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BP's deepwater crap shoot ( Marketwatch Commentary: Hoping for a miracle, drilling for results )
MarketWatch ^ | May 25, 2010, 4:37 p.m. EDT | MarketWatch

Posted on 05/26/2010 10:05:13 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Tony Hayward is on the record as being "devastated" that his company, BP PLC, has not yet tamed its runaway oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. He's not alone.

For over a month now, sticky brown crude has gushed from the ruptured well 40 miles offshore. As it reaches the beaches and tidal marshes of the Mississippi River delta, anyone with ties to the Gulf Coast or its fisheries is feeling pretty devastated as well.

Animation: 'Top-kill' procedure

Animated footage of the "top-kill" procedure which BP will perform later this week at the Deepwater Horizon site in an effort to stop the leak.

The latest word from the field is that BP hopes to carry out a "top-kill" operation, injecting a mixture of "mud" (drilling fluid full of heavy minerals such as barite) and concrete into the well a bid to plug it.

They'd hoped to do this Tuesday; now they're saying Wednesday. What's another day? Besides, BP /quotes/comstock/13*!bp/quotes/nls/bp (BP 42.97, +0.41, +0.96%) only gives the kill a 70% chance of success at best.

Meanwhile, outrage among those hurt by the spill and those helplessly watching it spread has led to calls for the government to step in.

Really? The federal government? This is, indeed, blind rage.

While BP hasn't dazzled anyone with its response to the disaster, it's still a better bet than the feds -- unless we're taking about using a Navy demolition team to blow apart the wellhead and hope it collapses on itself. Who knows?

(Excerpt) Read more at marketwatch.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Louisiana
KEYWORDS: bp; deephorz; deepwaterhorizon; energy; offshore; oil; oilspill

1 posted on 05/26/2010 10:05:13 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

BP should still be working on getting their “funnels” to work.


2 posted on 05/26/2010 10:07:45 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I really have my doubts about this method working. I would think they’d have tried this some time ago.


3 posted on 05/26/2010 10:09:47 AM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ( Ya can't pick up a turd by the clean end!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Is Top Kill still on for today? And sorry if this is a dumb question, but aren’t there private companies in Texas that are expert at this kind of thing? BP seems to be all over the place in their response and every thing they try seems a little more desperate than the last thing that failed.


4 posted on 05/26/2010 10:11:19 AM PDT by pgkdan (I Miss Ronald Reagan!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

yep, what do the feds have that BP doesn’t have?
Except nukes


5 posted on 05/26/2010 10:14:19 AM PDT by silverleaf
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To: pgkdan
Not sure how they would have developed any expertise.

Don't believe this has happened at this depth before ....ANYWHERE.

6 posted on 05/26/2010 10:14:47 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: pgkdan

been watching the live cam sporadically. nothing yet.


7 posted on 05/26/2010 10:17:03 AM PDT by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra

Let’s cram a small nuke down there and blow it shut. Yeah. That’s the ticket.

Actually, at some point, we’ve got to try just about anything to shut it off.


8 posted on 05/26/2010 10:19:31 AM PDT by cizinec
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To: thackney

Have you seen this brief animation?


9 posted on 05/26/2010 10:19:37 AM PDT by houeto (Get drinking water from your ditch - http://www.junglebucket.com/Jungle-Bucket-1.htm)
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To: silverleaf
Just posted this....massive ships and horsepower to cram stuff down the gullet of this wild well:

Deep Water Spill - Waiting for Top Kill ( Some details )

10 posted on 05/26/2010 10:26:05 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: cizinec
Let’s cram a small nuke down there and blow it shut. Yeah. That’s the ticket.

Nucs are like handgrenades, you just have to get close...

11 posted on 05/26/2010 10:27:54 AM PDT by central_va (I won't be reconstructed, and I do not give a damn.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

When do we know if this is going to work? I know today, wondering when..


12 posted on 05/26/2010 10:29:06 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland
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To: houeto
Have you seen this brief animation?

Why? Did you lose it?

13 posted on 05/26/2010 10:29:30 AM PDT by UCANSEE2 (The Last Boy Scout)
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To: HereInTheHeartland

See link at #10.....time is uncertain.


14 posted on 05/26/2010 10:32:07 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ( Support Geert Wilders)
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To: UCANSEE2
Why? Did you lose it?

Yep, and I've looked everywhere!

15 posted on 05/26/2010 10:34:58 AM PDT by houeto (Get drinking water from your ditch - http://www.junglebucket.com/Jungle-Bucket-1.htm)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

nuke it from orbit...it’s the only way to be sure


16 posted on 05/26/2010 10:38:59 AM PDT by dennisw (History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid - Gen Eisenhower)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

There’s the answer: drill a triangle of new wells around the broken one. If those three new wells can pump enough oil there will be little left to “leak” from the center. Plus, look at all the oil you’d get.

Win win.


17 posted on 05/26/2010 10:42:35 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: houeto
I was pointing out that even though the animation may be showing up on YOUR computer, it is not showing up on ANYONE ELSES.
18 posted on 05/26/2010 12:41:33 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (The Last Boy Scout)
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To: central_va
Nucs are like handgrenades, you just have to get close...

I hope you can throw a Nuke further than you can throw a hand grenade.

19 posted on 05/26/2010 12:47:29 PM PDT by UCANSEE2 (The Last Boy Scout)
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