Oil Math 101

[KD5NRH]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the scuttlebutt about the CBL crew bugging out before the explosion.

They "bugged out" because they were told that there wasn't going to be a CBL. They didn't have anything else to do, so they went home. Perfectly normal thing to do when you're in a not-very-fun environment and don't have any reason to stay.

[Purplehood]

Yeah,

If 40,000 barrels of oil weighs thousands of TONS, why are they using flimsy devices weighing less than 1 ton to plug the leak? Simple physics states that it will not work. But, BP is cheap and stingy. They are pinching pennies on the repair job to save pennies. They really need to employ a plug or solution that weighs thousands of TONS in order for it to work. But, they don't because anything weighing thousands of tons will be expensive. Now, they're asking for federal aid. So, BP messed up but we the taxpayer are going to pay for it and "bail out" BP.

Folks, who "bails out" us when we mess up? Nobody. Why should corporations get special treatment?

I think Big O should freeze BP's assets and use it to pay off the damages using eminent domain or some other legal clause. A solution that weighs thousands of tons should be implemented ASAP and this should be paid by BP.

= BP

Why would BP be stingy when it comes to capping the leak? The more oil that leaks, the more money they lose in every respect.

[LarryH]

By this time, BP is <darn, can't think of an appropriately descriptive word that complies with the ten-year-old-daughter-rule>, no matter what they do or don't do.

The residents of the coast are angry-as-all-get-out, and things can't be fixed fast enough to satisfy them, regardless of whether fixing things is physically possible or not.

Various parts of our government have reached their limits of rationality. After all, BP doesn't have a plan after fifty days and the Coast Guard gives them three days to come up with a final plan? How realistic is that?

This is one of those situations where nobody can be a hero, but everybody can be a scapegoat, especially BP. I'm not saying BP is blameless, because they're not, but I believe the situation has everybody involved in "tunnel vision" mode.

[KD5NRH]

After all, BP doesn't have a plan after fifty days

Doesn't have a plan? Relief wells are what works in these situations. Just because they take time to drill doesn't mean that they're not the most effective action.

[LarryH]

After all, BP doesn't have a plan after fifty days

Doesn't have a plan? Relief wells are what works in these situations. Just because they take time to drill doesn't mean that they're not the most effective action.

For what it's worth, I agree with you, but that seems to be the Coast Guard's attitude. They're probably bowing to pressure from their political higher-ups (note I didn't say "superiors").

[Liberty]

Drilling for oil even in deep water is safe. The fact is that BP and the rig operators ignored a bunch of safety issues.
They didn't shut down the rig when chinks of the BOP showed up on the rig a sure indication it wouldn't work if needed.
The BP rep insisted they go ahead with the capping even though the crew chief was complaining their was pressure build up coming through the concrete seals.

They Diesel generators raced and exploded after the the Natural gas came to the surface .. There is supposed to be equipment that shuts the engines off when this happens.

This wasn't an accident it was criminal negligence.

BP has a long record of killing people this time it was in the Gulf instead of in Texas City.

The sad part was this was to be a very proffitable well, there was going to be lots of money to be made and the money saved by shortcuts, is so miniscule in comparison to what could have been made, and what it is going to cost in liabilities.. Makes no sense.

[Cobra Medic]

they were told that there wasn't going to be a CBL

Isn't that a major safety oversight?

[KD5NRH]

they were told that there wasn't going to be a CBL

Isn't that a major safety oversight?

Not according to the Feds; there is (or at least was at the time) no requirement for the CBL.