| Author | Message | ||
     Hootowl |
"Almost like someone wanted the spill to spread in order to increase the damage." Interesting, so the corollary is, Barack Obama hates oil companies, just as George Bush hates black people. | ||
| Blake |
Reports of the blow-out indicate that it was so violent that it destroyed the rig floor almost instantly with its massive impact, think "water cannon" times thousands and instead of water, very heavy dense "mud". To get an idea of the pressures involved, imagine how much pressure results at the bottom of a column of just plain sea water that is 15,000 ft deep. Seawater weighs about 65 LB per cubic foot. Multiply that times 15,000... 975,000 LB/FT2 = 6,770 PSI. Then consider that the drilling mud inside the well and riser was likely around 1.15 times as dense as seawater. Down-hole pressure then approaches 8,000 PSI. If the well was 18,000 deep and we add the ocean depth (riser height) (18,000 + 5,000 = 23,000) then the down-hole pressure increases to almost 12,000 PSI. When gas and oil fill the well and force all the mud out... Violence happens. Time lapse of a blowout as viewed from above. If you go frame by frame, you can see the rig floor flood with "mud" (drilling fluid). It starts as a gentle flood, but once the gas reaches the rig... well you can see the crew vacating the area in haste. Hope the derrick man made it out unscathed. The following video shows what happens when the driller forgets to turn off the mud pump(s) before breaking apart the drill string to add another length of pipe to continue drilling or maybe as the crew is commencing "tripping out", meaning pulling the drill string out of the hole, usually to change the bit or run casing. The roughneck is applying a shield/collector (I can't remember what the heck it's called) around the joint between two lengths of drill pipe. This is to capture most of the mud in the upper stand (two or three lengths of pipe) of pipe as the joint is pulled apart. It helps keep the muddy mess on the rig floor to a minimum. It isn't designed to contain the pressure generated by the mud pump(s). This illustrates the pressure at the surface just for pumping the drilling fluid (mud). Once a well gets down to miles deep, the drilling fluid (mud) gets to be scalding hot, which adds a whole new level to the pain of the above and is an even more compelling reason to use the mud catcher. Ouch. How it should be done, old school... adding a length of pipe to the drill string, drilling. Evidence of marine life sabotaging the BOP caught on video. That is an actual BOP (blowout preventer), it's a large structure, building sized and stories tall. Monitors on the rig floor show views of the BOP. I used to enjoy visiting the rig floor when my shift was over in order to see all the marine life that were attracted to the BOP. Never saw a fish get stuck though. (Message edited by blake on May 03, 2010) | ||
| Blake |
"Odd that the Federal response was so slow and lethargic." As much as I despise the unjust and outright dishonest attacks against the Bush admin concerning Katrina, I can't join in same against the Obama admin on this one. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I can't join in same against the Obama admin on this one. Not much fun is it. Entertain the thought, just for a moment, though. If there were a President STRONGLY against offshore drilling under pressure to expand drilling, wouldn't an accidental spill, allowed to progress through slowed response, internal dithering, political finger pointing accomplish so many things. 1) Change public opinion in favor of limiting or eliminating off shore drilling. 2) Provide for an additional platform for attacking "big oil". 3) Continue to promote the idea that big corporations (oil, financial, energy, etc.) need more regulation. 4) Bolster environmentalist who have lost credibility and funding in the last few months in the wake of multiple global warming falsehoods. Again, all just speculation. | ||
| Hootowl |
That was kind of my point. Bush doesn't hate black people...there was just nothing he could do that wasn't already being done. Showing up on the scene doesn't help matters any. Same thing here. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/01/opinion/01sat1.h tml See if you can find this parallel paragraph in the op-ed. The Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, seems to have been slow to ask for help, and, on Friday, both federal and state officials accused the Governor of not moving aggressively or swiftly enough. Yet the administration should not have waited, and should have intervened much more quickly on its own initiative. | ||
| Aesquire |
One thing the Rahm regime is very good at is exploiting a crisis. Oops, I meant Obama admin.... I'd love to blame the delays on a politician. But. No one could know in the early days the extent of damage or that the repairs would take so long. I'll happily mock this admin. for sending Swat teams & Lawyers to a Coast Guard & EPA event, but the Coasties were already involved before anyone told Obama. Unless you're a drug smuggler...Coast Guard rocks. "You have to go out but you don't have to come back." | ||
| Cowboy |
Good info. is hell to come by, as I under stand from some sourcs they had just ran pipe and was in the act of P&A (plug and abandon) if this is true it seams a cement job went to hell. as for as blame it depends on who set the procedure-who did or did not follow it. will have to wait till more info is available. | ||
| Hex |
Blame, doesn't really matter at this point, it's all about responsibility. Claim owner ==> responsible party. Simple. | ||
| Road_thing |
Source: Rigzone.com Halliburton Briefs Cementing Facts on Rig Incident Halliburton Co. |Friday, April 30, 2010 Halliburton confirmed its continued support of, and cooperation with, the ongoing investigations into the deepwater Horizon drilling rig incident in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this month. Halliburton extends its heartfelt sympathy to the families, friends and our industry colleagues of the 11 people lost and those injured in the tragedy. As one of several service providers on the rig, Halliburton can confirm the following: Halliburton performed a variety of services on the rig, including cementing, and had four employees stationed on the rig at the time of the accident. Halliburton's employees returned to shore safely, due, in part, to the brave rescue efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard and other organizations. Halliburton had completed the cementing of the final production casing string in accordance with the well design approximately 20 hours prior to the incident. The cement slurry design was consistent with that utilized in other similar applications. In accordance with accepted industry practice approved by our customers, tests demonstrating the integrity of the production casing string were completed. At the time of the incident, well operations had not yet reached the point requiring the placement of the final cement plug which would enable the planned temporary abandonment of the well, consistent with normal oilfield practice. We are assisting with planning and engineering support for a wide range of options designed to secure the well, including a potential relief well. Halliburton continues to assist in efforts to identify the factors that may have lead up to the disaster, but it is premature and irresponsible to speculate on any specific causal issues. Halliburton originated oilfield cementing and leads the world in effective, efficient delivery of zonal isolation and engineering for the life of the well, conducting thousands of successful well cementing jobs each year. The company views safety as critical to its success and is committed to continuously improve performance. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Blame, doesn't really matter at this point, it's all about responsibility. Claim owner ==> responsible party. Simple. What does that mean? | ||
| Hex |
Whoever owns the mining claim is responsible for the accident. Ultimately, whoever granted the claim is responsible for those owners who become irresponsible. I'm assuming the mining claim was issued by Uncle Sam. This oil slick, if untamed, has the potential to go right up the East coast to Europe.  Gas will be $6 gal by summer. (typos) (Message edited by hex on May 03, 2010) | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I understand what you are saying now. Thanks. | ||
| Hootowl |
I think that means BP is ultimately responsible, regardless of who might be contracted to operate or otherwise perform work on the rig. They appear to be accepting culpability, but that may just be a PR move, and they'll point fingers at the subs later on. | ||
| Hex |
Hurricane season begins June 1. | ||
| Blake |
A hurricane would actually benefit the dispersion of oil. The more dispersed and fragmented the slick, the less the impact. The Valdez was a very concentrated incident with millions of barrels of oil confined to a very limited landfall. This will not likely be anywhere near that harmful. Let's hope. | ||
| Hootowl |
I'm guessing the number of birds killed by this little fiasco will pale in comparison to the number killed by wind turbines annually. The oil companies will be sued for it though, and the wind companies will get a pass. | ||
| Macbuell |
You know what, I think Obama sent a bunch of Navy Seals there to disable the blow out preventer and blow up the platform to further his political ideologies. | ||
| Blake |
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| Ft_bstrd |
You know what, I think Obama sent a bunch of Navy Seals there to disable the blow out preventer and blow up the platform to further his political ideologies. I hear Bush sent in the same Seal team to blow up the levies in New Orleans during Katrina. | ||
| Aesquire |
So, Obama hates Gumbo? | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
BOTH Obama AND Bush hate Gumbo evidently. | ||
| Macbuell |
I hear Bush sent in the same Seal team to blow up the levies in New Orleans during Katrina. Well, that's true. Didn't you hear, Bush hates black people. | ||
| Hootowl |
"I hear Bush sent in the same Seal team to blow up the levies in New Orleans during Katrina." Why people continue to repeat this absolute falsehood is beyond me. It was the CIA who blew up the levies, not the Navy. Sheesh! | ||
| Aesquire |
Actually it was that "church" that protests service funerals, 'cause "god hates gays". Ever seen Mardi Gras? 'Nuff said.  ( I suspect they don't go to San Francisco, because it's named after a saint. ) I'm pretty sure that Bush didn't know how to use a blasting cap, ( though he could fly a supersonic interceptor... different skill set ) so any carnage he did "secretly" required minions. 9/11, Katrina, Ross Perot's daughter's wedding, all unproven. Someone would have come forward by now, don't you think? I mean really? Obama did have frequent contact with an unrepentant, mad bomber anarchist revolutionary, so he might have knowledge of how to blow up a well. But the press follows him to & from the Golf Course, and would follow the U.S. Prez into the bathroom if the secret service would let them. So Obama needs minions too. If, if, this well blowout/accident/plot was deliberate, it will eventually come out. I'm not at all worried about that. Gas will be $7+ a gallon next year, after/if they pass the multi trillion dollar CO2 bill, and electricity will be sky high. The same guys that screwed up the housing market are on the case, big time. ( how Much you want to believe Glenn Beck's crosslisting of communist ripoff artists in charge of the "carbon trade" market...is up to you. } Hex, you figure $6/g this summer? You could be right. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Gas will be $6 gal by summer. Who says history never repeats itself.  $6/gallon gas will guarantee a conservative sweep of the elections in November and 2012. | ||
| Hex |
Drill baby drill? Doubtful. Calif. governor ends support for offshore drilling By SAMANTHA YOUNG (AP) – 50 minutes ago SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday withdrew his support of a plan to expand oil drilling off the California coast, citing the massive oil spill that resulted from a drilling rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5 jx65m16JnHuaFtlk7N2gB8DAWgxgD9FFJOU82 | ||
| Hex |
I lived through gas rationing as a young lad in Los Angeles. | ||
| Cowboy |
Could some one tell me how long has it been sience we have had a blow out in deep water (1000') or more | ||
| Just_ziptab |
At the time of the incident, well operations had not yet reached the point requiring the placement of the final cement plug which would enable the planned temporary abandonment of the well, consistent with normal oilfield practice. Why temporary? |
