How to fix the gulf oil leak

Terry B · #1 18-06-2010, 03:24 PM

These guys seem to have a good idea.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=297058310

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #2 18-06-2010, 03:25 PM

I thought they were going to plug up the leak with Sara Palin.

AstralTraveller (David) · #3 18-06-2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

I thought they were going to plug up the leak with Sara Palin.

Isn't there enough froth and bubble there already? Anyway, does she know where the Gulf of Mexico is?

JimmyH155 · #4 18-06-2010, 04:23 PM

they are thinking of using nukes. I heard

Nesti (Mark) · #5 18-06-2010, 04:43 PM

With share holder certificates.

Nesti (Mark) · #6 18-06-2010, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

I thought they were going to plug up the leak with Sara Palin.

Yeah, she can then get close and personal with her 2000 year old Dinosaur buddies.

Astro78 · #7 18-06-2010, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nesti

With share holder certificates.

Steffen · #8 18-06-2010, 05:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Isn't there enough froth and bubble there already? Anyway, does she know where the Gulf of Mexico is?

Can't she see it from her house?

Cheers
Steffen.

bartman (Bart) · #9 19-06-2010, 06:38 AM

Does the plug accommodate for mud/spa baths?
............

renormalised (Carl) · #10 19-06-2010, 10:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Isn't there enough froth and bubble there already? Anyway, does she know where the Gulf of Mexico is?

Given their great general knowledge of the world over there, she'd probably say in Mexico....which would mean somewhere in central Siberia once she stuck the pin on the map

renormalised (Carl) · #11 19-06-2010, 10:49 AM

They're all having a go at BP, and yes they own the leases on the field and the oil rig itself. But it was Transoceanic who owned the drilling equipment and did most of the drilling work, and Haliburton who supplied the men and the equipment to cap the hole in the first place. Two U.S. companies with major political interests tied into them. Nothing's being said about either of them, yet they're both even more responsible for the disaster than BP is. All BP is (even though they should share the blame) being used as is a convenient, foreign, whipping boy. The hypocrisy of this crisis is unbelievable...and then Obama comes out in his address from the Oval Office and more rubbish comes out of his mouth. Ultimately, nothing concrete will get done about moving away from using oil and developing new technologies...too much money and power are involved.

peter_4059 (Peter) · #12 19-06-2010, 11:02 AM

Well said Carl - except the rig Deepwater Horizon was owned by Transocean - not BP.

http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/Dee...ml?LayoutID=17

Nesti (Mark) · #13 19-06-2010, 11:27 AM

There's a reason why the Obama Administration is now using the title "British Petroleum" and not the usual "BP".

BP is the primary on the leasehold of that drill site, therefore it's legally culpable. BP did apply pressure to Transoceanic and insisted not to stop drilling even though the warning signs were all there.

But this leak is part of a much greater issue called, 'Peak Oil'. We are taking more and more risks to get the Oil out of the ground.

I have bought and waiting to receive the movie/doc 'Collapse' which covers what will happen when Peak Oil is reached.

peter_4059 (Peter) · #14 19-06-2010, 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nesti

BP did apply pressure to Transoceanic and insisted not to stop drilling even though the warning signs were all there.

Haven't heard this reported before - what's your source Mark?

Waxing_Gibbous (Peter) · #15 19-06-2010, 01:24 PM

As I work for a competing oil company, BP can take all the blame as far as I'm concerned

! But to be fair, Mark is correct.
The ins and outs of who owns what asset in the oil business varies from rig to rig and venture to venture, but ultimately the party holding the lease and contracting the 'drill' will be held responsible. It'll be up to BP to claw its fines back from its contractors.
Its an epic disaster though!

multiweb (Marc) · #16 19-06-2010, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter_4059

Haven't heard this reported before - what's your source Mark?

Yes - I agree with that assessment. There are a couple of emails going around with 60 minutes correspondent Scott Pelley who interviewed Mike Williams, a survivor who jumped off the rig, being bounced around walls by a few explosions prior. Really lucky escape. It is quite obvious that BP bullied hard to push production and schedules. There were a number of things wrong with the rig that all parties involved knew about, the most vital being what they call the BOP. He says:

"...It's used to seal the well shut in order to test the pressure and integrity of the well, and, in case of a blowout, it's the crew's only hope. A key component is a rubber gasket at the top called an "annular," which can close tightly around the drill pipe...." ... they found broken parts of the rubber gasket inside the mud...

Drilling went on although everybody knew all this two weeks prior to the blowout. Murphy's law prevailed again. That's all there is to it. You know the rest. Now it's all pointing fingers and blaming game.

You could blame Transocean because they own the rig for not telling BP execs off at the time. That's the only thing they did wrong. BP pushed hard, ignored the warning and risks and ultimately collected... now the bloody thing that's worth 100s of millions of dollars is resting on the sea floor I wonder if their profit margin is out of the window?

Nesti (Mark) · #17 19-06-2010, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peter_4059

Haven't heard this reported before - what's your source Mark?

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ana...ill-2010-06-18

http://www.businessinsider.com/tony-...nsocean-2010-5

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37363106/ns/gulf_oil_spill

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/This-M....html?x=0&.v=1

Nesti (Mark) · #18 19-06-2010, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waxing_Gibbous

As I work for a competing oil company, BP can take all the blame as far as I'm concerned

! But to be fair, Mark is correct.
The ins and outs of who owns what asset in the oil business varies from rig to rig and venture to venture, but ultimately the party holding the lease and contracting the 'drill' will be held responsible. It'll be up to BP to claw its fines back from its contractors.
Its an epic disaster though!

Yes indeed, it's as sad a it gets...we've more than likely past the 2 million barrels (318 Million litres) mark by now.

The well can leak at this rate for 2-4 years...if they can't stop it with the bypass wells, but that's 1-2 months away...sterilising it with a Nuke may be the best option...it's death for the southern states though.

rcheshire (Rowland) · #19 19-06-2010, 06:58 PM

Quote:

It is quite obvious that BP bullied hard to push production and schedules. There were a number of things wrong with the rig that all parties involved knew about, the most vital being what they call the BOP

This can be said for the Alpha Platform, Exxon Valdez, Esso/Exxon Sale plant explosion, the Alaska pipeline and any other organisational accident/incident you care to mention.

The interesting thing is that there is plenty of literature to show that these types of accidents are avoidable - Prof. James Reason, if your familiar with his work, defined organisational accidents 20 years ago - however, they are discussed as an 'event', as though in isolation - memory is short. The issues leading up to this are systemic, and in BP's case chronic. There are few organisational failures associated with this disaster that differ from previous disasters.

Exxon paid out only $500,000 in damages years after the Valdez memory and the people affected had moved on. It will be interesting to see 10 years down the track while BP stall action against them just what the consequences are - I would suggest minimal. It's cheaper for BP to pay out millions in legal costs, than accept responsibility - which was Exxon's strategy.

My guess is that this will bring about reform, and BP will be shown to have a culture inconsistent with the risks that its business involves. The Alaska pipeline affair was sufficient to show that BP's culture is problematic - time for a change of management.

peter_4059 (Peter) · #20 19-06-2010, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nesti

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ana...ill-2010-06-18

Now that's a reliable source "With billions of dollars in liability at stake, Anadarko Petroleum Corp. took direct aim Friday at BP PLC, blasting its Macondo field partner for what it called reckless behavior leading to the worst oil spill ever in U.S. waters. "

and it gets better

"If you get in a Gulf Coast drilling accident and want to sue the hell out of Transocean, Tony Buzbee is your go-to guy.

The Texas lawyer brags ...."