Posted on 05/29/2010 8:59:46 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
GRAND ISLE, La.—BP PLC struggled for a second day Friday to stop the oil gushing from the area where the Deepwater Horizon blew up, as President Obama traveled here to try to assure residents the federal government is doing everything it can to protect them.
The president's visit to Grand Isle, a thin barrier island on the far southern tip of Louisiana about two and a half hours south of New Orleans, came as BP faced a day of stops and starts in its latest effort to stem the flow of oil. In the operation, known as a "top kill," heavy drilling liquids were being pumped into the well to stem the gushing oil.
The president's trip came after several days of rising criticism in Washington and from local and state officials, coastal residents and fishermen that his administration hasn't taken command of the Gulf spill. It was Mr. Obama's second trip to the Louisiana coast since the Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11, rupturing the pipe below and setting off the largest oil spill in U.S. history.
After picking up tar balls on a beach here, Mr. Obama met the governors of Louisiana, Alabama and Florida and local officials. Nearby, a young man held a hand-written sign reading, "Clean up the Gulf," in black letters resembling dripping oil.
A rig and support vessels surround the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico non Friday.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
So as Obama cut the EPA red tape on getting those sand berns built?
I have a vision of Obama in his suit standing on the rig with bullhorn in hand, ala George W Bush at Ground Zero, yelling at the crews to “Just plug the damn hole!”
Aren’t they stuffing golf balls down the hole now?
Nope. Obama: "It's not cost effective."
This strikes me as similar to caulking the crack in a high dam without lowering the water behind it first. The geologic pressures are probably of a magnitude that the oil is going to push up no matter what they pump into it.
Why didn’t they try a huge funnel with a hose leading to the surface?
They did. Ice crystals formed and blocked it.
The company was also injecting junk, such as golf balls and shredded tires, to plug leaks in the blowout preventer. Mr. Suttles said that was "helping to some degree."
The journalists keep using the golf ball analogy...but they should say Golf ball size ....
Actually I think it is smaller than that.
See the blog :
He might regret some a dynamic Photo Op...
No chance. Just something for show while they drill the relief.
I’m afraid you are right about that. Any estimates when that should be completed?
The one that is still working is approx 60+ days away from reaching the depth...
Getting down to the right depth is one thing but they actually have to successfully interested and activate the relief well. This is not an easy process and can take months more effort. A blowout in Australia recently took several tries from a relief well to be fixed. Not to mention that the whole incident was started by trying to get a well online and there is not much of a guarantee that the relief wells won’t run in to the same problem.
All this other stuff is largely for show although BP would love (as would I) to have any of these methods work the only surefire thing is the relief wells. FWIW in Canada when digging a well a relief well is required to be dug simultaneously so in the event of a blowout there is no need to wait for months while oil spews into the water.
Damn shame for anyone who calls the Gulf home.
“Damn shame for anyone who calls the Gulf home.”
I am personally terrified this will wreck the entire Gulf Coast. In 40 days the Louisiana coast is at least half covered with sludge, if this continues unabated for 2 or 3 months it will be an epic disaster, if it’s not already.
I think there is plenty of blame to go around and you can bet the finger pointing will only get worse as time goes on. I’m waiting for BP to go bankrupt and do a name-change or restructuring scheme to avoid as much of the financial cost as they can. I just pray to God for some technological or divine miracle that will keep this from killing the entire Gulf. We are facing an unbelievably huge mess, a man-caused disaster that may change America forever.
From the New York Times:
I'll bet they aren't using Titleists.
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