[Yardstick]

I have a feeling that Gulf oil, which is a heavy crude that’s full of waxy/tarry fractions that are heavier than water, wouldn’t be skimmable the way “light, sweet” Saudi crude is. This stuff is floating in as massive underwater clouds. I don’t even know if the booms can do much of anything.

[LOC1]

Actually, this is 40 deg API LLS crude, which is lighter than Saudi Light and lower in sulfur.

[justa-hairyape]

Thought I read that they were also hitting it with dispersant's about half way up the water column ?

[Qbert]

“I have a feeling that Gulf oil, which is a heavy crude that’s full of waxy/tarry fractions that are heavier than water, wouldn’t be skimmable the way “light, sweet” Saudi crude is. This stuff is floating in as massive underwater clouds. I don’t even know if the booms can do much of anything.”

First, we can’t know whether the booms would’ve been more of success if they were implemented much earlier, and we used the full amount available, because that option wasn’t chosen. Second, I would think that an honest attempt at skimming using previous methods, even if it was unsuccessful would be better than simply assuming that it will not work. Even failures can reveal possible solutions.

And at any rate, there is a new skimming technique- finally- being utilized by the Coast Guard which may have some success:

http://blog.al.com/live//print.html