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

[Burgold]

I fear you are right. They were saying that it might take months to develop a dome that MIGHT be able to stop the leaks. In the meantime, right now 5,000 barrels of oil are flowing out a day and in all probability it'll accelerate because these things tend to get worse the longer they go as water pressure and salt and oil pressure exacerbate things down there.

I hope I'm wrong. I'm pretty pessimistic about this too. So far, every worst case scenario has panned out though and every worst case scenario has been revealed to be an underestimate.

[twa]

I fear you are right. They were saying that it might take months to develop a dome that MIGHT be able to stop the leaks. In the meantime, right now 5,000 barrels of oil are flowing out a day and in all probability it'll accelerate because these things tend to get worse the longer they go as water pressure and salt and oil pressure exacerbate things down there.

I hope I'm wrong. I'm pretty pessimistic about this too. So far, every worst case scenario has panned out though and every worst case scenario has been revealed to be an underestimate.

The dome was a two week deal...setting it in place at that depth is the tricky part....bout one week left on that front

[Burgold]

Really? I thought I heard differently.

[twa]

Really? I thought I heard differently.

The dome is nearly done,transporting and (hopefully)getting it in place with piping will not be months ...lotta overtime being paid

http://photos.al.com/mobile-press-register/2010/04/containment_chamber.html

added

With the way things have gone so far the friggin ship will sink enroute:silly:

[Destino]

So far everything has gone wrong on this thing and the oil slick is now 120 miles. Time for luck to change man before the gulf looks like Pirates of Darkwater.

[Drockvb]

oil has reached the shore

I am sad for all things living near this disaster. Anyone who thinks pumping oil from the deep ocean is worth the risk is sadly misguided. I hope this changes the views of many who think it is worth it. I dread the day they start pumping off the Va coast.

[Burgold]

Accidents are inevitable. What we always ask is can you live with the outcome and does the benefit outweigh the risk? I think what made many nervous about the "Drill baby Drill" stuff was how cavalier it sounded as if it was risk free and the easy obvious solution. So, what's the answer, better regulation to demand better safety devices? I keep hearing about that auto shutoff thingy they have in Norway. Punishing BP won't do much other than making us feel good (and it won't make me feel particularly good unless an investigation shows that they were intentionally negligent and went on the shoddy and cheap), restrict drilling, shrug our shoulders and say these things happen and continue with more?

At any rate, let's hope we all pull together and this disaster is handled as well as it can be and the damage minimized, although clearly this is one that will harm us for years.

[Hubbs]

I keep hearing about that auto shutoff thingy they have in Norway.

If there's any offshore drilling system we should be looking at, it's Norway's.

(Not sarcastic. They've got the market cornered on drilling in the ****ing North Sea, which, as I've heard, is like drilling in the Tornado Alley of aquatic areas. I would imagine that the Norwegians could give us a lot of good advice.)

[The 12th Commandment]

It's one thing when we screw each other up but when we do nature like this is really makes me sick. I'm having a hard time reading anymore of the stories about it.

[Burgundy Burner]

If there's any offshore drilling system we should be looking at, it's Norway's.

(Not sarcastic. They've got the market cornered on drilling in the ****ing North Sea, which, as I've heard, is like drilling in the Tornado Alley of aquatic areas. I would imagine that the Norwegians could give us a lot of good advice.)

norwegians - you gotta love 'em - including me.

to be serious though...what is it about norway's system that makes it so good? and can we depend on their technology/equipment to plug this sucker asap?

[Capt Rich Fla]

This mess strikes close to home with me. I'm really getting poed at the fact that the oil companies can make us pay all this money for gas so they can make ungodly amounts of money and when something goes wrong, they need the military? Why couldn't they use some of that quarterly trillions to make an emergency plan for such an event.

I'm not sure people understand the problem here. When that oil hits the beach, it's gonna make hurricanne Katrina look like a passing shower.

This is ****ed up.

[Burgold]

This mess strikes close to home with me. I'm really getting poed at the fact that the oil companies can make us pay all this money for gas so they can make ungodly amounts of money and when something goes wrong, they need the military? Why couldn't they use some of that quarterly trillions to make an emergency plan for such an event.

I'm not sure people understand the problem here. When that oil hits the beach, it's gonna make hurricanne Katrina look like a passing shower.

This is ****ed up.

I think we get it and we don't. It's so different when you live it. You have my sympathies. It's got to be devestating as a guy who just got his own ship and makes his living off the sea.

Best wishes.

[Midnight Judges]

Katrina killed over 1500 people. I don't see how this compares.

[Burgold]

Katrina killed over 1500 people. I don't see how this compares.

On an economic level, it compares. On how it impacts plant and wildlife it could even be worse.

[twa]

Capt they are paying and had response plans in place(in advance)

Surely you don't object to access to more equipment/bases and personnel?

This royally sucks for many in a number of ways and there are no winners.

It is certainly gonna test containment and remediation capabilities if not stopped soon.

I guess venting is understandable though.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Just heard this morning on NPR that they're probably going to have to drill another hole beside the venting well which will take three weeks to over a month.

twa I must hand it to you, at least you've had the integrity through this thread to stay with it unlike the others who started by claiming that this was no big deal, only to find that it was and then disappear.

[sjinhan]

Just heard this morning on NPR that they're probably going to have to drill another hole beside the venting well which will take three weeks to over a month.

twa I must hand it to you, at least you've had the integrity through this thread to stay with it unlike the others who started by claiming that this was no big deal, only to find that it was and then disappear.

people who think this wasnt a big deal from the onset of the accident probably didnt have a real idea what was going on out there.

as lot of the safety guys in the oilfield preaches...

the rules in the oilfield have been written with blood. This accident will lead to changes on procedures and protocal in the oilfield regardless of government intervention.

[AsburySkinsFan]

people who think this wasnt a big deal from the onset of the accident probably didnt have a real idea what was going on out there.

Well in their defense the early official reports were that there was no leak from the well head, and there are safety valves that were supposed to have prevented the leak...obviously they didn't work for whatever reason. I'm speaking more specifically about the one's who even after this was found to be larger than first thought continued with the line that the Earth leaks oil all the time as such downplaying the ecological and economic impact that this spill is going to have on the Gulf Coast, a coastline that has had its run of bad fortune as of late.

[twa]

The drilling is to permanently cap it,they should be able to control the leak well before then(of course should ain't worked at all yet)

They are trying a different approach with dispersal by treating it directly at the leaks

Experts from all the majors are consulting to find a way to shut it down,something has got to give soon

[bcl05]

This is going to be absolutely devastating to bird populations. I'm a fairly obsessive birdwatcher, and the birding world is going nuts (appropriately).

The timing couldn't be worse. We are just at the beginning of spring migration. Most of the species of eastern north America spend their winters in central or south America. Many work their way north and then take off from the Yucatan and cross the Gulf, landing in LA or AL. One of the worlds great birding sites is Dauphin Island in Alabama, where huge numbers of migrants make first landfall after a harrowing and exhausting flight over the gulf that can take ~20h of sustained flying. They land on the first strip of dry land they can, and soon this may be covered in oil. If you've enjoyed feeding Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds in the past, expect their numbers to be way down this summer. Same for many of our other favorite species.

This sucks. I'm incredibly mad about it.

Here's a well-written rant. I agree whole-heartedly with pretty much everything he's saying. What a failure on so many levels.

http://thedrinkingbirdblog.com/2010/04/29/complete-and-utter-disaster/

[AsburySkinsFan]

Experts from all the majors are consulting to find a way to shut it down,something has got to give soon

Yeah NPR reported this as well, all of the major oil producers are meeting about this, as are rig operators just about anyone else in the oil industry; they stand to lose a great deal of favor if this goes badly...I would have said badlier but I don't think that's a word.

[sjinhan]

Here's a well-written rant. I agree whole-heartedly with pretty much everything he's saying. What a failure on so many levels.

yeah well I just happened to take some well control training earlier this month. The instructors of the course, who is still active in the field of well control, was saying whenever a major blow out happens it is not because of a single mistake. Instead its more than likely a series of 5-10 mistakes that took place that resulted in the driller and the rig personell to either not being aware that the well took a kick or they just didnt take proper steps to stay in control of the well.

Why that subseas BOP system is acting the way it is an another matter all together. At the end of the day, not only is BP going to be under heavey scrunity over the accident, but the maker and the maintaince people of the subsea BOP system are going to the next guys inline.

[PeterMP]

Accidents are inevitable. What we always ask is can you live with the outcome and does the benefit outweigh the risk? I think what made many nervous about the "Drill baby Drill" stuff was how cavalier it sounded as if it was risk free and the easy obvious solution.

I don't think we are going to be hearing much "Drill baby Drill" anytime soon.

[twa]

As far as birds they are employing air cannons to drive them off,birds and beaches aren't the big worry as far as impact.

Peter if true we better plan on climbing energy costs,and of course depending on all the other countries that supply us(including all those in the Gulf)

Time will tell.

[China]

Louisiana oil spill: Race on to save otters, minks, pelicans; Obama halts off-shore drilling

MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER — Oil from a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico was starting to ooze ashore, threatening migrating birds, nesting pelicans, river otters and mink along Louisiana's fragile islands and barrier marshes.

Crews in boats were patrolling coastal marshes early Friday looking for areas where the oil has flowed in, the Coast Guard said. Storms loomed that could push tide waters higher than normal through the weekend, the National Weather Service warned.

A top adviser to President Barack Obama said Friday that no new oil drilling would be authorized until authorities learn what caused the explosion of the rig Deepwater Horizon. David Axelrod told ABC's "Good Morning America" that "no additional drilling has been authorized and none will until we find out what has happened here." Obama recently lifted a drilling moratorium for many offshore areas, including the Atlantic and Gulf areas.

The leak from a blown-out well a mile underwater is five times bigger than first believed. Faint fingers of oily sheen were reaching the Mississippi River delta late Thursday, lapping the Louisiana shoreline in long, thin lines. Thicker oil was about five miles offshore. Officials have said they would do everything to keep the Mississippi River open to traffic.

Coast Guard Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O'Hara faced questions on all three network television morning shows Friday about whether the government has done enough to push oil company BP PLC to plug the underwater leak and protect the coast. Brice-O'Hara said the federal response led by the Coast Guard has been rapid, sustained and has adapted as the threat grew since a drill rig exploded and sank last week, causing the seafloor spill.

The oil slick could become the nation's worst environmental disaster in decades, threatening to eclipse even the Exxon Valdez in scope. It imperils hundreds of species of fish, birds and other wildlife along the Gulf Coast, one of the world's richest seafood grounds, teeming with shrimp, oysters and other marine life.

Click on the link for the full article