BP Oil Disaster

[DennisS]

I agree. However, taking no leadership ownership of the national catastrophe and publicly mocking the every entity that is to solve the problem is a travesty IMO...

The last thing I want to see is politicians doing their mandatory fly overs and doing sound bites about a national catastrophre and doing everything possible, they're worse than news anchors in hurricanes. There is nothing they can do but get out of the way and shut up. Let the pros handle it, while the politicians establish comittees and have hearings. Politicians got where they are by BSing people, oil production people got where they are by producing results.

 

[dmoore19]

Haliburton provided the "blow out valve" that is on the base that is leaking. From the reports I saw, it was never tested. (which is partly their fault and partly BP's . The valve was built by Cameron International for Haliburton, who provided it to TransOcean for the BP rig.

sadly, this whole thing could have been prevented. The valves are supposed to be tested. Apparently they weren't.


see BP, Halliburton Execs Refuse Oil Spill Blame at Senate Hearing

No, Haliburton doesn't have any dogs in the BOP hunt in this case. The BOP was built by Cameron, and owned by Trans Ocean.

 

[Scott L]

The last thing I want to see is politicians doing their mandatory fly overs and doing sound bites about a national catastrophre and doing everything possible, they're worse than news anchors in hurricanes. There is nothing they can do but get out of the way and shut up. Let the pros handle it, while the politicians establish comittees and have hearings. Politicians got where they are by BSing people, oil production people got where they are by producing results.

Let me just state. To the extent the president is not acting on this matter in order to establish political distance will backfire...

 

[dmoore19]

Frank,

can you explain what "pull the mud off the formation early" means/is?

The mud is in the hole like Wookie said. The mud can weigh from 8.0 ppg to 20+ ppg. The mud is what keeps the gas and oil in the formation by it exerting hydrostatic pressure. Think of it as being similar in the difference of calculations for decompression in fresh water (8.33ppg) and Salt Water (+/-8.5 ppg). From what I have been able to understand the mud that was in the riser was 14.2 ppg. It was displaced (replaced) with sea water, an average weight of +/- 8.5 ppg. The 14.2 ppg mud would have a hydrostatic pressure of +/- 3692 psi at 5000'. While the sea water would be +/- 2200 psi, a difference of +/-1500 psi. With that drop of hydrostatic pressure it allowed the well to begin flowing or in this case since it was uncontrolled "blow out".

As far a the pieces of the "valve" that were seen at the shaker, the parts reportedly came from the annular preventer. Think of it as a rubber inflatable doughnut. Evidently it was damaged and pieces of rubber from the element were circulated out of the hole. The annular preventer is another piece of equipment that is seperate from the rams that have been talked about. If you are interested google annular preventer and you can get an idea of how they are supposed to work.

At any rate there is more than one sets of rams or "valves". Apparently they all failed. From my understanding, one of the sets of rams were did not have the right parts. Apparrently BP knew about that too. A total disaster.

 

[DennisS]

Let me just state. To the extent the president is not acting on this matter in order to establish political distance on this issue will backfire...

What specifically would you like him to do, make a few more speeches, visit louisiana, make sympathetic noises, pass regulations, fly over a few more times in a marine helicopter, provide money to fisherman, reorganize a govt dept, pose on an oil skimmer, the usual political BS that they all do.

 

[Scott L]

What specifically would you like him to do, make a few more speeches, visit louisiana, make sympathetic noises, pass regulations, fly over a few more times in a marine helicopter, provide money to fisherman, reorganize a govt dept, pose on an oil skimmer, the usual political BS that they all do.

All good points and I disdain such public relations tactics as much as anybody. It is my opinion that placing the entire responsibility on BP, financial and otherwise is purely political. BP is a well heeled corporation but even they may be flinching with options that only a nation state could possibly afford. Is all the world's available resources really engaged? I think not...

 

[DennisS]

All good points and I disdain such public relations tactics as much as anybody. It is my opinion that placing the entire financial responsibility on BP is purely political. BP is a well heeled corporation but even they may be flinching with options that only a nation state could possibly afford. Is all the world's avialiable resources really engaged? I think not...

c c c c c or pppporate welfare ptptpt

 

[Wookie]

All good points and I disdain such public relations tactics as much as anybody. It is my opinion that placing the entire responsibility on BP, financial and otherwise is purely political. BP is a well heeled corporation but even they may be flinching with options that only a nation state could possibly afford. Is all the world's available resources really engaged? I think not...

Read the regulations in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA'90) to see why the gubmint has left BP holding the bag. Congress passed the law and it was approved by Bill in the wake of the Exxon Valdez cleanup, or lack thereof. BP owns this baby cradle to grave, with no limit of liability. Assrot, no limit. That's why the gubmint won't step in, they don't want to release BP of the liability for cleanup by making it worse.

 

[Scott L]

Read the regulations in the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA'90) to see why the gubmint has left BP holding the bag. Congress passed the law and it was approved by Bill in the wake of the Exxon Valdez cleanup, or lack thereof. BP owns this baby cradle to grave, with no limit of liability. Assrot, no limit. That's why the gubmint won't step in, they don't want to release BP of the liability for cleanup by making it worse.

Very interesting. However, the two incidents are not in the same universe in terms or scope and potential damage. Thank you for proving my point that the administration is placing the entire burden on BP while they could vastly increase the effort to contain and stop the tragedy. I am surprised you are not frothing at the mouth with demands to do more with your home port viability at stake...

By the way, what a time for our president to be concerned with our budget...

 

[twisni7010]

Cousteau Jr.: 'This Is a Nightmare... a Nightmare'