Saturday, May 15, 2010

Crater Plume Gassing

DeepwaterHorizonJIC — May 12, 2010 — ROBERT, La. -- Oil and gas stream from the riser of the Deepwater Horizon well May 11, 2010. This video is from the larger of two existing leaks on the riser. This leak is located approximately 460 feet from the top of the blowout preventer and rests on the sea floor at a depth of about 5,000 feet.

The Russians had several blowouts off their coast a few years ago. It might be worth the long distance toll to call their head engineer and find out what they did. Constant updates regarding BP's grave concern sent to the tweet-o-sphere don't seem to be slowing the plume. I did see something I found telling: a rather portly politician, straight out of central casting (big daddy accent, quivering in indignation, hair slicked) crying where-o-where were the regulators. (jeez, I don't know. Laid off a few years back maybe?) Almost as sad are the talking head panels, containing carefully coiffed and manicured expert journalists, seated comfortably in a studio on the forty third floor, using that damnable omniscient newsroom voice to explain what they would have done had they deigned to get their hands dirty. (yes, yes Jon, but as our audience knows, mine is bigger) My question is, since the initial collection tower was plagued by ice and freezing oil, could that very thing be turned to an advantage? That is to say restricting the flow, than letting it expand to create a frozen plug to buy some time. It wouldn't be permanent, but it might allow divers enough space to attach something that was.

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