Thread: Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

However far from Russia it might be the news of the massive oil spill in Gulf of Mexico makes me shudder. What terrible impact it may have on everything in and around, and not only, that area?!
I didn’t understand from what’s on the net whether the oil flow has been contained yet or not. It seems they only talk of the number of barrels being spilt daily into the Gulf, that the erosion of the piping could lead to even greater leakage, of the environmental hazards and the eminent threat to the seafood industry of the Gulf never mentioning the fact that the hole in Earth on the sea bottom remains unplugged so far and the oil is gushing out unrestrained. What’s the use of blabbering about the damage that’s been done when the magnitude of the damage to come may be God only knows how many times bigger.
What’s the news? How do you feel, people of the USA and the area? Is that a new Chernobyl on the go?

Alex,

I am certain there are others on the forum far better educated than I am about all of this... but to quickly answer you... from what I have heard... the oil is not contained and BP has stated that they are accepting help from everyone and anyone who is offering it at this point.

The people of New Orleans have suffered yet another terrible blow to their lives. There was an interview this morning on national news with a man who was finally getting his fishing business back on track after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and he was in the process of building a dock of some sort and now he fears he will loss everything all over again.

I heard they are thinking of placing a dome over the underground rig to stop the oil from flowing, and then somehow try to solve the problem later, but that it will take MONTHS to construct that.

It's a terrible tragedy.. I read that this spill may be worse than the "ExxonValdez" spill in Alaska, back in.... 1990s (or earlier?) Anyway that was a terrible spill that still has an impact on the environment there.

I agree about the poor people of New Orleans; seems to be no end to their misfortune. And they weren't well to do to start with!

Oil companies are terrible; I worked for over a year at Shell, and that is an epicentre of hippocracy; it tries to present itself as environmental and socially concious -- in reality it's exploiting places like Nigeria and polluting where it is extracting oil. (It was a decent place to work though, jolly good free staff canteen and lots of excellent benefits. Thanks to the fantastic profits they were able to squeeze out of Africa and elsewhere... )

Without the public watching and laws to control them, there would have been a lot more accidents like this! I wonder if this was a genuine mistake, or the results of inadequate checks or shoddy work.

I really couldn't care less if this affair took BP down. I can't stand oil companies and I think it's terrible we are still so dependant on oil.

This should never have happened.

Conspiracy theories are already up for this. Like here, for example,
http://www.planbeconomics.com/2010/04/2 ... lated-risk

Interesting conspiracy theory.But it's a Catch 22 type situation and I absolutely don't think this is a conspiracy.

The people who are against offshore drilling for environmental reasons wouldn't morally be able to convince themselves to use this strategy, since it would lead to an ecological catastrophy. Secondly, the leak is at very deep under water and the area is probably under surveillance. Getting there and bursting the pipeline would need very expensive equipment and involvement of professionals, or the navy. It just sprung leak, I'm sure. No conspiracy.

But they have a point though: America's extreme dependence on oil, and the length it is prepared to go to, to get it (and the depths it is prepared to sink to...) is a valid concern. Iraq... no WMDs, but oil galore... Interesting. Next on the "liberation" hit list; Iran. Coincidence?

All developed nations need to scale down their dependence and start using alternatives....

Originally Posted by Johanna

[s:2beal4om]Interesting[/s:2beal4om] Boring conspiracy theory.But it's a Catch 22 type situation and I absolutely don't think this is a conspiracy.

Fixed your post.

They can teach the population how to fracturize oil at home (free gasoline!) and everyone will go out collecting it from the sea surface.

Seriously though, will BP go bankrupt after that? I don't think any insurance company would be able to cover the damage they'd inflicted.

I don't see what the big deal is! So what if the oil slick is bigger than the state of Florida. It's only CRUDE natural pure and pristine as Mother Nature oil. It's a natural substance from the Earth! It's not like it is some man made synthetic icky stuff. Who cares if a bunch of pelicans and penguins get their beaks full of crude oil? That will teach them to go where Mother Nature's winds blow this beautiful oil slick, just like they should stay away from volcanoes. Why isn't Jacques Cousteau at the bottom of the ocean filming this stuff for his nature programs? I don't get it!

So, I’m guessing, you don’t stand up and join in when the anthem is being sung and, on Independence Day, the broad stripes aren’t gallantly streaming o'er the home of the brave, do you, are they? Or is it just you being sarcastic?

Originally Posted by Johanna

I worked for over a year at Shell, and that is an epicentre of hippocracy; it tries to present itself as environmental and socially concious -- in reality it's exploiting places like Nigeria and polluting where it is extracting oil.

Normally I don't hijack threads to nitpick misspellings, but this one likely means 'ruled by horses'.

Without the public watching and laws to control them, there would have been a lot more accidents like this! I wonder if this was a genuine mistake, or the results of inadequate checks or shoddy work.

Is someone forgot to close a valve if he slept 4 hours during last 24 hours or didn't put his signature in some unrelated document - is it a mistake or shoddy work?

Some people are suggesting this method to solve the problem :

http://article.nationalreview.com/43.../daniel-foster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpPNQoTlacU

Originally Posted by Basil77

Some people are suggesting this method to solve the problem :

http://article.nationalreview.com/43.../daniel-foster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpPNQoTlacU

I can imagine...
Theoretically though it's a sound plan, but thousands of things can go wrong. This plan involves drilling a hole on the seabed and placing the charge very precisely or otherwise in addition to oil contamination they'll irradiate the place and it would become too hazardous for humans to try something else.
And besides, if a word of this will leak BEFORE they do it the masses would go into hysterics.

Originally Posted by Ramil

Originally Posted by Basil77

Some people are suggesting this method to solve the problem :

http://article.nationalreview.com/43.../daniel-foster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpPNQoTlacU

I can imagine...
Theoretically though it's a sound plan, but thousands of things can go wrong. This plan involves drilling a hole on the seabed and placing the charge very precisely or otherwise in addition to oil contamination they'll irradiate the place and it would become too hazardous for humans to try something else.
And besides, if a word of this will leak BEFORE they do it the masses would go into hysterics.

Actually, they used specially designed devices. Like those:



I doubt one can just take a warhead from a missile and drop it into a well. It likely won't go in.

Originally Posted by Basil77

Some people are suggesting this method to solve the problem :

http://article.nationalreview.com/43.../daniel-foster

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpPNQoTlacU

BP has no nukes (fortunately)! I guess that was an "advantage" in the USSR; the state could borrow from one part of its enterprises to solve the problems in another... Plus they probably didn't need to seriously consider public opinion, or worry about media scrutinizing their every move.

I didn't quite understand how that solution worked though?!
Iti-ogo and Crocodile are the scientists here, I think. Is that feasible?

But why not use nukes for a positive thing?
It can't really get much worse than it is, can it?

Of course it's shouldn't be a regular warhead from a strategic intercontinental missle. But it looks like a small tactical nuke with a shape, designed specially to fit a drillhole could work. But of course I'm not a specialist, it's just dilettante's thoughts. But maybe they should invite Bruce Willis or the guys who made Fallout sequel?

Originally Posted by Hanna

I didn't quite understand how that solution worked though?!

Have you watched the video (the second link)?

Originally Posted by Hanna

BP has no nukes (fortunately)!

If by August the total of the oil spilt amounts to ten Exxon Valdez they’ll find them whatever warheads are necessary for the leak and one for the Britain itself.

No need to nuke Britain please (although I am fed up with this dump, I am not THAT fed up yet...)

BP is not state-owned, it's private... The majority shareholders of BP would be better to nuke, who have been pushing for profits at the expense of safety...


I read today that the US government is forcing BP to build some kind of wall to protect the coastline from the oil. But what happens to all the oil then? Is it just floating around in the sea and killing sea animals..? Or does it sink to the bottom eventually?

Originally Posted by Basil77

Have you watched the video (the second link)?

No I hadn't, but now I have... That's pretty clever. I am too tired to read the whole article but skimmed it. Why is this referred to as proganda; it seems to be a reasonably objective summary of some successful actions taken by an un-named country to stop a disaster. Quite a creative solution, and it was amazing that they did not register any radiation after doing that.

One difference is that the current problem is a mile under water.

Obama is not doing anything! He immediately refused help from Britain, Holland and Norway. He has told BP to do things that don't work as if HE was an expert.
The fact is the only other wells sunk this deep into the earth's crust were done by the Russians, only the Russians were smart enough to drill on dry land....not 5,000 feet through water first and then 22,000 feet into the crust. The Russians knew that this was foolish! Russians are the experts at drilling wells this deep (up to 42,000 feet into the crust) They have 304 deep wells. They drill this deep because they are smart enough to KNOW that oil is NOT a fossil fuel! It is ABIOTC! There are no hydrocarbons at these depths so oil can not be and organic substance. Because of this Russia has MORE oil than the Middle East.

The pressure at that depth is 100,000 p.s.i. When the well blew it shattered the pipe casings and sent oil up to the bottom of the ocean floor through cracked fissures. So there are other holes to plug beside the one they show us on the video camera. Not only that, there is gas coming out too, and it is poisonous! Hydrogen sulfide, methane, and benzine. Some people are already getting sick. The media is controlled there, there is security restricting anyone from unauthorized contact with the workers and people are not talking.

There is also talk of a huge bubble of gas accumulating on the ocean floor which is already several miles long. When this eventually comes to the surface it will sink any of the boats that happen to be on the surface and who knows what that gas will do after that!

...