Gulf Oil Spill ( LIVE FEED )

[Cosimo]

The Different Appearances of Oil in June 7 NASA Satellite Image

Oil on water has many appearances. In this photo-image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite on June 7, 2010, at least part of the oil slick is pale gray. A large area of oil is southeast of the Mississippi Delta, at the site of the leaking British Petroleum well. Traces of thick oil are also visible farther north.

Not all of the oil that is in the Gulf is visible here. The image shows regions of heavy oil where the oil smooths the surface and reflects more light than the surrounding water. Lighter concentrations and streamers are not visible. The Deepwater Horizon Unified Response reported oil washing ashore and immediately offshore in eastern Alabama and northwestern Florida on June 7, and this oil is not visible in the image.

Several other features may mask the oil in the image. Pale white haze (possibly smoke from fires in Central America) hangs over the Gulf, partially obscuring the view of the oil slick. The oil slick also blends with sediment washing into the Gulf from the Mississippi River. The sediment plume is tan and green. Because the sediment also reflects more light than clear water, it may be masking the presence of oil in the water. West of the mouth of the Mississippi River, sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water (sunglint) turns the water silvery white. In this region, it is difficult to see sediment and oil, but NOAA maps of the extent of the oil spill on June 7 report oil throughout sunglint region. The MODIS Rapid Response System provides twice-daily images of the Gulf of Mexico.

Credit: NASA Goddard MODIS Rapid Response/Holli Riebeek

 

[Simon]

So how is $300million more than the cleanup costs?

 

[Swifty123]

Poor pelicans

 

[Jokester]

Well Texas City cost BP well over $2billion, this will easily dwarf that I would imagine.

 

[KaHn]

So how is $300million more than the cleanup costs?

because you are forgetting the cost of production and the cost that BP actually pay as everything they use will have insurance.

KaHn

 

[Jokester]

because you are forgetting the cost of production and the cost that BP actually pay as everything they use will have insurance.

KaHn

Wether or not insurance will pay out is still to be decided I would imagine. If it's found that BP were reckless in the construction of the well (which seems likely) then I wouldn't be surprised if there were legal wranglings.

But certainly the $1m worth of oil a day they're currently producing will go some way of paying for the physical cost of the relief wells. Certainly I wouldn't be surprised if one of them ended up being made into a producer at the end of the day.

 

[matthewhotdude]

I love how they are still allowing this to leak as the cost of re-drilling the strings is more than the clean up so they are allowing it to spill.

Happens all over the world except in the western world it is reported.

KaHn

Hmmm what

 

[amkan13]

remember that BP are, in effect, self-insured.

the use of conventional explosives would be difficult at the depths too i would imagine.

 

[Dave M]

I love how they are still allowing this to leak as the cost of re-drilling the strings is more than the clean up so they are allowing it to spill.

Happens all over the world except in the western world it is reported.

KaHn

I know you work in the industry but I don't believe this for a second.

 

[Fourstar]

I know for a fact that generally you would "blow" use explosives to seal the drill strings,

I assume when talking about "drill strings" you are talking about the well in general rather than the pipe lowered into the well with the drill apparatus at the end?

If not what are you planning to do with the big void between the drill string and the well casing/formation? That would still be gushing oil.

Apart from USSR nuking a few wells I can find no mention of successful sealing of wells using explosives.

You seem so sure of your fact I'm sure a link or two would be easy to post?

but with 2 of them costing 100milion each (with out fab costs)

There is only 1 well damaged well/lost drill string. You talking about the relief wells? If it were not for the blowout they would never have been drilled in the first place.

and cutting off supply from the wells for an extended period of time, they are trying all alternatives before doing this.

This well had been dead from the moment it blew out.

They never had any way to repair it and the plan was always to find a way to stop the flow then pump the well full of cement to permanently seal it.

Even if there had been no blowout the well was going to be plugged for a significant period of time while they went away and worked out how to exploit the field then build the required infrastructure.

They have started drilling relief strings which once they are to the same bore as the existing strings and if the leak isnt stopped they will top kill the strings using heavy cement

Bore is a measure of the inside diameter of a hole in the context you are using it.

If they use the relief wells they will be bottom killing not top.

They tried top killing a week ago and it failed.

[wiki description of relief wells]
This practice happens all the time in the nigerian delta,

It happens wherever there is a blowout that cannot be controlled from the surface.

I know of one on going at the moment with a Exxon pipe lines leaking while production is still on going.

A good article is this http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/may/30/oil-spills-nigeria-niger-delta-shell

How is this relevant to the gulf disaster?

You do realise the difference between an oil pipeline and a well?

In Nigeria it is cheaper for the oil companies to stand a certain level of oil loss than fix the leaks. Much like the UK's antiquated water pipes. A complete lack of government interest allows them to.

With the gulf disaster there is no question that BP is trying to halt the leak as quickly as possible and no question the US government is planning to string BP up by the balls.

 

[Le_Petit_Lapin]

Why is it currently on fire?

http://www.ustream.tv/pbsnewshour

 

[Marine Iguana]

Is it on fire underwater?

 

[Fourstar]

Talking of fire..

BP has raised the possibility of burning oil they can bring to the surface but lack the capacity to process.

This bad boy, the so called Evergreen Burner, is capable of flaring 15,000 barrels of oil per day with up to 25% water content.

 

[Simon]

because you are forgetting the cost of production and the cost that BP actually pay as everything they use will have insurance.

KaHn

Self insured.

 

[Cosimo]

Why is it currently on fire?

http://www.ustream.tv/pbsnewshour

It's not on fire. Have you not read the thread? You've probably seen the ribbon.

 

[Cosimo]

The latest update:

Subsea Source Control and Containment

The lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap, installed on June 3, continues to collect oil and gas flowing from the MC252 well and transport them to the Discoverer Enterprise drillship on the surface.

In the first 12 hours of June 9 (midnight to noon), approximately 7,920 barrels of oil were collected and 15.7 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared. On June 8, a total of approximately 15,000 barrels of oil were collected and 29.4 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

Lightering - the transfer of crude oil from one vessel to another - from storage on the Discoverer Enterprise to the barge Massachussetts began on the morning of June 9 and continues. When the process is complete, the barge will transport the oil for discharge at an onshore terminal.
The volume of oil captured and gas flared is being updated twice daily on BP’s website, www.bp.com. The LMRP containment cap never before has been deployed at these depths and conditions, and its efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured.

Preparations for additional planned enhancements to the LMRP containment system continue to progress.

The first planned addition will use the hoses and manifold that were deployed for the “top kill” operation to take oil and gas from the failed Deepwater Horizon blow-out preventer (BOP) through a separate riser to the Q4000 vessel on the surface, in addition to the LMRP cap system. This system is intended to increase the overall efficiency of the containment operation by potentially increasing the amount of oil and gas that can be captured from the well and is currently expected to be available for operation in mid-June.
The second planned addition is intended to provide a more permanent LMRP containment cap system by directing the oil and gas to a new free-floating riser ending approximately 300 feet below sea level. It is then proposed that a flexible hose be attached to a containment vessel. This long-term containment option is designed to permit more effective disconnection and reconnection of the riser to provide the greatest flexibility for operations during a hurricane. It is expected to be implemented in early July.

In the meantime, work on the first relief well, which started May 2, continues and has currently reached a depth of 13,978 feet. The second relief well, which started May 16, is at 8,576 feet, and preparing to drill ahead. Both wells are still estimated to take approximately three months to complete from commencement of drilling.

Surface Spill Response and Containment

Work continues to collect and disperse oil that has reached the surface of the sea, to protect the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico, and to collect and clean up any oil that has reached shore.

Almost 3,600 vessels are now involved in the response effort, including skimmers, tugs, barges and recovery vessels. Operations to skim oil from the surface of the water now have recovered, in total, approximately 383,000 barrels (16.1 million gallons) of oily liquid.

The total length of containment boom deployed as part of efforts to prevent oil from reaching the coast is now over 2.3 million feet, and almost 2.7 million feet of sorbent boom also has been deployed.

To date, almost 42,000 claims have been submitted and more than 20,000 payments already have been made, totalling over $53 million. BP has received more than 173,000 calls into its help lines.

Additional information

The cost of the response to date is approximately $1.43 billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs. This also includes the first $60 million in funds for the Louisiana barrier islands construction project. It is too early to quantify other potential costs and liabilities associated with the incident.

BP Press Office London: +44 20 7496 4076
BP Press office, US: +1 281 366 0265
Unified Command Joint Information Center:+1 985-902-5231

 

[KaHn]

I assume when talking about "drill strings" you are talking about the well in general rather than the pipe lowered into the well with the drill apparatus at the end?

Sorry when I say drill string I mean the whole pipe/casing/side walls down to the well, its generally easier than explaining the difference and how the well is formed.[/quote]

If not what are you planning to do with the big void between the drill string and the well casing/formation? That would still be gushing oil.

As with all use of explosives in "gushers" the whole casing/well is destroyed similiar to a bottom kill.

Apart from USSR nuking a few wells I can find no mention of successful sealing of wells using explosives.

You seem so sure of your fact I'm sure a link or two would be easy to post?

Sorry quick 5 min of google while on coffee break.

http://trueslant.com/michaelpeck/2010/06/09/gulf-gusher-marine-corps-expert-says-bomb-it/

http://www.larouchepac.com/node/14774

http://kboo.fm/node/21804

There is only 1 well damaged well/lost drill string. You talking about the relief wells? If it were not for the blowout they would never have been drilled in the first place.

My understanding was their were mutliple wells subsea with 3 leaking, 1 is now sealed using the little hat thing and they are focusing work on the other two, the relief wells are being used to take the pressure off the leaking wells before the final "bottom kill" (sorry was late last night when typing but you are correct) which is essentially pumping cement all the way into the well which will mean no oil will ever be produced from it again, which I stated is a reported cost of 100million just to drill, not to mention the subsea systems for the well (which will cost in the region of 40-50million going from the past jobs I have worked on)

This well had been dead from the moment it blew out.

If it was dead where is it leaking from?

They never had any way to repair it and the plan was always to find a way to stop the flow then pump the well full of cement to permanently seal it.

Not repair it but to try and recoup as much oil as possible

Even if there had been no blowout the well was going to be plugged for a significant period of time while they went away and worked out how to exploit the field then build the required infrastructure.

Big difference from putting a concrete bung on the well than pumping drilling mud/concrete into the well.

Bore is a measure of the inside diameter of a hole in the context you are using it.

Yes where the bore is the same as the main well they can easily change well to start producing from the other one.

If they use the relief wells they will be bottom killing not top.

Thanks for pointing out the typo.

They tried top killing a week ago and it failed.

It happens wherever there is a blowout that cannot be controlled from the surface.

How is this relevant to the gulf disaster?

The relevance was to show that this happens all over the world (oil leaks) which never get mentioned due to the nature of the oil companies and them caring more about profits than the people around them.

You do realise the difference between an oil pipeline and a well?

Again yes I do, my point was the same as above.

In Nigeria it is cheaper for the oil companies to stand a certain level of oil loss than fix the leaks. Much like the UK's antiquated water pipes. A complete lack of government interest allows them to.

Price of oil is the same everywhere set by the crude oil price, the difference with nigeria is that the goverment quell responses and call the peoples uprising terrorists, again all set in stone in the begining by Royal Dutch Shell.

With the gulf disaster there is no question that BP is trying to halt the leak as quickly as possible and no question the US government is planning to string BP up by the balls.

I'll save judgement of that untill I see the final outcome.

KaHn

 

[KaHn]

I know you work in the industry but I don't believe this for a second.

What bit, the fact they wont blow the well or that it happens all over nigeria?

If you want I can ask a friend of mine doing repair work on the exxon mobile pipeline to take a few pictures.

He's a dive super so should be able to get both topside and sub sea photos.

KaHn

 

[Cosimo]

The relevance was to show that this happens all over the world (oil leaks) which never get mentioned due to the nature of the oil companies and them caring more about profits than the people around them.

Of course there are oil spills but most of them don't get mentioned like this because they are not 5000ft below sea level and do not have such an enormous oil spill.

 

[KaHn]

Of course there are oil spills but most of them don't get mentioned like this because they are not 5000ft below sea level and do not have such an enormous oil spill.

Again, read the article above, the reality of it is that they are this big but are just not shown in the same light.

KaHn