
foodimista wrote:
emordnilap wrote:This could be the worst environmental disaster of all time, if you care to exclude rainforest destruction and climate change. Maybe even if you include them.
A local spill worse than global warming?
It depends upon whether they can stop it. And upon whether it doesn't happen again, in some even worse spot.

Besides, I just wanted to get in first so that, if it does turn out to be huge, I can say I was right.

We're getting there.

RogueMale · Post by **RogueMale** » 29 May 2010, 23:45

'Top kill' BP operation to half US oil leak fails: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/us_and ... 191622.stm

(I think "half" should read "halt".)

"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur." It's a shame Red Adair died six years ago.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 30 May 2010, 00:12

See how big the slick is in comparison to where you live
http://www.beowulfe.com/oil/

It's almost the size of Wales, and currently stretches almost from Caernarfon to Weymouth!

nexus · Post by **nexus** » 30 May 2010, 09:28

Can anyone answer the following question-

Why isn't the granting of deepwater drilling licences conditional on proving that you have tested effective techniques for dealing with a blow out/pipe rupture/ leak etc.

I don't understand why they don't seem to know how to actually stop the leak. Surely it is something that should have been resolved before drilling work even started. Any risk assessment would identify this as the greatest risk and therefore robust and tested strategies should have been developed and tested to deal with it.

It seems unbelievable that in the 21st century this problem can't be solved, and if it can't be, then drilling should never have been allowed in the first place.

Janco2 · Post by **Janco2** » 30 May 2010, 09:39

I agree with you entirely Nexus.
Why haven't humans got more common sense?
Greed always seems to take over.

JohnB · Post by **JohnB** » 30 May 2010, 10:14

It's only a little spill compared to this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/ma ... elta-shell. If they don't give a toss about what they do in the parts of the world that don't matter, it must be a bit of a culture shock to have to operate safely where it does matter

Vortex · Post by **Vortex** » 30 May 2010, 15:29

FWIW I have found The Oil Drum coverage on this to be abysmal.

The 'resident experts' (most of whom aren't) are really miffed by the arrival of lots of 'newbies'.

The snide bickering masks any nuggets of wisdom.

I have found the BP & other industry sites to contain useful stuff - at least I know what a BOP is now!

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 30 May 2010, 17:29

JohnB wrote:It's only a little spill compared to this
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/ma ... elta-shell. If they don't give a toss about what they do in the parts of the world that don't matter, it must be a bit of a culture shock to have to operate safely where it does matter

I have worked extensively in this area and the mess is usually caused by the locals that cut into the pipelines to steal the oil. They then hold the oil companies to ransome by not letting them onto the land to repair the leaks.

The Ogoni district was once owned and operated by shell but its now been taken hotage by criminal who "bunker" the oil illegally for arms.

RenewableCandy · Post by **RenewableCandy** » 30 May 2010, 18:40

Yes but even that should have turned up on any 1/2decent Risk Assassment. If you pile in to make lots of money in a location where you're going to be surrounded by poor people...need I go on??

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 30 May 2010, 20:55

nexus wrote:Can anyone answer the following question-

Why isn't the granting of deepwater drilling licences conditional on proving that you have tested effective techniques for dealing with a blow out/pipe rupture/ leak etc.

Because the people who make the BOPs are the same people who grant the licenses?

biffvernon · Post by **biffvernon** » 30 May 2010, 21:02

Aurora wrote: Also:

The Guardian - 27/05/10

The Gulf disaster is only unusual for being so near the US. Elsewhere, Big Oil rarely cleans up its mess.

Article continues ...

I'm not sure how much John Vidal got right in that piece. He didn't mention Piper Alpha in his list of disasters that didn't make much impact - because it did. And where else have we had, but it not having been reported, a similar accident at his sort of depth?

ziggy12345 · Post by **ziggy12345** » 31 May 2010, 00:22

So the locals deciding to tear up the pipelines and trash the environment they live in is the oil companies fault? In the same context If i decied to tear up the asbestos in the garage and dump it in the local lane its the fault of the company that made the asbestos.

Aurora · Post by **Aurora** » 31 May 2010, 06:03

The Guardian - 30/05/10

Fury and despair as BP admits oil could leak for months

Article continues ...

Post by **clv101** » 31 May 2010, 07:33

Here's a video of a gas well that was nuked some time back:

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-a-nu ... ell-2010-5

This is not going to happen in GoM.

emordnilap · Post by **emordnilap** » 31 May 2010, 10:02

ziggy12345 wrote:So the locals deciding to tear up the pipelines and trash the environment they live in is the oil companies fault? In the same context If i decied to tear up the asbestos in the garage and dump it in the local lane its the fault of the company that made the asbestos.

Actually, yes, it is.