View Full Version : Gulf Oil Spill
the Bamster
05-01-10, 10:44
Before, I comment I have to say that I am not making any accusations or trying to fan a conspirocy theory. So lets all put on our pretend tinfoil hats for a moment.
An offshore oil rig blows in the Gulf of Mexico:
1. At night 10:30 PM
2. The day before earth day.
3. A week after the President announces that he is willing to consider
expanding offsore drilling against the wishes of Left Wing base.
4. In an instant oil drilling, energy policy changes for the next 20 to
30 years.
5. Trillions of dollars are at stake in green tecnology and Cap and Trade legislation. Ideas becoming increasingly unpopular with the general public.
6. The Platform that exploded was a deep water exploratory well so I have to assume that the platform was far from any other platforms "I have not been able to conferm this and is only speculation".
7. The Media will have plenty of juicy pictures and stories to bash opponents of cap and trade or anyone in favor of sensible enviromental laws.
8. This oil spill shifts attention from the Healthcare fallout, the ecconomy, jobless claims, Tea Party.... exc.
9. The President has been losing his base and this disaster is the perfect issue to rally his base.
The only reason I bring this up is my gut feelings are usualy right and that most coincidences are not. Am I off my rocker? What do you think.
4883
guess I should have put gas in my truck yesterday
The North Koreans did it.:o
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1367.htm
A grim report circulating in the Kremlin today written by Russia’s Northern Fleet is reporting that the United States has ordered a complete media blackout over North Korea’s torpedoing of the giant Deepwater Horizon oil platform owned by the World’s largest offshore drilling contractor Transocean that was built and financed by South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd., that has caused great loss of life, untold billions in economic damage to the South Korean economy, and an environmental catastrophe to the United States.
ForTehNguyen
05-01-10, 11:02
doubt they sabotaged the wellhead on that Deepwater Horizon. The wellhead is 5000 feet below water and they would have to sabotage multiple safety system layers subsea and above seat, then generate an unsafe condition so it can cause a disaster after those safety layers are defeated.
spookydurant
05-01-10, 11:13
I live in Mobile, but I work in Iraq. Is it me or does anyone else notice the lack of urgency by not only the feds, but by people like the celebrities as well? In contrast to the earthquake in Haiti where all the "stars" had their fund raising telethons, I havent heard a peep about the spill except from the locals that are directly impacted by this. I guess the spill would steal thunder from the immigration issue as well! All I am saying is that it seems like the Gulf coast gets neglected when it needs help and the inhabitants handle the issues themselves through volunteering and such. Please feel free to share your opinions with me on this.
the Bamster
05-01-10, 11:40
Yet it happened. "Never let a crisis go to waste" and if none exists...... create one. All I am saying that the line of people that stand to benefit economically and politacally is staggering, not to mention foreign interests. I is possible that if this was sabotage that the resulting spill became far worse that antisipated. Hey, there's a black helicopter outside my win
montanadave
05-01-10, 11:48
In answer to your question--yes, you're off your rocker... and wearing a tin foil hat to boot.
Before, I comment I have to say that I am not making any accusations or trying to fan a conspirocy theory. So lets all put on our pretend tinfoil hats for a moment.
An offshore oil rig blows in the Gulf of Mexico:
1. At night 10:30 PM
2. The day before earth day.
3. A week after the President announces that he is willing to consider
expanding offsore drilling against the wishes of Left Wing base.
4. In an instant oil drilling, energy policy changes for the next 20 to
30 years.
5. Trillions of dollars are at stake in green tecnology and Cap and Trade legislation. Ideas becoming increasingly unpopular with the general public.
6. The Platform that exploded was a deep water exploratory well so I have to assume that the platform was far from any other platforms "I have not been able to conferm this and is only speculation".
7. The Media will have plenty of juicy pictures and stories to bash opponents of cap and trade or anyone in favor of sensible enviromental laws.
8. This oil spill shifts attention from the Healthcare fallout, the ecconomy, jobless claims, Tea Party.... exc.
9. The President has been losing his base and this disaster is the perfect issue to rally his base.
The only reason I bring this up is my gut feelings are usualy right and that most coincidences are not. Am I off my rocker? What do you think.
4883
You have got to be f*cking kidding me..........
You should write the families of the 11 workers that died and ask them if they have any corroborating proof you might be able to publish online that backs up your theory.
I bet you don't realize that that platform cost 500,000 million to make five years ago, and will cost over a billion to replace. Or that large portions of the Mississippi Delta will be destroyed, causing small towns to go under as a result of collapsed fisheries, and clam grounds. Seems like a pretty expensive little experiment in domestic terrorism for the purpose of selling a solar panel, doesn't it? I could go on and on with how idiotic and absolutely stupid I find your little pipe dream but I am going to stop before I get kicked off the site.
If anyone wants to realistically and rationally discuss the implications of this spill, I am more then happy to do that.
parishioner
05-01-10, 12:01
The past few days I have been able to smell the oil from my house which is 30 miles north of New Orleans. I tend to look at things with a conspiracy theorist's eye and it definitely crossed my mind due to the fact the multiple safety systems had to have failed for this to happen and every one of them did. We will probably never know for sure. A huge chunk of Louisiana's economy which is our seafood industry is now further in the shitter. This is a bad deal.
I'm not saying it was done purposefully but in regard to costing 1 billion to replace, I'm not sure how that is relevant. It's not like taxpayers will be footing the bill for a replacement rig. If it was done for political reasons (not saying that it was) I'm sure the group responsible would have had no problem letting BP foot the bill since, after all, BP is the 4th largest company in the world and also painted as an "Evil Big Oil" corporation by the leftists and greenies. And it also wouldn't have been done for the sale of a singular solar panel that was described above in an effort to minimize reality as, yes, that would be preposterous. It would have been done for the TRILLIONS of dollars that stand to be made with green technology which was also described in the OP.
Some pics my brother-in-law sent me.
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt101/jordandalleman/HorizonFire1.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt101/jordandalleman/HorizonFire2.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt101/jordandalleman/HorizonFire3.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt101/jordandalleman/HorizonFire4.jpg
http://i602.photobucket.com/albums/tt101/jordandalleman/HorizonFire6.jpg
The past few days I have been able to smell the oil from my house which is 30 miles north of New Orleans. I tend to look at things with a conspiracy theorist's eye and it definitely crossed my mind due to the fact the multiple safety systems had to have failed for this to happen and every one of them did. We will probably never know for sure. A huge chunk of Louisiana's economy which is our seafood industry is now further in the shitter. This is a bad deal.
Some pics my brother-in-law sent me.
Or there is the simple possibility that with the extreme nature of the explosion, that the safety systems were blown out as well. There is a redundant, and highly complex array of kill switches, and emergency safety systems in place on a vessel like this, but what happens if the entire electrical grid of the rig is fried in the first few seconds???
Why am I even having this conversation...
Belmont31R
05-01-10, 12:29
All I know is the left is going to take full advantage of this. Obama already suspended new drilling, and several rigs are shutting down production. Gas is going to spike up in price just in time for the summer season, and we have hurricane season coming up. I don't want to be back to paying $5 for a gallon of gas.
In the end shit happens, and I hope the oil guys find a safer way to drill. If this thing keeps pumping out oil for months the entire gulf is going to be ****ed. Imagine all the oil in a couple months, and hurricane comes through. That crap is going to be everywhere if its not already.
I doubt the eco terrorists have the capability to do some shit like this. The most they ever do is go bash some Hummers sitting on a lot, torch a wood mill, etc. But taking out an oil rig that size, and getting the safety systems to fail? No way...
April 26, 2010
Transocean Rig Disaster: The Well From Hell
Dear Outstanding Investments Reader,
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. Here's another update on the disaster that befell Transocean Ltd. (RIG: NYSE) and BP (BP: NYSE) last week in the Gulf of Mexico. (Thanks to OI reader Steve, in Texas, for sending some of the photos in today’s alert.)
As you know by now, the drilling vessel Deepwater Horizon exploded, burned and sank last week, with the loss of 11 workers and injuries to many more. What happened? What's happening now? What's going to happen? I've spent the weekend working to piece things together.
An Ill-fated Discovery
According to news accounts, at about 10 p.m. CDT last Tuesday, Deepwater Horizon was stable, holding an exact position in calm, dark seas about 45 miles south of the Louisiana coastline. Water depth in the area is 5,000 feet. The vessel manifest listed 126 souls on board.
Deepwater Horizon was finishing work on an exploration well named Macondo, in an area called Mississippi Canyon Block 252. After weeks of drilling, the rig had pushed a bit down over 18,000 feet, into an oil-bearing zone. The Transocean and BP personnel were installing casing in the well. BP was going to seal things up, and then go off and figure out how to produce the oil -- another step entirely in the oil biz.
The Macondo Block 252 reservoir may hold as much as 100 million barrels. That's not as large as other recent oil strikes in the Gulf, but BP management was still pleased. Success is success -- certainly in the risky, deep-water oil environment. The front office of BP Exploration was preparing a press release to announce a "commercial" oil discovery.
This kind of exploration success was par for the course for Deepwater Horizon. A year ago, the vessel set a record at another site in the Gulf, drilling a well just over 35,000 feet and discovering the 3 billion barrel Tiber deposit for BP. So Deepwater Horizon was a great rig, with a great crew and a superb record. You might even say that is was lucky.
But perhaps some things tempt the gods. Some actions may invite ill fate. Because suddenly, the wild and wasteful ocean struck with a bolt from the deep.
The Lights Went out; and Then...
Witnesses state that the lights flickered on the Deepwater Horizon. Then a massive thud shook the vessel, followed by another strong vibration.
Transocean employee Jim Ingram, a seasoned offshore worker, told the U.K. Times that he was preparing for bed after working a 12-hour shift. "On the second [thud]," said Mr. Ingram, "we knew something was wrong."
Indeed, something was very wrong. Within a moment, a gigantic blast of gas, oil and drilling mud roared up through three miles of down-hole pipe and subsea risers. The fluids burst through the rig floor and ripped up into the gigantic draw-works. Something sparked. The hydrocarbons ignited.
In a fraction of a second, the drilling deck of the Deepwater Horizon exploded into a fireball. The scene was an utter conflagration.
Evacuate and Abandon Ship
There was almost no time to react. Emergency beacons blared. Battery-powered lighting switched on throughout the vessel. Crew members ran to evacuation stations. The order came to abandon ship.
Then from the worst of circumstances came the finest, noblest elements of human behavior. Everyone on the vessel has been through extensive safety training. They knew what to do. Most crew members climbed into covered lifeboats. Other crew members quickly winched the boats, with their shipmates, down to the water. Then those who stayed behind rapidly evacuated in other designated emergency craft.
Some of the crew, however, were trapped in odd parts of the massive vessel, which measures 396 feet by 256 feet -- a bit less than the size of two football fields laid side by side. They couldn't get to the boats. So they did what they had to do, which for some meant jumping -- and those jumpers did not fare so well. Several men broke bones due to the impact of their 80-foot drop to the sea. Still, it beat burning.
With searchlights providing illumination, as well as the eerie light from the flames of the raging fire, boat handlers pulled colleagues out of the water beneath the burning rig. In some instances, the plastic fittings on the lifeboats melted from the heat.
The flames intensified. Soon it was impossible for the lifeboats to function near the massive vessel. The small boats moved away from the raging fountain of fire fed by ancient oil and gas from far below.
The lifeboat skippers saved as many as they could find -- 115 -- but couldn't account for 11 workers who were, apparently, on or around the drill deck at the time of the first explosion. Nine of the missing are Transocean employees. Two others work for subcontractors.
Damon Bankston to the Rescue
Fate was not entirely cruel that night. Indeed, a supply boat was already en route to the Deepwater Horizon. It was the Tidewater Damon Bankston, a 260-foot long flat-deck supply vessel.
Damon Bankston heard the distress signal. Her captain did what great captains do. He aimed the bow toward the position of Deepwater Horizon. Then he tore through the water, moved along by four mighty Caterpillar engines rated at 10,200 horsepower. Soon, the Damon Bankston arrived on scene, sailed straight into the flames and joined the rescue.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard helicopters lifted off from pads in southern Louisiana, and Coast Guard rescue vessels left their moorings. "You have to go out," is the old Coast Guard saying. "You don't have to come back."
The helicopters flew in the black of night toward a vista of utter disaster. Arriving on scene, the pilots watched in awe as columns of flame shot as high as a 50-story building. The helicopters were buffeted by blasts of super-heated wind coming from the flames, while chunks of soot the size of your hand blew by.
The pilots hovered in the glow of the blazing rig, while Coast Guard medics fast-roped down to the deck of Damon Bankston .. The medics quickly assessed the casualties, strapped critically injured crewmen to backboards and hoisted them up to the helicopters. Then the pilots turned north and sped ashore to hospitals.
Uninjured survivors returned to land on the Damon Bankston. And others came out to fight the blistering flames.
But the Deepwater Horizon wasn't going to make it. The situation deteriorated, to the point of complete catastrophe. The ship was lost.
At about 10 a.m. CDT on Thursday morning, 36 hours after the first explosion, the Deepwater Horizon capsized and sank in 5,000 feet of water. According to BP, the hulk is located on the seafloor, upside-down, about 1,500 feet away from the Macondo well it drilled.
Still Spilling Oil
On Friday, I told you that the oil well drilled by the Deepwater Horizon was sealed in. The "official" word was that the well wasn't gushing oil into the sea. My sources were no less than U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry, of the New Orleans district, as quoted in The New York Times.
But over the weekend, Rear Adm. Landry and The New York Times reported that the well IS leaking oil, at a rate of about 1,000 barrels per day.
The on-scene information comes from remotely operated underwater robots that BP and Transocean are using to monitor the well and survey all the other wreckage of the Deepwater Horizon. There's now a large amount of equipment and pipe and a myriad of marine debris on the seafloor near the well. It's a mess.
Apparently, the blowout preventer is not controlling the flow of oil. According to Transocean, the blowout preventer on Deepwater Horizon was manufactured by Cameron Intl. (CAM: NYSE).
What happened? We don't know that just yet. Earlier reports that underwater robots sealed the blowout preventer were wrong. It's possible that the blowout preventer is only partially closed. We'll find out, eventually. Meanwhile, BP and Transocean have announced that they will make another effort to activate the blowout preventer. They need to stop that oil.
BP is also preparing to drill one or more relief wells to secure the site permanently. BP has mobilized the drilling rig Development Driller III, which is moving into position to drill a second well to intercept the leaking well. With the new well, the drillers will inject a specialized heavy fluid into the original well. This fluid will secure and block the flow of oil or gas and allow BP to permanently seal the first well.
Riser Problems?
According to the Coast Guard and BP, oil is leaking from two spots along what is left of the riser system. Here's a schematic view:
Originally, the risers (represented by the blue line in the graphic above) were affixed to the blowout preventer on the seafloor, and extended 5,000 feet straight up to the "moon pool" of the Deepwater Horizon. When the drilling vessel sank, it took the riser piping and bent it around like a pretzel.
The remnants of the riser system now follow a circuitous underwater route. According to BP, the risers extend from the wellhead up through the water column to about 1,500 feet above the seabed. Then the riser system buckles back down toward the seafloor. (Frankly, I'm astonished that it all held together as well as it has. It's a credit to the manufacturer, which I'll discuss below.)
According to the Transocean website, the riser devices on the Deepwater Horizon were manufactured by VetcoGray, a division of General Electric Oil & Gas. The specific designation is a "HMF-Class H, 21-inch outside diameter riser; 90 foot long joints with Choke & Kill, and booster and hydraulic supply lines."
Here's a photo of something similar. These are Vetco risers sections that I saw on another vessel, the Transocean Discoverer Inspiration, when I visited that ship last month:
The different color stripes on the risers indicate differing amounts of buoyancy. The idea is to put heavy riser pipe down at the bottom, connected to more buoyant risers above. The buoyancy keeps the entire riser system in more or less neutral buoyancy, so that the drill ship doesn't have to somehow hoist up the huge weight of all that pipe.
As you can see, there's a large-diameter pipe in the middle of each riser. That pipe is then encased in a buoyant foam substance. The risers are bolted together at the flange sections. The bolts are about as big as the arm of a very strong man. The nuts, which tighten things down, are the size of paint cans.
After the risers are assembled and hanging down from the drilling vessel, the drilling personnel lower and raise drilling pipe through the large-diameter center riser pipe. All the drilling mud stays inside the drill pipe on the way down hole, and inside the riser pipe on the return.
On the side of the riser sections, you can see smaller-diameter pipes. These are choke & kill, booster and hydraulic pipe components. The pipes run parallel to the large-diameter inner pipe. These pipe systems run down to the blowout preventer on the seafloor.
The idea is to keep the drilling process an enclosed system. All the "drilling stuff" -- the drill-pipe, drilling-mud and drill-cutting returns -- stays inside the large-diameter pipe. The smaller pipes hold fluid to transmit hydraulic power and help control drilling. In particular, the pipes on the side aid in communicating with and controlling the blowout preventer.
Technical Specs
Ideally, when the risers are working as intended, nothing leaks out into the sea. Then again, you're not supposed to twist and bend the riser sections like a pretzel. So how strong is a riser system? Extremely strong, actually.
According to technical literature from GE Oil & Gas, the riser equipment is "designed for use in high-pressure, critical service and deep-water drilling and production applications." The pressure-containing components are rated for working pressures of 15,000 psi. That's the same as the Cameron blowout preventer on the Deepwater Horizon. The materials used in risers have exceptional tensile and bending load characteristics.
According to Vetco paperwork that I've seen, the Class H riser sections have a 3.5 million pound load-carrying capacity. That's the equivalent weight of about four fully fueled Boeing 747s. These risers are super strong.
Still, it's not just any one single piece of riser section that does it all. These sections all get bolted together, for 5,000 feet in this case. The riser sections all have to work together as a system. The whole string is only as strong as the weakest spot. And yes, even the strongest steel will break if you apply enough stress.
It all has to work together. You've got the riser sections, along with things called HMF flanged riser connectors. Then there are HMF riser joints; flex joints; telescopic joints; and, near the top, things called "fluid-bearing, nonintegral tensioner rings." Together, these all comprise the marine riser system.
In general, the riser components compensate for heave, surge, sway, offset and torque of the drilling vessel as the ship bounces around on the sea surface. The bottom line is to maintain a tight seal -- what's called "integrity" -- between the subsea blowout preventer stack and the surface during drilling operations.
Down at the bottom, at the seafloor, the risers are connected to the blowout preventer by a connector device. The GE-Vetco spec is for a device that accommodates 7 million foot-pounds of bending load capacity. That's about eight fully fueled Boeing 747s.
What's the idea? You want a secure connection between the high-pressure wellhead system and the subsea blowout preventer stack. That's where mankind's best steel meets Mother Nature's high pressures.
High pressures? You had better believe it. And in this case, Mother Nature won. So looking forward, there's going to be a lot of forensic engineering on the well design and how things got monitored during drilling. Transocean drilled the well, but BP designed it. So the key question is how did the down-hole pressures get away like they did?
What Happens Now?
It's a good thing that the Deepwater Horizon didn't settle right on top of the well. At least there's room for the remotely operated vehicles to maneuver. Also, there's still a lot of riser still floating in the water column. So there's some element of integrity going down to the blowout preventer.
It's absolutely imperative to shut off that oil flow. We just have to hope and pray that the BP and Transocean people can get the blowout preventer shut off. Or that there's enough integrity to the risers somehow to get in there and control the leaks, perhaps with some sort of plug. One other idea is to lower a large "hood" over the leak and capture the oil so it can be pumped up to a storage tanker ship.
Meanwhile, the relief well has to go down -- carefully and safely. This Macondo well is history. Seal it. Mark it. Give it back to the sea. Move on. Don't tempt fate on this one.
And wow... for a relatively modest-sized deep-water discovery, this thing sure has turned into the well from hell.
Welcome to the World of Deep-water Risk
As I've said before, this accident is Mother Nature's wake-up call to everyone. Deep-water drilling is a high-stakes game. It's not exactly a "casino," in that there's a heck of a lot of settled science, engineering and technology involved.
But we're sure finding out the hard way what all the risks are. And it's becoming more and more clear how the totality of risk is a moving target. There's geologic risk, technical risk, engineering risk, environmental risk, capital risk and market risk.
With each deep well, these risks all come together over one very tiny spot at the bottom of the ocean. So for all the oil that's out there under deep water -- and it's a lot -- the long-term calculus of risk and return is difficult to quantify.
There's more to discuss, but I'll end here today. I'll update you as things evolve. This is big news all through the offshore industry. There are HUGE environmental issues, and certainly big political repercussions. I won't go there just now.
For now, I'll just send out collective best wishes to the people at Transocean, BP, the Coast Guard, Minerals Management and so many more. I'm sure they're doing their best.
Thanks for reading...
Byron W. King
the Bamster
05-01-10, 13:41
You have got to be f*cking kidding me..........
You should write the families of the 11 workers that died and ask them if they have any corroborating proof you might be able to publish online that backs up your theory.
I bet you don't realize that that platform cost 500,000 million to make five years ago, and will cost over a billion to replace. Or that large portions of the Mississippi Delta will be destroyed, causing small towns to go under as a result of collapsed fisheries, and clam grounds. Seems like a pretty expensive little experiment in domestic terrorism for the purpose of selling a solar panel, doesn't it? I could go on and on with how idiotic and absolutely stupid I find your little pipe dream but I am going to stop before I get kicked off the site.
If anyone wants to realistically and rationally discuss the implications of this spill, I am more then happy to do that.
With all do respect, I am making NO ACCUSATIONS! against anyone. My deepest sympathies go to the families of those who died on the platform. It is very likely this disaster has a very logical explanation, but none of the nine statements above are untrue. The truth is that at this point and possibly at no point in the future will the cause of this disaster be fully understood given the damage and depth of the wreckage. But I don't think that this dicussion is completely outside the relm of posibility, certainly man is capable of such acts. To infer that merely discussing such a possibility somehow disrespects the deaths of 11 workers is ludicrous.
the Bamster
05-01-10, 13:50
April 26, 2010
Transocean Rig Disaster: The Well From Hell
Dear Outstanding Investments Reader,
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more. Here's another update on the disaster that befell Transocean Ltd. (RIG: NYSE) and BP (BP: NYSE) last week in the Gulf of Mexico. (Thanks to OI reader Steve, in Texas, for sending some of the photos in today’s alert.)
As you know by now, the drilling vessel Deepwater Horizon exploded, burned and sank last week, with the loss of 11 workers and injuries to many more. What happened? What's happening now? What's going to happen? I've spent the weekend working to piece things together.
An Ill-fated Discovery
According to news accounts, at about 10 p.m. CDT last Tuesday, Deepwater Horizon was stable, holding an exact position in calm, dark seas about 45 miles south of the Louisiana coastline. Water depth in the area is 5,000 feet. The vessel manifest listed 126 souls on board.
Deepwater Horizon was finishing work on an exploration well named Macondo, in an area called Mississippi Canyon Block 252. After weeks of drilling, the rig had pushed a bit down over 18,000 feet, into an oil-bearing zone. The Transocean and BP personnel were installing casing in the well. BP was going to seal things up, and then go off and figure out how to produce the oil -- another step entirely in the oil biz.
The Macondo Block 252 reservoir may hold as much as 100 million barrels. That's not as large as other recent oil strikes in the Gulf, but BP management was still pleased. Success is success -- certainly in the risky, deep-water oil environment. The front office of BP Exploration was preparing a press release to announce a "commercial" oil discovery.
This kind of exploration success was par for the course for Deepwater Horizon. A year ago, the vessel set a record at another site in the Gulf, drilling a well just over 35,000 feet and discovering the 3 billion barrel Tiber deposit for BP. So Deepwater Horizon was a great rig, with a great crew and a superb record. You might even say that is was lucky.
But perhaps some things tempt the gods. Some actions may invite ill fate. Because suddenly, the wild and wasteful ocean struck with a bolt from the deep.
The Lights Went out; and Then...
Witnesses state that the lights flickered on the Deepwater Horizon. Then a massive thud shook the vessel, followed by another strong vibration.
Transocean employee Jim Ingram, a seasoned offshore worker, told the U.K. Times that he was preparing for bed after working a 12-hour shift. "On the second [thud]," said Mr. Ingram, "we knew something was wrong."
Indeed, something was very wrong. Within a moment, a gigantic blast of gas, oil and drilling mud roared up through three miles of down-hole pipe and subsea risers. The fluids burst through the rig floor and ripped up into the gigantic draw-works. Something sparked. The hydrocarbons ignited.
In a fraction of a second, the drilling deck of the Deepwater Horizon exploded into a fireball. The scene was an utter conflagration.
Evacuate and Abandon Ship
There was almost no time to react. Emergency beacons blared. Battery-powered lighting switched on throughout the vessel. Crew members ran to evacuation stations. The order came to abandon ship.
Then from the worst of circumstances came the finest, noblest elements of human behavior. Everyone on the vessel has been through extensive safety training. They knew what to do. Most crew members climbed into covered lifeboats. Other crew members quickly winched the boats, with their shipmates, down to the water. Then those who stayed behind rapidly evacuated in other designated emergency craft.
Some of the crew, however, were trapped in odd parts of the massive vessel, which measures 396 feet by 256 feet -- a bit less than the size of two football fields laid side by side. They couldn't get to the boats. So they did what they had to do, which for some meant jumping -- and those jumpers did not fare so well. Several men broke bones due to the impact of their 80-foot drop to the sea. Still, it beat burning.
With searchlights providing illumination, as well as the eerie light from the flames of the raging fire, boat handlers pulled colleagues out of the water beneath the burning rig. In some instances, the plastic fittings on the lifeboats melted from the heat.
The flames intensified. Soon it was impossible for the lifeboats to function near the massive vessel. The small boats moved away from the raging fountain of fire fed by ancient oil and gas from far below.
The lifeboat skippers saved as many as they could find -- 115 -- but couldn't account for 11 workers who were, apparently, on or around the drill deck at the time of the first explosion. Nine of the missing are Transocean employees. Two others work for subcontractors.
Damon Bankston to the Rescue
Fate was not entirely cruel that night. Indeed, a supply boat was already en route to the Deepwater Horizon. It was the Tidewater Damon Bankston, a 260-foot long flat-deck supply vessel.
Damon Bankston heard the distress signal. Her captain did what great captains do. He aimed the bow toward the position of Deepwater Horizon. Then he tore through the water, moved along by four mighty Caterpillar engines rated at 10,200 horsepower. Soon, the Damon Bankston arrived on scene, sailed straight into the flames and joined the rescue.
Meanwhile, Coast Guard helicopters lifted off from pads in southern Louisiana, and Coast Guard rescue vessels left their moorings. "You have to go out," is the old Coast Guard saying. "You don't have to come back."
The helicopters flew in the black of night toward a vista of utter disaster. Arriving on scene, the pilots watched in awe as columns of flame shot as high as a 50-story building. The helicopters were buffeted by blasts of super-heated wind coming from the flames, while chunks of soot the size of your hand blew by.
The pilots hovered in the glow of the blazing rig, while Coast Guard medics fast-roped down to the deck of Damon Bankston .. The medics quickly assessed the casualties, strapped critically injured crewmen to backboards and hoisted them up to the helicopters. Then the pilots turned north and sped ashore to hospitals.
Uninjured survivors returned to land on the Damon Bankston. And others came out to fight the blistering flames.
But the Deepwater Horizon wasn't going to make it. The situation deteriorated, to the point of complete catastrophe. The ship was lost.
At about 10 a.m. CDT on Thursday morning, 36 hours after the first explosion, the Deepwater Horizon capsized and sank in 5,000 feet of water. According to BP, the hulk is located on the seafloor, upside-down, about 1,500 feet away from the Macondo well it drilled.
Still Spilling Oil
On Friday, I told you that the oil well drilled by the Deepwater Horizon was sealed in. The "official" word was that the well wasn't gushing oil into the sea. My sources were no less than U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry, of the New Orleans district, as quoted in The New York Times.
But over the weekend, Rear Adm. Landry and The New York Times reported that the well IS leaking oil, at a rate of about 1,000 barrels per day.
The on-scene information comes from remotely operated underwater robots that BP and Transocean are using to monitor the well and survey all the other wreckage of the Deepwater Horizon. There's now a large amount of equipment and pipe and a myriad of marine debris on the seafloor near the well. It's a mess.
Apparently, the blowout preventer is not controlling the flow of oil. According to Transocean, the blowout preventer on Deepwater Horizon was manufactured by Cameron Intl. (CAM: NYSE).
What happened? We don't know that just yet. Earlier reports that underwater robots sealed the blowout preventer were wrong. It's possible that the blowout preventer is only partially closed. We'll find out, eventually. Meanwhile, BP and Transocean have announced that they will make another effort to activate the blowout preventer. They need to stop that oil.
BP is also preparing to drill one or more relief wells to secure the site permanently. BP has mobilized the drilling rig Development Driller III, which is moving into position to drill a second well to intercept the leaking well. With the new well, the drillers will inject a specialized heavy fluid into the original well. This fluid will secure and block the flow of oil or gas and allow BP to permanently seal the first well.
Riser Problems?
According to the Coast Guard and BP, oil is leaking from two spots along what is left of the riser system. Here's a schematic view:
Originally, the risers (represented by the blue line in the graphic above) were affixed to the blowout preventer on the seafloor, and extended 5,000 feet straight up to the "moon pool" of the Deepwater Horizon. When the drilling vessel sank, it took the riser piping and bent it around like a pretzel.
The remnants of the riser system now follow a circuitous underwater route. According to BP, the risers extend from the wellhead up through the water column to about 1,500 feet above the seabed. Then the riser system buckles back down toward the seafloor. (Frankly, I'm astonished that it all held together as well as it has. It's a credit to the manufacturer, which I'll discuss below.)
According to the Transocean website, the riser devices on the Deepwater Horizon were manufactured by VetcoGray, a division of General Electric Oil & Gas. The specific designation is a "HMF-Class H, 21-inch outside diameter riser; 90 foot long joints with Choke & Kill, and booster and hydraulic supply lines."
Here's a photo of something similar. These are Vetco risers sections that I saw on another vessel, the Transocean Discoverer Inspiration, when I visited that ship last month:
The different color stripes on the risers indicate differing amounts of buoyancy. The idea is to put heavy riser pipe down at the bottom, connected to more buoyant risers above. The buoyancy keeps the entire riser system in more or less neutral buoyancy, so that the drill ship doesn't have to somehow hoist up the huge weight of all that pipe.
As you can see, there's a large-diameter pipe in the middle of each riser. That pipe is then encased in a buoyant foam substance. The risers are bolted together at the flange sections. The bolts are about as big as the arm of a very strong man. The nuts, which tighten things down, are the size of paint cans.
After the risers are assembled and hanging down from the drilling vessel, the drilling personnel lower and raise drilling pipe through the large-diameter center riser pipe. All the drilling mud stays inside the drill pipe on the way down hole, and inside the riser pipe on the return.
On the side of the riser sections, you can see smaller-diameter pipes. These are choke & kill, booster and hydraulic pipe components. The pipes run parallel to the large-diameter inner pipe. These pipe systems run down to the blowout preventer on the seafloor.
The idea is to keep the drilling process an enclosed system. All the "drilling stuff" -- the drill-pipe, drilling-mud and drill-cutting returns -- stays inside the large-diameter pipe. The smaller pipes hold fluid to transmit hydraulic power and help control drilling. In particular, the pipes on the side aid in communicating with and controlling the blowout preventer.
Technical Specs
Ideally, when the risers are working as intended, nothing leaks out into the sea. Then again, you're not supposed to twist and bend the riser sections like a pretzel. So how strong is a riser system? Extremely strong, actually.
According to technical literature from GE Oil & Gas, the riser equipment is "designed for use in high-pressure, critical service and deep-water drilling and production applications." The pressure-containing components are rated for working pressures of 15,000 psi. That's the same as the Cameron blowout preventer on the Deepwater Horizon. The materials used in risers have exceptional tensile and bending load characteristics.
According to Vetco paperwork that I've seen, the Class H riser sections have a 3.5 million pound load-carrying capacity. That's the equivalent weight of about four fully fueled Boeing 747s. These risers are super strong.
Still, it's not just any one single piece of riser section that does it all. These sections all get bolted together, for 5,000 feet in this case. The riser sections all have to work together as a system. The whole string is only as strong as the weakest spot. And yes, even the strongest steel will break if you apply enough stress.
It all has to work together. You've got the riser sections, along with things called HMF flanged riser connectors. Then there are HMF riser joints; flex joints; telescopic joints; and, near the top, things called "fluid-bearing, nonintegral tensioner rings." Together, these all comprise the marine riser system.
In general, the riser components compensate for heave, surge, sway, offset and torque of the drilling vessel as the ship bounces around on the sea surface. The bottom line is to maintain a tight seal -- what's called "integrity" -- between the subsea blowout preventer stack and the surface during drilling operations.
Down at the bottom, at the seafloor, the risers are connected to the blowout preventer by a connector device. The GE-Vetco spec is for a device that accommodates 7 million foot-pounds of bending load capacity. That's about eight fully fueled Boeing 747s.
What's the idea? You want a secure connection between the high-pressure wellhead system and the subsea blowout preventer stack. That's where mankind's best steel meets Mother Nature's high pressures.
High pressures? You had better believe it. And in this case, Mother Nature won. So looking forward, there's going to be a lot of forensic engineering on the well design and how things got monitored during drilling. Transocean drilled the well, but BP designed it. So the key question is how did the down-hole pressures get away like they did?
What Happens Now?
It's a good thing that the Deepwater Horizon didn't settle right on top of the well. At least there's room for the remotely operated vehicles to maneuver. Also, there's still a lot of riser still floating in the water column. So there's some element of integrity going down to the blowout preventer.
It's absolutely imperative to shut off that oil flow. We just have to hope and pray that the BP and Transocean people can get the blowout preventer shut off. Or that there's enough integrity to the risers somehow to get in there and control the leaks, perhaps with some sort of plug. One other idea is to lower a large "hood" over the leak and capture the oil so it can be pumped up to a storage tanker ship.
Meanwhile, the relief well has to go down -- carefully and safely. This Macondo well is history. Seal it. Mark it. Give it back to the sea. Move on. Don't tempt fate on this one.
And wow... for a relatively modest-sized deep-water discovery, this thing sure has turned into the well from hell.
Welcome to the World of Deep-water Risk
As I've said before, this accident is Mother Nature's wake-up call to everyone. Deep-water drilling is a high-stakes game. It's not exactly a "casino," in that there's a heck of a lot of settled science, engineering and technology involved.
But we're sure finding out the hard way what all the risks are. And it's becoming more and more clear how the totality of risk is a moving target. There's geologic risk, technical risk, engineering risk, environmental risk, capital risk and market risk.
With each deep well, these risks all come together over one very tiny spot at the bottom of the ocean. So for all the oil that's out there under deep water -- and it's a lot -- the long-term calculus of risk and return is difficult to quantify.
There's more to discuss, but I'll end here today. I'll update you as things evolve. This is big news all through the offshore industry. There are HUGE environmental issues, and certainly big political repercussions. I won't go there just now.
For now, I'll just send out collective best wishes to the people at Transocean, BP, the Coast Guard, Minerals Management and so many more. I'm sure they're doing their best.
Thanks for reading...
Byron W. King
Great work, as far as I am concerned "case closed"
the Bamster
05-01-10, 14:36
The North Koreans did it.:o
http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1367.htm
This story was writen under the pen name Sorcha Faal which is believed to be an internet hoaxer
http://educate-yourself.org/cn/sorchafaaldisinfo15mar08.shtml
montanadave
05-01-10, 14:41
And, lest we forget, we've been here before (Pemex's IXTOC 1 in 1979): http://www.incidentnews.gov/incident/6250
A tragic lose of life, the potential for an environmental disaster, an economic catastrophe for the companies involved and the multitudes of people and businesses who rely upon the waters of the Gulf of Mexico for their livelihood, and red meat for those so inclined to exploit for their political gain. There's plenty of damage to go around and more to come without resorting to half-baked conspiracy theories.
Let's just hope they get this well contained and mitigate the damage as quickly as possible.
ForTehNguyen
05-01-10, 15:52
gulf crude is a sweet and cleaner crude than the heavy sulfur crap in the Valdez disaster. Not to mention there are response crews standing buy in case of any type of release. Hell of a lot better disaster mitigation than decades ago.
Things simply aren't going well:
near Venice, LA. - sustained winds at 30 mph out of the S-SE , gusting up to 40 mph
near the shore, several booms have broken apart and oil pouring over booms due to 6-8 ft high waves
according to buoyweather.com (at the site of the spill) , seas are averaging 11 ft and cresting at 15 ft high
Mother Nature not being cooperative
2 platforms have stopped production , and another has been evacuated in the oil spill vicinity
on Thursday the oil slick was @ 1150 sq miles in circumference, by noon Saturday , it has tripled to 3850 sq miles ... mainly due to winds
scientists are now worried if the oil flow is not stopped soon, tidal currents could carry the oil slick around the FLA coast up through the Eastern coast
click here to see animation of satellite images - http://www.wwl.com/Satellite-images-...n-size/6942771
parishioner
05-01-10, 16:06
It has reached the mouth of the Mississippi.
http://media.nola.com/2010_gulf_oil_spill/photo/beneaththeoilslickjpg-26ae69ad5b2d305c_large.jpg
spookydurant
05-01-10, 16:17
It pisses me off how Obama prioritizes his plans. Doing a speech at a university in Michigan today...........I think he should have dropped what he was doing and got on this disaster first. I realize there isnt much that can be done at this point, but its just the point of him not giving a shit! Does anyone else feel this frustration? Oh and by the way....wheres Bono and Oprah?
ForTehNguyen
05-01-10, 16:23
the funny thing is Obama said he wants the expansion of drilling stopped until we find out what happens. Too bad investigations like this take years of investigation and forensics. Just shows how clueless Obama is on these type of technical matters.
It pisses me off how Obama prioritizes his plans. Doing a speech at a university in Michigan today...........I think he should have dropped what he was doing and got on this disaster first. I realize there isnt much that can be done at this point, but its just the point of him not giving a shit! Does anyone else feel this frustration? Oh and by the way....wheres Bono and Oprah?
Oh yes, their core is rooted in hypocrisy. You know if Bush was in office the left wing news outlets would have started the smear on him 5 minutes after the incident, and continue 24x7.
In the end shit happens, and I hope the oil guys find a safer way to drill. If this thing keeps pumping out oil for months the entire gulf is going to be ****ed. Imagine all the oil in a couple months, and hurricane comes through. That crap is going to be everywhere if its not already.
It is estimated to take about two months for this leak to be capped. This is a disaster, and an environmental one to boot, but it will be dealt with using the most advanced technology in the world, and will be done so as quickly as humanly possible.
As for the frozen production on some rigs in the gulf, this is what should happen, and i promise you it is taking place across the board, all over the world in regards to any fail safe systems that are similar to the ones that were on this rig. If there is an error beyond a human one, the industry needs to insure that their equipment is safe before going back into production. This entire spill will cost 10's of billions of dollars across the board (if not more).
Regarding the price of gas, well stop driving if you have a problem with the price of a gallon of gas. What is going on in The Gulf of Mexico is an unfortunate side effect to the price of doing business if we want to continue using oil as our primary fuel source. Prices will continue to climb as the price of technology to reach new oil sources increase, and since the technology is advancing as rapidly as it is, there are bound to be failures occasionally that result in price spikes.
The last thing I want to see is companies starting to cut corners after the mess so that they can keep your gallon of gas down 50 cents.
With all do respect, I am making NO ACCUSATIONS! against anyone. My deepest sympathies go to the families of those who died on the platform. It is very likely this disaster has a very logical explanation, but none of the nine statements above are untrue. The truth is that at this point and possibly at no point in the future will the cause of this disaster be fully understood given the damage and depth of the wreckage. But I don't think that this dicussion is completely outside the relm of posibility, certainly man is capable of such acts. To infer that merely discussing such a possibility somehow disrespects the deaths of 11 workers is ludicrous.
No you are disrespecting them, because you are glossing over the complexities of this situation for your personal political soap box. No offense but to me it's not different then people protesting soldiers funerals. Your exploiting catastrophe in order to suggest some sort of convoluted conspiracy that allows for you to rant and rave about your personal agenda!
People need to chill out. Yes there will be pollution on the beaches and marshes but who cares. That all can be cleaned up just as good as before it happened. The people who's property or business is damaged by this will be overly compensated.
11 people lost their lives and the media shows a bird covered in oil flopping around. Who gives a crap about a stupid bird. You cant replace human life, but we can fix the oil spill.
spookydurant
05-02-10, 01:29
Gee Bubba, it's that easy huh? With all respect to the 11 guys and their families may God bless them, but obviously you have never been to the gulf coast nor do you live there. You cant just clean up an oil spill like a glass of spilled milk. There are possibilities of entire species being wiped out due to this. No I am not a tree hugger, but I do respect wildlife and care for helpless animals who have to suffer due to our mistakes. How about a little more compassion and insight to the whole situation, not just loss of human life?
I do live on the gulf coast; I enjoy fishing in the gulf and I spend time on her beaches. I am saddened this has happened and it is unfortunate that animals will die.
Don't get me wrong, this is an unfortunate event. But this is getting blown out of proportion. We have bigger problems in this country then an oil slick on our beaches that can be cleaned up. For instance the drug war going on on our boarders.
bub,
Time will tell but I'll go a cold beer this is going to end up much worse than anyone first expected. There's a lot of smart guys/gals working on it but I don't foresee any quick solution to stopping the leak.
If major supply lines become un-navicable...it's gonna hurt alot more than just the civis on the gulf coast.
If major supply lines become un-navicable...it's gonna hurt alot more than just the civis on the gulf coast.
That is a good point.
I am afraid it will be at least a couple months before they are able to kill the well. I hope they can figure out a better way to collect the oil before then.
parishioner
05-02-10, 17:01
PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Earlier today, DHS Secretary Napolitano announced that this incident is of national significance and the Department of Interior has announced that they will be sending SWAT teams to the Gulf to inspect all platforms and rigs. And I have ordered the Secretaries of Interior and Homeland Security as well as Administrator Lisa Jackson of the Environmental Protection Agency to visit the site on Friday to ensure that BP and the entire U.S. government is doing everything possible, not just to respond to this incident, but also to determine its cause."
Hmm...I thought this was just a freak accident. Surely they aren't being sent to make sure the valves are working and the drills are drilling because the last time I checked SWAT teams weren't experts in the oil industry.
here's a quote from a compadre on the ground / la:
Sunday update
Let's just say things are looking worse every day , as there is no prediction date when the leak will be stopped
The Coastguard has also said that that leak rate could turn out to be much greater than 5,000 barrels since current numbers are only guesstimates.
LA fisherman and shrimpers who know this area (bays , marshes, coastline, etc...) are pleading to help so they can set out booms to minimize the damage. They want to save their industry and the ecosystem
Sadly , Government red tape and politics are taking to long to grant them permission to help. The POTUS has waited nine days to act on this oil disaster in the Gulf.
originally, I think BP thought they could handle the problem themselves. I believe BP is doing ALL they can to fix this problem yet it has overwhelmed them. All the majors (Exxon, Shell, etc....) worldwide are trying to help BP figure out how to cork this thing.
in the long run, BP is the responsible party under the OPA, so they are on the hook for all cleanup expense. There is also a funded federal oil spill fund into which the oil companies pay for spill response which has a billion plus in it, and that will be used for compensation to third parties.
If fed resources are used directly in cleanup, they will send the bill to BP. All the majors and the feds will throw all their available resources at the crisis, and fight later over who pays who back.
Several days ago it was reported that the decision was made not to install a half million dollar electronic remote control BOP, on the basis that it was unnecessary. While that might have failed too, this is going to drive the lawyers nuts....I'm sure TransOcean and BP are going back over that little email chain right now dropping turds over who made the final call.
I support and pray for all who are involved as this ain't good. Even if they stop the leak today, there are still millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf
100 ton steel domes are being fabricated to place over the leaks. The technology has been deployed for leaks at much shallower depths but has never been used for a deep-sea spill.
a drill ship has been dispatched to the area to begin digging a relief well that would intercept the oil from the existing pipes at about 18,000 feet below the surface. This will allow the company to close off the leaking well, but the process will take at least three months and possibly much longer.
Since Friday, high winds & waves have rendered some booms useless
rickrock305
05-02-10, 22:11
People need to chill out. Yes there will be pollution on the beaches and marshes but who cares. That all can be cleaned up just as good as before it happened. The people who's property or business is damaged by this will be overly compensated.
11 people lost their lives and the media shows a bird covered in oil flopping around. Who gives a crap about a stupid bird. You cant replace human life, but we can fix the oil spill.
this response is just sad, and so unbelievably ignorant...
apparently you have no idea what the ramifications of this mess are.
John_Wayne777
05-02-10, 22:34
As for the frozen production on some rigs in the gulf, this is what should happen, and i promise you it is taking place across the board, all over the world in regards to any fail safe systems that are similar to the ones that were on this rig.
How, exactly, can you "promise" that it is? The Russians, the Chinese, the Venezuelans, and all the other interests around the world who are drilling offshore have ceased production until they get to the bottom of what happened in the gulf?
I'd love to see the evidence of that. I think you'll be hard pressed to find it.
How, exactly, can you "promise" that it is? The Russians, the Chinese, the Venezuelans, and all the other interests around the world who are drilling offshore have ceased production until they get to the bottom of what happened in the gulf?
I'd love to see the evidence of that. I think you'll be hard pressed to find it.
Source? I was waiting for that. Your right I can't prove anything in regards to the producers your talking about above. Rather I was talking about the U.S., and U.K. producers whose primary market for refined gas and oil products are the United States and Europe. Those companies that are listed on the big board... My apologies.
As for my source?
Well, my father spent a total of 6 years getting this project off the ground, and up and running for a major oil producer:
http://www.iain-fisher.co.uk/CV%20Website/travel5.jpg
The extent of this project (the largest in the world at the time, and if I remember correctly the largest single investment on the part of the company) has been spread over multiple countries. His involvement meant the building of the ship, transport of the ship, first several years of operation, and training for the future employees, as well as allocating all of the spare parts and stocking them for any future breakdowns. He is also a safety coordinator for said company.
Yes, I am a son of a roughneck. I grew up in the oil fields of Wyoming. I've known the best way to survive gas leaks and blow outs since around the same time I knew how to handle a firearm (about 5).
I don't even consider the producing nations your talking about when I think about projects like this. Why? Because the only way they effect the price of oil is through manipulation of the 3rd world market, not by investing in exploratory projects that insure that 1st world stock holders see a profit on their returns.
So why did I write what I wrote? Because every one of the big boys is deeply invested in exploratory deep well drilling, on land and off (deep sea). All of the big boys have invested the billions they made in the last two decades into securing projects like the Horizon , and the one I posted an image of above. They did this in order to insure their future profitability as a company and in inlight of the 80's/90's realities of; OPEC, the above producers you listed, the growing 3rd world demand, and the depletion of US federal reserves.
Each company utilizes an equation that determines if the investment into the new technology will produce a certain percentage of returns annually. If the project doesn't pan out, they don't invest. The Horizon was a major investment, and it was made based off these returns, which would have been spread out over decades. It was also the considered the cutting edge in regards to technology. Therefore so was the safety system on it (or something close to it within the last 5 years). The system was also redundant as all hell. It was deemed by the company as more then capable of protecting its investment/profit, and the lives of its workers.
If you think for a second that all of these major deep drilling projects aren't being reviewed by the big boys and put on hold while system checks are preformed, then your naive and un-aware of how the industry works.
Exxon Valdez was the worst PR disaster the Oil Industry could have ever suffered. It destroyed a large majority of the public's trust in Exxon, it made us timid about off shore drilling, on shore drilling, and transport of oil through "sensitive" areas. The tragedy was blamed on Exxon, not on the reality of the situation. Not on the fact that it was human error that caused the accident. All of this despite the facts that: 1. Some of the most successful advancements in the areas of oil cleanup came as a result of this accident, and 2. There have been several (last count on my end 7) spills internationally since Valdez that have been worse both in gallons lost and damage to the environment.
Moral of the story? New technology blowing up, killing workers, and drowning baby sea lions off the coast of the United States is bad for the numbers. Also, any US/UK based company that experiences similar problems abroad, while not as ugly, is also bad for the numbers, especially if it involves baby sea lions covered in oil.
Solution: Avoid all three at all costs no matter if it means stopping production for a short (or long period) and thus resulting in you the consumer having to pay a little bit more at the pump.
ExxonMobil, Shell, ChevronTexaco, and BP don't give a flying f@ck about what we pay at the pump. They only care that we will still be paying something similar in twenty years for the same product. Shutting down production right now to insure that this happens is not a concern.
From my end, I'm happy that these equations are in existence as it means that the people that know how to do their jobs can take the time to train more, and solve problems so that future tragedies don't happen. It means my father and people just like him can shut something down quickly and efficiently and not be questioned about a loss of immediate sales if they deem there is a safety risk to the workers and companies.
ForTehNguyen
05-03-10, 14:30
Tribute video to the 11 that died on the Deepwater Horizon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P16TDF9qEKo
This is a tribute to the 11 men missing from the Deepwater Horizon. I did not make this video but I did feel it needed to be up for the world to see. Oilfield workers catch a bad wrap but most don't understand it is a way of life for us and once in a while some of our brothers pay the ultimate sacrifice. The song is by Trace Adkins, it's called Missing You. Trace used to work for Transocean so it is fitting that his song speaks well about what we go through. Please don't leave hateful comments or I will delete them.
Jason Anderson
Dewey Revette
Donald Clark
Stephen Curtis
Dale Burkeen
Roy Kemp
Karl Kleppinger
Shane Roshto
Adam Weise
Gordon Jones
Blair Manuel
Tribute video to the 11 that died on the Deepwater Horizon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P16TDF9qEKo
As the brother of a Rough Neck, this is what it's about. These guys were just out there supporting their families. It's important for all of us to be responsible stewards of our environment, of course, but these men are never coming back home. Ever. There are many in this country who have it backward.
"God Speed to the men and their families, but..." is a crock.
parishioner
05-03-10, 16:58
Tribute video to the 11 that died on the Deepwater Horizon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P16TDF9qEKo
Thank you. I'm getting about sick and tired of seeing the dead sea turtles shown over and over.
Thank you. I'm getting about sick and tired of seeing the dead sea turtles shown over and over.
I'm sorry as I know those eleven men meant the world to their families, but eleven human beings is a pretty small deal compared to the damage this leak is going to do to the ecosystem. We're talking tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of fish, birds, turtles, shrimp, oysters, organisms, etc., being wiped out. Those wetlands and marshes will take decades, possible centuries, to recover. We haven't even touched on had badly this will affect the economy. From tourism to fishermen, this is going to affect a lot more than eleven families.
What if it takes three months to cap this well? This leak, as it's not really a spill, could dump up to two million gallons of oil. This is an environmental disaster of epic proportions.
ForTehNguyen
05-03-10, 18:38
What if it takes three months to cap this well? This leak, as it's not really a spill, could dump up to two million gallons of oil. This is an environmental disaster of epic proportions.
Valdez spilled 10.8 million gallons of heavier nastier thicker crude. If you look at all the major spills in the last 43 years, this one is pretty small.
post 9:
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=53059
Valdez spilled 10.8 million gallons of heavier nastier thicker crude. If you look at all the major spills in the last 43 years, this one is pretty small.
post 9:
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=53059
I stand corrected, but my math is also incorrect. 200K gallons a day, over 90 days, would be about 18 million gallons. Still much smaller than some in the thread you posted. Still large enough to do enormous economic and environmental damage.
Belmont31R
05-03-10, 19:21
I stand corrected, but my math is also incorrect. 200K gallons a day, over 90 days, would be about 18 million gallons. Still much smaller than some in the thread you posted. Still large enough to do enormous economic and environmental damage.
I think location has more to do with it than the exactl amount of gallons spilled.
The shores next to this well are hugely important to the coastal economy, and our seafood supply. If you spill oil in the sticks even if its 5x as much who cares?
It pisses me off how Obama prioritizes his plans. Doing a speech at a university in Michigan today...........I think he should have dropped what he was doing and got on this disaster first. I realize there isnt much that can be done at this point, but its just the point of him not giving a shit! Does anyone else feel this frustration? Oh and by the way....wheres Bono and Oprah?
I'm not a fan of any of these people that you mentioned, but what exactly is it that you want them to accomplish? We're going to need a ton of money to clean up the coast, and I'm sure that Bono, Oprah and Obama will help with that. In the mean time, all we can do is wait and try to contain as much as the oil as possible, then start the cleanup as soon as we have a good idea as to the scale of the tragedy. This is an entirely different beast from Katrina.
I'm sorry as I know those eleven men meant the world to their families, but eleven human beings is a pretty small deal compared to the damage this leak is going to do to the ecosystem. We're talking tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of fish, birds, turtles, shrimp, oysters, organisms, etc., being wiped out. Those wetlands and marshes will take decades, possible centuries, to recover. We haven't even touched on had badly this will affect the economy. From tourism to fishermen, this is going to affect a lot more than eleven families.
What if it takes three months to cap this well? This leak, as it's not really a spill, could dump up to two million gallons of oil. This is an environmental disaster of epic proportions.
Are you really placing economic value on a human life, much less eleven human lives? Really?
Are you really placing economic value on a human life, much less eleven human lives? Really?
Yea I can tell you that his response could get him strung out to dry if he said that in the wrong part of the country. Like a few other people in this thread I have lived with the looming possibility that my father, some of my friends, and countless other people I know could not come home from work because of an oil and gas accident. It is something I have lived with my entire life, and I have seen first hand the damage, and pain it causes not only a family but also a community. I don't think the person you quoted realizes that these deaths have resulted in pain (to some degree) for every family of every oil field worker in the nation.
But to be honest I have come to terms with the reality that my father does the job he does, and LOVES the job he does, and did the job he did so well as to provide me with the choice to not do the job he does if I so desire. Also that he does this at great risk to his life, and to the mental well being of his family. I've experienced work place deaths at his sites, and the stress of a mechanical failure. The realities of not knowing if he was there, of finding out later, of not knowing where exactly he is, or if he's alive until he calls, and I'm finally at peace with it.
While I love him more then the world, the reality is that his life does have a monetary value, and the loss of his life has a negative monetary value in regards to the company and industry. So while I loathe what the guy your quoting is saying, and at a younger age would have punched him in the face if he said it within ear shot, I do understand what he is trying to say. I don't agree with it, but I understand it.
He does need to scale it back a bit though and realize that this horrible disaster he is freaking out about may not be as catastrophic as he is predicting.
spookydurant
05-04-10, 01:41
I'm not a fan of any of these people that you mentioned, but what exactly is it that you want them to accomplish? We're going to need a ton of money to clean up the coast, and I'm sure that Bono, Oprah and Obama will help with that. In the mean time, all we can do is wait and try to contain as much as the oil as possible, then start the cleanup as soon as we have a good idea as to the scale of the tragedy. This is an entirely different beast from Katrina. I really dont expect these people to accomplish much, I know they are people just like me and you, my intended gripe is......the attitude of the media and celebs. It seems hip to help 3rd world nations these days and the celebs work everybody up like strippers to give their hard earned cash, BUT when a disaster happens in CONUS, you hear nothing from these people. They carry on with their shallow lives until their PR people tell them that they might get a few more ratings by showing up and interviewing some helpless soul on tv, all the while theyre designer trailers and custom cuisines are waiting for them close by. It happened during Katrina and it will happen again, it just sucks that most of the mainstream population fall for it everytime and glamourize these retards even more!
I'm not saying it was done purposefully but in regard to costing 1 billion to replace, I'm not sure how that is relevant. It's not like taxpayers will be footing the bill for a replacement rig.
Yeah they will. At the gas pump. If you buy BP that is. The price of BP gas has been going up in my area a few cents a day since this happened, while every other brand has been steady.
parishioner
05-04-10, 07:33
Yeah they will. At the gas pump. If you buy BP that is. The price of BP gas has been going up in my area a few cents a day since this happened, while every other brand has been steady.
Correct. Taxpayers won't be footing the bill involuntarily.
I really dont expect these people to accomplish much, I know they are people just like me and you, my intended gripe is......the attitude of the media and celebs. It seems hip to help 3rd world nations these days and the celebs work everybody up like strippers to give their hard earned cash, BUT when a disaster happens in CONUS, you hear nothing from these people. They carry on with their shallow lives until their PR people tell them that they might get a few more ratings by showing up and interviewing some helpless soul on tv, all the while theyre designer trailers and custom cuisines are waiting for them close by. It happened during Katrina and it will happen again, it just sucks that most of the mainstream population fall for it everytime and glamourize these retards even more!
I think I can agree with that.
Yeah they will. At the gas pump. If you buy BP that is. The price of BP gas has been going up in my area a few cents a day since this happened, while every other brand has been steady.
I'm guessing all the suppliers will increase soon enough.
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