Posted on 05/29/2010 2:27:01 PM PDT by boycott
Okay, I am not an expert in this field but sometimes the most simple ideas work the best. It should be obvious rather quickly that I am not an expert in this field.
I really just want to hear other's suggestions so I'll offer mine to spare you any embarrassment of your suggestions .... as silly as it may be ................
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As a temporary solution, a dome that is weighted at the bottom that is somewhat self-leveling -- something that would resemble sandbags joined/tied together so that it would seal off most, if not all, of the leak. The bags (or whatever the containers) could almost be self-leveling (it could be steel balls, chain links, sand, or whatever in the self-leveling bags). At the top of the dome is a large and obviously long pipe where the oil/gas mixture would be forced to exit at the surface into tankers. Pumps could be used to help maintain the flow-rate. Pumps may or may not be desired.
I am not sure of the type (or types) of pipe. I know there is a lot of pressure a mile below the surface. You may have to use a heavy steel pipe near the bottom. I wonder if something a little more flexible (imagine a big garden hose -- certainly much thicker and more ridgid.) could be used a little higher up. A combination of various types of pipe could possibly be used (steel, fiberglass, plastic, etc.). Pipe supports may be also needed.
If the area of the leak is 10', make the dome 20'+ around it. The shape isn't so important. What is important is sealing it off on the bottom and forcing the oil to the surface using pumps (if desired or needed.) via the pipe.
My suggestion is only for temporary recommendation until the relief well is done. You could then possibly drill closer to the area of the leak and I believe you could get there more quickly.
-- I believe all this could be done pretty quickly. Fusing large plastic pipe together could be done very quickly.
They might could use the first dome they tried to use or something like it. Put the weighted leveling devices on the sides and a steel pipe in the top of it. Then join the steel pipe with plastic (or fiberglass, etc., or whatever) as you get shallower. Use chain/ropes to lower the dome, pipes, pipe supports, etc.
I know my suggestion may be way off but sending golfballs and mud down the rig wasn't very complicated either. I am not fond of the NUKE OPTION I am hearing either.
I don't like the idea of waiting and doing nothing until August when they can drill the relief wells.
My thoughts are that if they could pick up just one idea from anyone, it might could help bring an end to this nightmare. It's day 40 and this slow-motion disaster continues before our eyes.
If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. Also, please send them to ......
http://www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/546759/
BTW, I am in no way affiliated with DeepWaterHorizonResponse.com or any other organization involved in the response. I am just a guy that lives on the Gulf of Mexico that loves sealife / wildlife, beautiful sandy beaches, and our way of life.
So when can I expect to fill up my gas guzzling SUV with gasoline from that?
I just posted it on another thread. Russia has been laughing at us for weeks.
I’ve read that Russia had a very simliar situation. It didn’t get near this bad. Of course they didn’t have a leader who was more interested in being interviewed by a sports caster either.
They nuked it. They were laughing at us way back on May 4 for attempting to put a dome on it.
http://trueslant.com/juliaioffe/2010/05/04/nuke-that-slick/
Komsomoloskaya Pravda, the best-selling Russian daily, reports that in Soviet times such leaks were plugged with controlled nuclear blasts underground. The idea is simple, KP writes: “the underground explosion moves the rock, presses on it, and, in essence, squeezes the well’s channel.”
Yes! It’s so simple, in fact, that the Soviet Union, a major oil exporter, used this method five times to deal with petrocalamities. The first happened in Uzbekistan, on September 30, 1966 with a blast 1.5 times the strength of the Hiroshima bomb and at a depth of 1.5 kilometers. KP also notes that subterranean nuclear blasts were used as much as 169 times in the Soviet Union to accomplish fairly mundane tasks like creating underground storage spaces for gas or building canals.
We always used to use corn meal.
A really big roll of Duct Tape.
Buy the Stop Leak at the auto parts store I work at. B-)
I agree with the cofferdam idea. But I would make it about 50 taller than the top of the BOP that is in place and then pump hydraulic cement into it. Fill the whole thing up and it would choke the well.
I apologize in advance if that seems flippant, as I know the seriousness of this situation but the actual resources to solve this, are being withheld. The Private sector will ultimately come up with the solution...
A large bomb near the leak would likely collapse everything around it and plug it up
I believe that is being given a lot of consideration. There is a little concern that it could make things even a little worse.
and the winner is...... LOL!
The Russians nuked 5 wells and sealed 4 of them that way. I don’t know what happened with the 5th one.
Maybe not a square box...maybe cylindrical...I don't know all the forces...
The most logical answer. God will provide the knowledge if asked.
Hitler put men in front of God and where did that get him?
While we are waiting to get the leak stopped, why are they not sucking up the oil laden seawater as close to the leak as possible and putting it in tankers? I don’t understand why they are just allowing all that oil to escape.
I agree. They were slow with the controlled burns. Now they’re fumbling it by not sucking up the oil in the seawater close to the leak.
I thought I read about a large hydraulic crimper designed for the oil industry to pinch off broken pipes like the riser.
Drill 7000 ft down and nuke it but this depends on what kind of rock is down there. It has to be firm, igneous would be best. Anyone know what is down there?
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