CSM: Ecological risk grows as Deepwater Horizon oil rig sinks in Gulf

[China]

Ecological risk grows as Deepwater Horizon oil rig sinks in Gulf

A well 'blowout' from the sunken Transocean Deepwater Explorer oil rig is spewing 7,400 barrels of crude oil a day, and could threaten Gulf of Mexico ecology.

By Patrik Jonsson

April 22, 2010

Up to 7,400 barrels of crude oil a day could be spewing into the depths of the Gulf of Mexico after Tuesday night's explosion aboard the semi-submersible Transocean Deepwater Horizon rig caused it to capsize and sink Thursday morning.

After listing for most of Wednesday, the $600 million platform 41 miles off the coast of Louisiana sank in 5,000 feet of water at about 10 a.m. Thursday. Seventeen people were injured, and 11 are still missing from the explosion. The rest of the crew of 126 filed into lifeboats or jumped nearly 100 feet from the platform before being pulled from the water by Coast Guard rescue crews.

As the intense fire burned the spewing oil off on Wednesday, early indications were that the rig fire didn't present significant danger to the coastal ecosystem. But with the rig now sunk and the fire out, concerns are now growing that the situation could mirror a deep-water spill caused by a fire on the West Atlas rig off Australia last year, which environmentalists likened to a "disaster movie."

IN PICTURES: Louisiana oil rig explosion

"This is already a serious accident, and if this crude is allowed to flow uncontrolled out of the well for days or weeks, the environmental impact could be really substantial," says Robert Bryce, an energy expert at the Manhattan Institute and author of "Power Hungry: The myths of 'green' energy and the real fuels of the future." "They now have to figure out how to stop the blowout from the well. There are a tremendous number of unknowns now."

Coast Guard officials estimated that up to 13,000 gallons of crude an hour was coming out of the exploratory hole 41 miles offshore of Plaquemines Parish, La. An early suggestion that damage would be minimal because the fire was consuming most of the fuel "does have the potential to change," BP official David Rainey told the New York Times.

A BP spokesman told reporters that contractors using remote-controlled submarines (ROVs) are on the scene attempting to plug the well pipe via something they called a "hot-stabbing" operation. Early efforts to plug the well were unsuccessful, BP reported.

Click on the link for the full article

[AsburySkinsFan]

[SKINS@THEGOALLINE]

^^^ "Spill, Baby Spill."

[sjinhan]

man i hope the ones that are on the scene to take control of the well will stay safe during their operations.

[nonniey]

It wasn't an active well site (EG they were doing exploratory drilling - hadn't struck oil yet). This was put out almost immediately, yet you have some news organizations (cough cough ABC) as late as this morning reporting that oil is pouring out of the well head. The Coast Guard OIC corrected them on Good Morning America.

In other words It was known early on that there was virtually no risk of an ecological disaster yet some media decided to be creative anyway.

[greenspandan]

probably obama's fault.

[China]

It wasn't an active well site (EG they were doing exploratory drilling - hadn't struck oil yet). This was put out almost immediately, yet you have some news organizations (cough cough ABC) as late as this morning reporting that oil is pouring out of the well head. The Coast Guard OIC corrected them on Good Morning America.

In other words It was known early on that there was virtually no risk of an ecological disaster yet some media decided to be creative anyway.

Thanks for the update. A CNN article confirming oil not leaking:

Oil spill not growing, search for 11 continues

* Oil appears not to be gushing around sunken rig

* Still searching off Louisiana for 11 missing workers

* BP, Transocean shares lower (Recasting, adding update on search for 11 missing)

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Oil appears not to be flowing from a sunken drilling rig and damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico, but hope was dimming as search continued for 11 workers missing in the disaster, the U.S. Coast Guard said Friday.

"As of right now, the spill is not growing," a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said.

A remotely operated unmanned submarine sent down Thursday to inspect the scene found no oil leaking from the sunken Transocean Deepwater Horizon drilling rig and no oil flowing from the well, reducing the risk a major spill, a spokeswoman said.

On Thursday, officials said there was a slick 1 mile by 5 miles, a mix of crude oil and fuel.

But 11 workers remained missing despite an intensive search and it was feared they were unable to escape the blast.

Click on the link for the full article

[twa]

The blowout valve prevents it by design

They also mustered a spill response team Johnny on the spot

Now if it was the Russians or Chinese that are drilling off our coasts well that might be another matter:evilg:

Lemmings:evilg:

somebody's ins company ain't gonna be happy though

[Destino]

The blowout valve prevents it by design

They also mustered a spill response team Johnny on the spot

So is catching fire, killing the people on board, and spilling some oil part of the design to?

[AsburySkinsFan]

So is catching fire, killing the people on board, and spilling some oil part of the design to?

It is one of the new features of these rigs, when they burn and sink they then become artificial habitats for the sea life, truly they are dual purpose. Frankly I can't wait to see more of these things dotting our coastlines.

[twa]

So is catching fire, killing the people on board, and spilling some oil part of the design to?

Energy production is a hazardous profession unfortunately,and since most of he 'spill' was from fuel to power the rig itself I would suspect the design itself is not at fault

Care to guess how many die producing "Green" energy or the environmental costs?

Lemmings:beatdeadhorse:

[Destino]

Energy production is a hazardous profession unfortunately,and since most of he 'spill' was from fuel to power the rig itself I would suspect the design itself is not at fault

Care to guess how many die producing "Green" energy or the environmental costs?

Lemmings:beatdeadhorse:

1 - You're the one here towing the company line that this is all part of the design and then you call everyone else a lemming? That's just hilarious.

2 - What "green" energy are you talking about? Nuclear is described as green energy by some. Be specific. What anti-green energy talking point did you want to share with the class today?

[endzone_dave]

Mankind cannot harm our environment. The Republican Party has proved this over and over again and I fully believe everything they say about it.

[Drockvb]

I can't wait for this to happen off the Va coast. :mad:

Though it may not be spewing out more oil, it has already done enough damage as far as i am concerned.

Drill on land fools!!

[twa]

Drill on land fools!!

Too many NIMBY's for that.

Lemmings :beatdeadhorse:

[AsburySkinsFan]

Too many NIMBY's for that.

Lemmings :beatdeadhorse:

TWA I like you, I really do, but you're trolling.

[twa]

Go hug a tree

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOOc5yiIWkg&feature=player_embedded#!

[PeterMP]

2 - What "green" energy are you talking about? Nuclear is described as green energy by some. Be specific. What anti-green energy talking point did you want to share with the class today?

Clean coal.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Go hug a tree

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOOc5yiIWkg&feature=player_embedded#!

"I'm a tree hugger and an air breather."

~Tom Dobbs.

Clean coal.

Clean Coal

ZhmdIe6VZI4

uFJVbdiMgfM&NR=1

[SKINS@THEGOALLINE]

MSNBC reported this morning (4/25) that the oil rig is still leaking 1000 barrels a day into the gulf despite reports to the contrary.

[twa]

MSNBC reported this morning (4/25) that the oil rig is still leaking 1000 barrels a day into the gulf despite reports to the contrary.

The reports were on the well itself not leaking,naturally the sunken rig itself is gonna have some leakage(which is why all the containment efforts)

There is also concern it could damage undersea pipelines if it sunk on one(which is why they shut them down to verify

informative article

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=91509#

[Midnight Judges]

Gee, that looks awesome for the environment. If I search threads, how much you wanna bet I can find quotes from you and other Republicans saying this never happens?

[Burgold]

in practical terms does it matter? If thousands of gallons are leaking. the net effect is the same. Your rhetorical quibbling is just that. I remember you arguing with me in a different thread that there were no environmental risks worth talking about. Clearly, you were wrong.

[twa]

in practical terms does it matter? If thousands of gallons are leaking. the net effect is the same

The difference is it is a limited supply in the rig vs the well

Tell that to Cali that watches it naturally seep out continuously all the time.

As amazing as it seems oil is continually seeping out all over the world.

MJ.. We are the best and most environmentally responsible in procuring it.(much more so than the Mexicans,Chinese,Venezuelans and Russians drilling in the Gulf

Unless you can eliminate the need for oil,we are the best choice.

Accidents will happen,disasters are controlled.

Good luck on finding a quote that spills never happen.

[Midnight Judges]

Actually you don't have a leg to stand on here. This is actually the flip side of all that oppose off-shore drilling. Spills almost always occur from ships, not oil rigs. Off shore drilling reduces ship transport requirments.

Off shore drilling reduces the risk of oil spills (when talking about drilling offshore from consumer nations ie the U.S.). Tankers have highest risk for creating spills and off shore drilling, in U.S. waters, reduces the requirement for tanker traffic.

There is a larger risk from shipping oil or refined products from overseas than from rigs and pipelines domestically.

That is my point! Someone tried to equate this to the danger in off-shore drilling.

You would fill a need,fund alternatives,help national security,create taxpaying jobs,and tax base,cut pollution,eliminate the need for the Strategic reserve,increase manufacturing.

Couldn't find one with tar deposits from natural seepage,that drilling would cure?

NIMBY:silly:

The risk of a major spill are minuscule and the risk of tanker spills(the real hazard) might actually be reduced.

Actually offshore drilling reduces the chances of Oil Spills. The biggest danger of Oil spills comes from transportation and Offshore Drilling significantly reduces transportation requirements.