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Author Topic: BP Oil Fires  (Read 2901 times)

The long Build

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BP Oil Fires
« on: April 29, 2010, 01:02:31 pm »

Quote
"BP has set fire to the massive Gulf Coast oil slick in a last-ditch effort to burn it up or face an environmental disaster."

Ok I understand why they are doing this but , we as a nation are trying to cut back on our carbon usage , use less fuel , turn the lights out , use less water etc etc etc, and then this happens...so is there really any point...

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boatmadman

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2010, 02:07:20 pm »

They tried to do that with the Torry Canyon years ago, think it failed!
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Netleyned

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2010, 03:55:38 pm »

Yes Buccaneers dropped napalm along the slick to no avail


Ned
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riggers24

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2010, 04:28:54 pm »

The slick is 5 times bigger then first thought and could be bigger then Exxon Valdez. They ahve found a 3rd leak on the seabed.
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DickyD

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2010, 05:51:09 pm »

I believe the main leak is 1.5 Kilometers below the surface.
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Umi_Ryuzuki

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2010, 07:32:38 pm »

I hadn't heard that there were multiple leaks.  :((

I had heard that the location was spewing 5000 barrels of oil a day, 200,000 gallons...
They can't call that an "oil spill"... it's more like a hemmorage.
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DickyD

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2010, 08:38:45 pm »

Graphic from the BBC.
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polaris

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2010, 09:16:37 pm »


It's the pipe line that's the problem.
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Netleyned

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2010, 03:21:10 pm »

It's the pipe line that's the problem.


Thats exactly what Dicky's Graphic is depicting!

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BarryM

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2010, 02:02:20 pm »

It's the pipe line that's the problem.

Not strictly a 'pipeline' and the BBC drawing is over-simplified. I spent 33 years in various parts of the oil industry and have an understanding of the basics of drilling operations and offer the following.

In simple terms, the mobile drilling unit (MDU) at the surface drills the well via the blowout preventer (BOP), often known as a 'Christmas Tree', located on the seabed. The gap between the seabed and surface components is spanned by the tubular 'riser'.  The drill, drill pipe and well casing pass down through through the riser.

The BOP is operated by umbilical lines from the surface but nowadays, in deeper water, these are being replaced by acoustic signalling systems. It contains valves that will shut off the flow of fluids from the well, even if the drill pipe is still in place. In the latter case, the valve rams cut through the drillpipe wall and sever it completely. What kind of control was in use here I do not know.

The pressure in the well is counterbalanced by drilling mud pumped into it and the hydrostatic head in the riser. This pressure must be continuously monitored and the weight of mud adjusted to compensate for pressure fluctuations. Pressure spikes within the well are common as drilling progresses. On this occasion, it would appear that well conditions overcame the precautions in place and the blowback sent oil through the BOP, up the riser and onto the drilling deck where it was ignited.  

Efforts to close the BOP from the surface and also via ROV sent down to the seabed failed. This appears to be the result of some kind of internal problem in the BOP which I, as a non-driller, am not competent to speculate on.

When the MDU sank, it took the riser down with it and perhaps the riser is still connected at both ends; I do not know. However, obviously the riser, which is not flexible enough to take this kind of treatment, at the very least cracked in several places and commenced leaking oil from the well. 

Thus, if the BOP still defies attempts to close it, the fabrication of a canopy to enclose the riser cracks and allow the oil to be collected and pumped to the surface is a stopgap measure. The only longterm option is to bring in another MDU, drill into the well from the side and pump in cement to seal it.  

Hope this helps.

Barry M
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regiment

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2010, 02:25:04 pm »

i live in cornwall and you can still see the oil from the torry canyon on the rocks  so what it must be like out there must be terrible  loss of life  etc just because we want to ride every were (said  with tonge in cheek)
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Navy2000

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #11 on: May 03, 2010, 11:38:02 pm »

Well it looks like my coast will be hit soon when the winds chance and the storm also pushes the oil our way. So much for my lunch time on the beach when it gets here. The problem is that the oil companies are only responible for up to 75 million in damages. That's only pocket change for the total of what it will be. The fishing industry will be damage badly and the touristism here in Florida will also take a bad blow as well.Just in the touristism Florida makes in the billions of dollars and 75 million just does not cover that at all along with the other states that also be hit by this as well. Lots of wild life will not make it as well, some will be saved but many will be lost.

Duane
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The Antipodean

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2010, 03:53:50 am »

Duane, a Bill has been introduced to increase the cap to 10 billion, and there will be an attempt to make it retroactive to cover this disaster.
I was watching the news shows this evening and it is sad to see that any actual possibility of stopping this "leak" is still a week away.
It has been pointed out that Transocean and BP are using cutting edge technology on their deep ocean drilling but I also notice that there is no mention of them being able to deal with this type of incident. Maybe they should have set their worst case scenario as a little more disastrous and been able to take care of this sort thing before they started.
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Navy2000

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2010, 10:09:55 pm »

A co-worker of mine heard that BP was drilling deeper than they were suspose they were allowed to drill. It was just said on the news tonight that 17500 National Guard members will be deployed to combat the oil spill at many locations around the Gulf Coast states. They are saying that the further away from the spill being that of the beaches and land that the oil will come ashore as globs and not as a slick. We will see about this.

Duane
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Welshtrooper

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #14 on: May 04, 2010, 10:22:35 pm »

Well I guess that will mean BP petrol prices will go through the roof, as it will probably be us that foot the final bill through the pump
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Navy2000

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Re: BP Oil Fires
« Reply #15 on: May 05, 2010, 05:12:36 pm »

We have been told that the oil that is pumped from the Gulf of Mexico would not effect our gas price. BY this I mean they have told us that if they put in more oil rigs to pump more oil out of the Gulf that our gas prices would not go down for us here in the US, but now that there is an oil spill our gas prices just went up here in Florida by .08 cents a gal. Now is it just me or does this not make sense. If they pump it out it doesn't effect the prices, but if it is spilled out it does effect the prices. This wasn't even a BP station it is most of them. I guess this is there way of trying to get the prices as high as they can to make as much money as they can while they can. Just think of the impact that this will have for the auto trade to sell there cars that depend on less fuel like that of these Hybrid autos.

Duane
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