Valdez was 11 million gallons or about 1.6 million gallons per day for a week. However, this oil leak is about 200,000 gallons per day. One week would be 1.4 million gallons. Still, a lot of oil and we have no idea how long it will take to cap it. I just had some Crawfish today!
To be more precised 1.47 million gallons per week. If it takes 3 months, or 12 weeks to cap as estimated, that is 17.6 millon gallons into the Gulf.... 60% larger than Valdez!
Interesting info in this Times article. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/01/us/01engineering.html?src=twt&twt=nytimesscience "Solution to Capping Well Stays Elusive"
I don't think there is much oxygen down there so can't they just shoot some missiles at it and collapse it.
That would just destroy the well cap and bring about 100x more oil out. The well cap is leaking, but is holding back the vast amount of oil under the surface. If its destroyed, the oil would just bubble out like a volcano.
Valdez confirmed this perspective as accurate. (Although, to be fair no other company would have been able to afford what Exxon paid for in clean-up. They did try...)
This whole thing will probably cost BP $3-5 Billion. BP made $6 Billion in the first quarter this year. They can afford to pay for it. Not to mention, Anadarko is 38% owner of this well. They will owe 38% of the cost. Also, if you think BP won't sue Transocean for a significant portion of the clean up bill, you'd probably be mistaken.
I have no doubts that BP can afford the clean up. Or that the legal fallout will take forever and hit all the necessary players. It still won't help as much as it should.
I agree with Bill Maher: Not that drilling is always bad, there's obvioulsy a need for oil. However, the unthinking atitude of some of the "Drill baby drill" crowd is troubling.
I'd like to see the President out there on the beaches helping with the cleanup. Seriously. He should take an afternoon or morning to show his concern to the nation. Bring the family and let them help, as well. This is an incredible disaster. I think it would be a nice change from some of the reactions we've seen in the past from former presidents in similar circumstances.
This isn't a partisan issue, as much as some try to make it be. This is about what is best for America, and to some, what is best for the world. It would be nice to start seeing people own up to their choices. You can't have your cake and eat it too. If you want coastal drilling, you better be ready to live with the consequences. And as thadeus said, the thing that brings my piss to a boil is that the arseholes who pushed this forward without taking enough precautionary measures won't be punished for this, meanwhile everybody who depends on the Gulf for their livelihood is royally f***ed. There used to be a time when that wouldn't happen. But sadly, this is the new American justice.
Haliburton makes BOP's among a vast amount of oil equipment and tools. Not sure if they made the one that failed or not. Haliburton is a huge company that does a lot of stuff. I'm sure they make at least one thing that is on every rig in the Gulf. Please don't make this a Dick Cheney thing.
And here, I thought you were all for drilling? Anyway, the latest polls show that the "Drill Baby Drill" group was strongly against any safety measures for offshore drilling. If fact, recently discovered documents have revealed that they support disasters like this because now all Americans have a fair chance to go and collect oil of the Gulf Coast shorelines to make some money during these difficult times. This was always the fundamental purpose of chanting "Drill Baby Drill". More astonishingly, detailed questioning has also revealed that support for offshore drilling had really nothing to do with an "all of the above" strategy for energy independence from the Arabs or creating more jobs for Americans. Also, recent documents attained by Bill Maher proves that their original motto was "Die Earth Die!"
