Tough news from Bob Marshall (NOLA outdoors writer) on oil spill

[snake doctor]

:frown:

http://videos.nola.com/times-picayune/2010/05/saturday_oil_spill_update_vide.html

[brkayaker]

This is very tough to hear and watch.

[kevmoe]

I'm in the middle of nowhere with slow internet, can you sum it up for me?

[snake doctor]

1. High winds, high seas today and tomorrow, so clean up ships are not getting out.

2. The crude turns out not to be light (volatile) stuff as initially reported, instead it is closer the tar-like, asphalt-like type that is more damaging and persistent.

3. He reiterates the closure to fishing on the E. side of the river.

4. He, like the rest of us, is saddened when considering the prospects of how long the spill will continue.

5. On the up side, he reports no oil on the beaches or marsh at the "birdfoot delta" where the river splays out into the gulf. This report of "no oil yet" is echoed on NOLA.com, but contrasts to the picture on the front page of the New Orleans Times Picayune today. All should be saying the same thing since they are run by the same outfit. I tend to believe the "not much has hit shore as of yet" reports.

[buddhaman]

i heard the guy from LSU on WWL Thursday when I was driving back from TX. He stated that this tar like asphaltene, although buoyant, won't float directly on top of the water, but will come ashore in globs. It will stick to the marsh grass, virtually killing it and causing erosion. Attempting to clean it from plants, in his opinion, would cause more damage to the marshland. Containment is becoming more unmanageable each day. Although we must do all we can to prevent landfall, capping the well is of utmost importance. I'm curious and I'll do some research, but does anyone know what the estimated pressure of the flow coming out of the pipe is??? This spill is not only an environmental and economic disaster, but a geological disaster as well.

[stimpy56]

I have head many people ask about the well pressure but from what I heard (TV news and radio) is that nobody knows the pressure. I heard the BP is measuring the barrels per day by watching the video feed of the remote robots of the flow of oil. So in my opinion, people are just guessing to pressure and barrels per day. Either way, this is just a sad state of affairs and I pray for a speedy recovery.

Just my 2 cents.

[Laidback]

I've been flying the area every day for over 2 weeks. I flew it this morning and did not see any sign of the slick near Pass a Loutre or Delta National Wildlife Refuge. Sun wasn't up good and there was quite a bit of haze, but I didn't seen any sheen or oil near land.

[snake doctor]

I posted a satellite pix on the oil spill thread. It agrees with your assessment, that little or no oil has come ashore as of yet. I'm feeling a little better about our chances. If we can make it until a N wind switches the flow around Monday and have some luck with patches to the leaks then perhaps we can dodge the direct hit.

[Hobie1Kenobie]

Well pressure will not give a clear indication of amount in water guys. Trust me.

[buddhaman]

The link that follows gives a worse case scenario projected by NOAA (the forum discussion at the bottom of the link is lame). Sand erosion of the pipes could cause other ruptures producing a massive uncontrolled flow --- up to 10 times the now estimated 5000 barrels a day. 50000 barrels a day at 42 gallons a barrel.
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/04/deepwater_horizon_secret_memo.html
The blow out in Mexico back in 1979 has been considered the worst release of oil, not counting the intentional release by Sadam during the Gulf War, and it wasn't controlled until 1980. By the time it was controlled, an estimated 140,000,000 gallons of oil (that's 140 million!!!) spilled in to the bay.
http://www.favstocks.com/deepwater-horizon-incident-declared-spill-of-national-significance-attempts-to-apply-dispersants-at-source-1500-meters-below-surface/3010952/
Dispersant has been applied at the source of the leak (5000 ft down) and reports say that the dispersant is keeping the oil from rising. Hopefully, this will allow BP to perform directional drilling to relieve pressure from the existing sight ... estimated time - 3 months.