BP Claims Oil Leak Into Sea is "Visibly Reduced" Top Kill Sunday
| Oil spill video: Times-Picayune reporter update |
| Oil spill video: Times-Picayune reporter update |
BP now claims to be retrieving roughly 5,000 barrels per day via the riser siphon tube, with continued leakage of oil from the site. If BP's retrieval estimates are accurate, then the total well leakage is clearly above the NOAA's estimate of 5,000 barrels per day total.
How much more is gushing? A BP spokesman stated that there was a visible reduction in oil flow into the sea, when BP achieved its highest retrieval rate -- 5,000 barrels per day. That suggests that the true rate is probably not much more than 20,000 barrels per day. (Probably not much more than 10,000 bpd, more likely _AF) If the true rate were anywhere near the Purdue mechanical engineer's estimate of 100,000 barrels per day, it is not likely that the retrieval of 5,000 barrels per day would show a noticeable reduction.
A Federal task force has been formed to arrive at a better estimate. NOAA chief Lubchenco is not yet prepared to release a new estimate.
BP officials currently plan to attempt the "top kill" procedure on Sunday, if all goes well between now and then. The top kill has the potential to stop the oil leak entirely -- although the two relief wells would continue being drilled, as before, for absolute securing of the well.
Here is a little more on the sabotaged oil booms. It is not yet known whether these are isolated instances of vandalism, or whether it is part of a larger attempt by groups unkown to create a larger environmental disaster than would occur without their help.
Labels: Oil Spills
posted by al fin at 4:31 pm
2 Comments:
I was listening to NPR today and they had an 'Expert' who said BP is shaking like a wet Chihuahua worring about a big blowout when they try the 'junk shot' because of the pressures in the well head.
Instead of the junk shot, BP is planning a "top kill", which consists of high pressure kill mud injected against the flow of hydrocarbon -- but without shooting all the junk into the bottom of the BOP first.
The top kill alone is less risky but will probably take longer to stop the flow.
The media is elated that the NOAA's estimate of 5,000 barrels per day has been shown to be too low by events. So, naturally the media jumps to the conclusion that the highest estimates must be accurate.
Stupid, stupid media. ;-)
One can see with the naked eye that the velocity and volume of the riser leak (said to be 85% of total) has been reduced by the extraction of a mere 5,000 bpd.
If the Purdue engineer's estimate of 100,000 bpd or above were correct, there would be no visible change to the human eye from a 5% reduction.
When a higher pressure black fluid expands into a lower pressure transparent fluid, the massive turbulence that occurs is dramatic -- even at relatively low flows.
The media will never admit to its role as "rabble-rouser" or "hysteria-inducing" in this situation. Neither will Senator Boxer or Congressman Markey. All of them are, of course, just doing their jobs and protecting the people and the environment.
But too much of that kind of protection can be lethal.
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“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” _George Orwell
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