Fixing the Gulf oil spill problem

[RonL]

That idea is actually very similar to yours. They simply used a different material.

The one problem that I see with such a system is that with the exit so close to the surface, all of the methane will be coming up and out of the ocean in a much more concentrated area whenever the ships are disconnected. This is going to create an extremely hazardous environment for the ships to work in once they go back.

I'm starting to understand the logic of your 100 mile diameter containment ring.

What a bloody mess.

That largest ring I mentioned was 10 miles, and when I calculated the box containers for a single row at 22,700 or there about, I backed off that size and when you came up with a 17 years to fill a 1 mile ring, the 500' started to make sense.

My newest thoughts are will they ever come to the thinking of putting a boat on each side of the A-Whale with a boom between the boats and the ship, the booms attach just behind the skimmer openings and funnel oil in. This rig could maybe cover a 1/4 mile wide or more on each pass.

Welll...?

?

 

[rolls]

How do people differentiate between real reports and apocalyptic doomsday reporting like this?

http://www.helium.com/items/1882339-doomsday-how-bp-gulf-disaster-may-have-triggered-a-world-killing-event

The amount of conspiracy theorists and doomsday scenario lovers surrounding this is driving me mad.

 

[dr dodge]

The amount of conspiracy theorists and doomsday scenario lovers surrounding this is driving me mad.

there is noting wrong with "conspiracy theory" if facts are collected then an informed decision is made.
the fact that useful news and information are being blacked out makes it darn'd near impossible to rely on main stream news anymore.

and many "theories" have quite a bit of truth, and some have even been proven right with time

dr

 

[russ_watters]

How do people differentiate between real reports and apocalyptic doomsday reporting like this?

http://www.helium.com/items/1882339-doomsday-how-bp-gulf-disaster-may-have-triggered-a-world-killing-event

Well, the first clue would be that you are reading a source (helium.com) that has no standards for quality as it is completely open for anyone to post anything. So you know that no one has checked the postings for crackpottery/accuracy.

 

[RonL]

Anyone interested in mechanical or ocean engineering might be worthwhile to look at the BP ops taking place. They plan to have a new cap in place by Monday and their ROV's are covering a lot of work going on.

http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9033572&contentId=7062605

The link again.

I made a folder in my favorites and labeled it BP ROV's, then open anyone of the ones listed and add it to the folder, after you list all 12 you can then open one, then open a new page and bring up another one, I find two per computer can give almost a full view of each screen.
Thanks to a tolerant wife, I have watched almost the entire week of work.

Time well WASTED.

Ron

 

[Quantum-lept]

""They are first and foremost a public relation tool to manipulate public opinion into believing the oil spill is disappearing, digested by microbes. The dispersants keep the oil underwater and together have created a deadlier mix than oil and water. Out of sight, out of mind, and the American public, with an increasingly short attention span buys into it. In reality an oil spill treated with chemical dispersants poses an even greater ecological threat than the oil spill left alone.""

""-repeated and prolonged inhalation. MSD of Corexit EC 9527A states:
Symptoms of Exposure
- Acute : Excessive exposure may cause central nervous system effects, nausea, vomiting, aesthetic or narcotic effects.
- Chronic : Repeated or excessive exposure to butoxyethanol may cause injury to red blood cells (hemolysis), kidney or the liver.""

""-a large cloud of dissolved hydrocarbons has been discovered undersea, by a research team headed by University of South Florida oceanographer, David Hollander. The contaminants are invisible and the reasons Mr. Hollander says, "may be due to the application of the dispersants that a portion of the petroleum has extracted itself away from the crude and is now incorporated into the waters with solvents and detergents."""

http://www.oil-price.net/en/articles/gulf-oil-spill-the-aftermath.php


""-chemical dispersants keep flowing into the Gulf of Mexico at virtually unchanged levels despite the EPA’s May 26 order to BP to “significantly” scale back.""

http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/bp-now-using-eight-types-of-chemical-dispersants-in-gulf

 

[Quantum-lept]

""For the first time Friday, the Coast Guard and BP acknowledged that a mysterious second pipe, wedged next to the drill pipe in what remains of the Deepwater Horizon’s riser-""

""actually comes more than a month after the Department of Energy noted the existence of two pipes using special imaging technology. At the time, BP dismissed the Energy findings as “impossible”""

WHAT??..BP are the EXPERTS!...COULD THEY HAVE MADE AN ERROR?!

""If the well casing has come up through the BOP, the relief wells are unlikely to work.""

http://www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/coast-guard-and-bp-now-admit-
mysterious-second-pipe-experts-say-indicates-casing-dislodged

 

[RonL]

It's hard to watch what BP is trying with their cap, It looks like they have 4 ports that could have had suction being pulled at each one, if they had connected all 4 and had their pumps running top speed it might have offset most of the pressure of the well discharge.

I called this in last Sunday, apparently it did not make it past the filter process. I wonder how many others might have had the same thought.
Did these engineers miss the class on pressure and surface area ?

I guess that I should consider the fact that I have to assume conditions and equipment on the surface, a total unknown to me.

 

[RonL]

Sorry about my Sunday morning rant, the cap is still at about 2500' and is reacting to the flow from the well. I just looked at what might be a guide pipe which would answer my concern of holding position.

I'm glad they made the live feeds that show their operations, I'm really impressed with what I see and just did not realize how much can be done with these machines. It has been interesting to see a couple of crashes into the sea floor and getting their wires crossed then having to untangle them, I'm glad no major damage was incurred, even got to see a little of the maintenance topside, overall I have enjoyed a week of observation thanks to so many live feeds and the fact I have three screens showing two and sometimes three ROV's at work at the same time.

I will continue to try and find, a better method of keeping this kind of mess from continuing in such a long drawn out fashion. I think the petroleum industry should continue and that accidents will happen, a faster response can and should be in place with some program that brainstorms what might happen and how to best meet a demand for proper equipment to be quickly deployed and put in place.


This comment is not meant toward anyone, just a general observation, for a thread in engineering of design and systems, I am a little disappointed at how few serious solutions were thrown out and now the thread has pretty well died (think I'm hearing an echo) the problem is still in crisis mode and I'm not seeing the concern. Regardless of who might be at fault, right or wrong, there is still so much ahead that will involve cleanup of the gulf region and industry correction to those risky corporate judgement calls that put everyone at risk. Don't let this slip into a "out of sight, out of mind" type of situation.


Back to the observation room

RonL

 

[RonL]

They just put the first section in!
Is that a Hubble mistake ?


OH! Hand me a larger hammer

 

[mheslep]

They just put the first section in!
Is that a Hubble mistake ?

Which of the dozen live feed cams actually shows the Blowout Preventer location oil leak? I see no oil flow on the ROVs.

 

[RonL]

Which of the dozen live feed cams actually shows the Blowout Preventer location oil leak? I see no oil flow on the ROVs.

Looked like a measurement error at first they just bounced it together.

 

[mheslep]

Looked like a measurement error at first they just bounced it together.

Ok, which camera are you watching!

 

[RonL]

Ok, which camera are you watching!

The Boa deep C 1 &2

I finally figured out that sizing each screen to 50% I put 6 on one computer and 2 on another one of higher definition.

 

[RonL]

If anyone is watching that knows, what kind of seal compound are they making ? it is showing on the ROV Interprise 2.

 

[RonL]

Wow! They just put a top on that looks like another BOP.
Looking really top heavy, just hope they can close things off, with no leaks below.
Two or three days and maybe things will be somewhat in control.