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BP announces 'top kill' has failed to stop Gulf oil leak

apdst said:
The legislation that doesn't allow them to drill in shallower waters off the coast of California, FLorida, The Carolinas, Virginia, etc.
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Obama decided to allow drilling off of the East Coast from Virginia down, if I remember correctly. And here in California, we most definitely do NOT want oil drilling, so I don't see why it should be forced upon us.

Erod said:
Because there is absolutely no reason we need to be that far off shore to drill for the buttload of oil we're standing right on top of.
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Sources on this?
 
BWG said:
The LMRP cap is not a cure all, but hopefully it'll slow things down a little.
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My thoughts as well.

A couple of developments starting early Tuesday morning. They lowered down a BTI hydraulic shear (lovingly dubbed "the craw") and a CUT diamond wire saw (DWS) early AM. They tested functionality of both devices, as well as maneuvering dress rehearsals with a few different ROV's needed for the job. A ROV with a water hose looked to be testing the effectiveness of using a stream of water to clear a view through the oil plume, presumably for when they use the DWS at the top of the BOP stack. They then started cutting off the 3" choke and kill lines from around the LMRP area using the ROV's equipped with circular saws.

With those lines clear, they attached the DWS to the 21" riser pipe, between the BOP and the kink.

A7%20Wire%20on%20riser.jpg


Mid morning they tried to use the craw to cut through the riser pipe (in between the kink and where the pipe meets the ocean floor). This attempt produced a small plume of oil but the choke/kill lines seemed to be binding the shears and kept them from fully cutting through.

A5%20Cut%20choke%20line.jpg


They then tried again with the same result. Cue the ROV's with circular saws, to clear out the choke/kill lines in the area to be sheared.

A3%20sawing%20choke.jpg


With those gone they attempted the craw for the third time, and were successful. The BOP stack rocked back and forth for nearly 15 seconds after the weight of the pipe was released. This is a 2 story tall, 10 ton structure, and it was rocking around violently. Scary stuff, but all seems to be ok and for the first time it felt like there was actual PROGRESS in a situation that has been nothing but disappointments.

The main ROV then moved directly to the DWS.

1BB%20wire%20cutting.jpg


They proceeded slowly through the 1" thick riser pipe, and got to what looked like about 1/3 of the way through, when all of the sudden cutting stopped. Nobody knows yet what exactly is going on, but it looks like the wire has bound up once it hit the drill string inside of the riser. If they hit one of the connecting collars, it could take a very long time to cut through. Also, if the rams inside the BOP aren't holding the drill string (experts think that they are), there could be a lifting type force on the drill string that will make the wire bind up.

4AB%20label%20possibly%20jammed%20wire.jpg


Cutting has been halted for about 4 hours as of this post. Hopefully they resume work soon and get that LMRP cap in place, as it looks like the flow has increased significantly throughout Tuesday's activity.
 
LiberalAvenger said:
Yeah, but the ones from the bay are unmatchable for flavor and are highly prized.
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Believe me, I know. I lived in Bel Air MD for 20 years. recently moved.


I miss my crab.:2bigcry:


j-mac
 
505, you've given more actual content and substance in your last few posts than all of the other threads about this spill combined.

Thank you.
 
apdst said:
The legislation that doesn't allow them to drill in shallower waters off the coast of California, FLorida, The Carolinas, Virginia, etc.
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First...Im pro-drilling (especially on land) and utilizing American resources, as well as nuclear, solar, wind, and every green technology we can utilize. Im also pro environment. Id bet good money that i am out in the wilderness at least AS much as anyone here and probably more than most of the 'environmentalists' that are lost without a Starbucks...

that being said...

have you ever been to the California beaches with the oil rigs? Its pretty disgusting and disenchanting. I think there is actually value to preserving the coast.

We ought to be drilling more on land. We have vast oil deposits, many of them sitting under land that when it is all said and done...no one goes to any damn way.
We also ought to be cutting back.

This was definitely a tragedy and a learning experience. We SHOULD learn and grow from all adversity. But this one incident should make us smarter and safer...it shouldn t cause us to just shut down oil production.
 
VanceMack said:
First...Im pro-drilling (especially on land) and utilizing American resources, as well as nuclear, solar, wind, and every green technology we can utilize. Im also pro environment. Id bet good money that i am out in the wilderness at least AS much as anyone here and probably more than most of the 'environmentalists' that are lost without a Starbucks...

that being said...

have you ever been to the California beaches with the oil rigs? Its pretty disgusting and disenchanting. I think there is actually value to preserving the coast.

We ought to be drilling more on land. We have vast oil deposits, many of them sitting under land that when it is all said and done...no one goes to any damn way.
We also ought to be cutting back.

This was definitely a tragedy and a learning experience. We SHOULD learn and grow from all adversity. But this one incident should make us smarter and safer...it shouldn t cause us to just shut down oil production.
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To be fair, I think it's only a matter of time before you see rigs on the horizon. We aren't going to let a lucrative oil deposit sit unmolested untill the end of time.

I don't know if BP wanted to drill ANWAR, so it might be premature for me to argue that the short term solution to drilling off shore is to allow drilling inland.
 
the makeout hobo said:
Obama decided to allow drilling off of the East Coast from Virginia down, if I remember correctly. And here in California, we most definitely do NOT want oil drilling, so I don't see why it should be forced upon us.



Sources on this?
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You can start in ANWAR.
 
Jerry said:
505, you've given more actual content and substance in your last few posts than all of the other threads about this spill combined.

Thank you.
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Thanks for the kind words Jerry. I'll try to figure out what has happened over the last 7 hours and post another summary.
 
Ok just watched this morning's footage in fast forward. Shortly after my last summary post they brought back the craw, clamped it on to the end of the riser where it had made it's cut earlier, and moved the riser around a little bit. Wire blade is definitely bound up. After jiggling the riser for a bit, they lowered another strap from the surface, and the ROV used it's manipulator to tie it around the end of the riser. Then they resumed advancing and retracting the pulleys on the DWS, which they were trying for several hours after cutting had stopped last night. After awhile it appears as though the blade was freed, DWS was removed from the riser, and it is now being toted back to the surface. :(

Here is a shot that shows how far they got with the DWS before it bound up:

otdder.jpg


And we can see how far that is by using this pic taken almost 90* to the DWS and taking note of the 3 distinct black lines on the riser:

290uhds.jpg


Cut line is directly under the second (left) of the two side by side parallel lines. The third (lower, single) black line would be just over half way, so my guess is that they are at roughly 35 - 40 % of the way through.

Here is how the DWS was positioned originally:

xg3ea.png


And again right after it was finally freed up:

2en2ng5.png


Getting word now from inside the ropes that they are just changing the blade and cleaning the machine... the amount of gas hydrates that were forming on the pulleys was substantial, and the saw was certainly getting blasted heavily by the plume. They are going to lower it back down later today, and orient the saw on a different rotational plane next time. This will hopefully open up the cut in the riser a little bit and make it so the inner drill string can be cut.

And that's where we're at up until right now. On a side note, those DWS blades are ~10k a pop. Perhaps Tony Hayward will recycle the first one by giving it to his wife to use as a necklace? lol.
 
the makeout hobo said:
Besides ANWAR, which has a comparativey small oil reserve, where would you suggest drilling?
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We can begin with the Deepwater's relief wells....not by drilling, but by charging more in terifs.
 
Jerry said:
We can begin with the Deepwater's relief wells....not by drilling, but by charging more in terifs.
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What do tarriffs have to do with anything? BP should drill the relief wells and should pay for it, since it is their mess
 
the makeout hobo said:
What do tarriffs have to do with anything? BP should drill the relief wells and should pay for it, since it is their mess
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BP owns the lease for those relief wells. The only money America will ever see out of that oil is money gained from the oil terifs. Yes BP will drill the wells...it's their oil now, we sold the rights to the deposit to them.

We should alter the deal and BP should pray we don't alter it any further :darthgunny
 
505 said:
Ok just watched this morning's footage in fast forward. Shortly after my last summary post they brought back the craw, clamped it on to the end of the riser where it had made it's cut earlier, and moved the riser around a little bit. Wire blade is definitely bound up. After jiggling the riser for a bit, they lowered another strap from the surface, and the ROV used it's manipulator to tie it around the end of the riser. Then they resumed advancing and retracting the pulleys on the DWS, which they were trying for several hours after cutting had stopped last night. After awhile it appears as though the blade was freed, DWS was removed from the riser, and it is now being toted back to the surface. :(

Here is a shot that shows how far they got with the DWS before it bound up:

otdder.jpg


And we can see how far that is by using this pic taken almost 90* to the DWS and taking note of the 3 distinct black lines on the riser:

290uhds.jpg


Cut line is directly under the second (left) of the two side by side parallel lines. The third (lower, single) black line would be just over half way, so my guess is that they are at roughly 35 - 40 % of the way through.

Here is how the DWS was positioned originally:

xg3ea.png


And again right after it was finally freed up:

2en2ng5.png


Getting word now from inside the ropes that they are just changing the blade and cleaning the machine... the amount of gas hydrates that were forming on the pulleys was substantial, and the saw was certainly getting blasted heavily by the plume. They are going to lower it back down later today, and orient the saw on a different rotational plane next time. This will hopefully open up the cut in the riser a little bit and make it so the inner drill string can be cut.

And that's where we're at up until right now. On a side note, those DWS blades are ~10k a pop. Perhaps Tony Hayward will recycle the first one by giving it to his wife to use as a necklace? lol.
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Any carpenter with even a little experience could have told them about how saws bind up.
 
the makeout hobo said:
Obama decided to allow drilling off of the East Coast from Virginia down, if I remember correctly. And here in California, we most definitely do NOT want oil drilling, so I don't see why it should be forced upon us.
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You shouldn't have it forced upon you. However, when your state goes belly-up, because you're paying out more than your taking in, you shouldn't be allowed to be bailed out with my tax dollars. Espeically when you can do a little oil drilling and solve your problems.
 
the makeout hobo said:
Besides ANWAR, which has a comparativey small oil reserve, where would you suggest drilling?
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The GOM has some of the largest natural gas pockets in the world. We can start there.
 
apdst said:
You shouldn't have it forced upon you. However, when your state goes belly-up, because you're paying out more than your taking in, you shouldn't be allowed to be bailed out with my tax dollars. Espeically when you can do a little oil drilling and solve your problems.
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"A little oil drilling" wouldn't come close to even putting a sizable debt in our budget issues. Please try again. California has also been paying much more to the federal government than we've been receiving for several years now, most of it going to subsidize red states. I think asking for some of that money back is within our rights.

apdst said:
The GOM has some of the largest natural gas pockets in the world. We can start there.
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GOM?
 
GOM = Gulf Of Mexico I believe.
 
the makeout hobo said:
"A little oil drilling" wouldn't come close to even putting a sizable debt in our budget issues. Please try again. California has also been paying much more to the federal government than we've been receiving for several years now, most of it going to subsidize red states. I think asking for some of that money back is within our rights.



GOM?
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It would do a fine job of displacing that, what? $53 million deficit ya'll got from giving away more welfare than taxes you're bringing in. Go tell someone who doesn't have a job that you're going to just extend their unemployment another 99 weeks, even though you don't have a clue where the money is going to come from, instead of putting that person to work and collecting taxes off his very high paying oilpatch job.

Perhaps you don't realize that the oil and gas industry is the Federal government's largest single source of non-tax revenue. Without that money, it's going to make it damn hard for Obama to bail ya'll out.
 
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