oil thoughts

[Choupique]

So I was thinking last night.... ( I know, I know!)
If PB was to stop this well from leaking; would anybody even let them drill back into that big deep pocket of oil they want to get to after they finally close it; after all the f&$#-ups these guys have had? I would think HELL no!
So... are all this other efforts like the top hat, junk shot whatever the hell buying time for them to get there other wells in place so they will be already in place to get there oil out? Tell me I’m wrong; but when billions of dollars are at stake folks to some terrible ****. I have watch too many conspiracy movies and such I think.

[Branch_Office]

I was told (again) last night by an oil company guy that the whole problem was due to the lack of redundancy valves and such...basically shortcutting. If you did not watch the video that Lttran posted you need to watch it! The same thing happened 31 years ago to the same people (changed name) and they learned nothing from it.

The good news (if any) on day 45 is the pipe has been cut and now they need to install cap and hopefully this will give us some relief.

[LuvDaTigers]

I wish congress would require that all revenues BP gets from that well, or any well they have in the GOM, be paid for cleanup. Seems that would either drive them out of the GOM or face the consequences of their actions.

[snake doctor]

Have to agree with you, Choup. BP's first priority was to get not one, but two, new relief wells going. They want that oil. And they have learned, maybe the hard way, that this well can probably spit out 20,000 barrels or more per day. At today's price of $70/barrel, that is $1.4 million per day or about a half-billion $ per year. A few years of pumping and they have paid for the little fiasco they have caused, and then comes the profit.

[Mung]

There is little doubt that they have tried to maintain the viability of the well from the inception, so they could get the oil. Even if they manage to cap it, they will "need" to complete the relief well, to remove the pressure and oil & gas, so that it doesn't blow out in the future. They'll do it to protect the environment, not for the money. Don't be so cynical. ;-)

[noahvale]

Blowout prevention does not pay. Oil does. Unless they are forced to, they will not worry much about doing the right thing.
I'm all for oil drilling, with stiff regulations that insure that safety is the number one priority, not speed.

[Yak-a-Lou]

Revoke the moratorium.

Implement regulations equal to or greater than those used in the North Sea (multiple BOP's???).

Hire people who actually have ethics to perform inspections.

Put unethical inspectors in jail. They are equal to a crooked cop.

Build multiple berms equal to natural chenieres along the coast.

Close off unused oilfield canals.

That's my 6¢ (inflation don't ya know).

[Speckled_Tiger]

if I'm not mistaken the relief wells either can't be or won't be used for production. Their purpose is to access the "tube" below the sea floor to be albe to plug it there. I think they will have to drill a completely new well to tap into the reservoir.

I "heard from someone who read" that the U.S. is the only country where deep water drilling is allowed that does not require the relief wells to be drilled at the same time as the exploratory/production well is being drilled (they used the North Sea rigs as an example). They said the relief wells have to be within so many feet of the production well so that it can be accessed within a few days rather than a few months.

[Where Y'ak?]

I had those same thought's for quite a while and made prior posts on here and other forums. You're right Choup, they are trying whatever thay can to insure their access to this find. Here's some of my prior thoughts which I still believe:

I also agree that BP has put the sealing of this well off as a last resort. All the attempted methods would have resulted in a way to 'salvage' the well and allow future production. At the same time, they were buying time--at Louisiana's expense, while they were pursuing drilling the 'relief' wells. That would be BP's 'relief' in knowing that they could access this field. My understanding of the 'Top Kill' plan is that it will seal off access to the current well and my opinion is that is why it has been delayed at all cost. BP has a great chance of being denied future access to this field and the huge profits it could generate. If they could figure a way--and bet that they are trying, to delay capping the well until the relief hole is drilled, they certainly would. If they could ensure future access to production of this field, then all the associated costs of the spill would just be a nuisance to them. The profits from the field would outweigh THEIR costs associated with the spill. They couldn't care less about OUR costs!


My impression is that BP did everything possible to maintain the well with the thoughts that if 'we can ultimately produce this well, the spill will simply be a minor cost of doing business and the overall profit from the well would make it worth it.' One can only hope that after this is all said and done, BP's true motivations and actions will be uncovered. You know, those damning memos or e-mails that always somehow find their way to scrutiny. Remember, to them it's a cost of doing business. But to us, it cost 11 of our people their lives and may ruin the lives of many others for a long time to come. I'm not an opponent of oil or drilling. I consume more than my share. However, I have no use for blatant negligence, greed and lack of pure caring.

[marshdaddy]

Smoke and mirrors to buy time. They want that oil. Business is about the dollar. Nothing more. Nothing less. Everything done so far has been calculated and everything planned to be done has been calculated.

[tefishmaster]

I just got back from two weeks in Alaska and you won't believe how much attention this is getting up there. I was told that there is still oil floating around from the spill up there. Just move a rock or two and there is oil underneath it. Those people up there are really upset with BP and rightfully so. I was suprised how much attention it gets up there.

[Where Y'ak?]

The "success" of the latest maneuver--the Cut and Cap, won't be known for another 12-24 hours. Due to the jagged pipe cut that had to be made by shears when they got the saw stuck will mean that it will be difficult to get a good fit. No matter what, this method will not stop all of the oil leaking and they have not even said how much they expect to be able to reduce the leak by.

The bottom line is that we are looking at the strong possibility of some amount of oil maybe less/maybe more continuing to leak until AUGUST. If this limited Cut and Cap "fix" doesn't work, it appears they are all out of other options at this time except for the relief wells in August. They are not even mentioning any "next plans."

How about stuffing the pipe with BP execs? They are so full of crap it's bound to plug the leak!

Tommy:

One difference between here and Alaska is that our climate will help degrade the oil much faster. Much hotter land and water temperatures combined much more sunlight fuels the organisms and factors that help break down the oil much faster and more effetively. It's still a really bad situation, but oil in Alaska will hang around much longer than down here.

[Yak-a-Lou]

Wanted: Two Class II hurricanes to hit Biloxi ASAP.

Theoretically a Class II would be little more than an annoyance to them but the winds generated by the storms might help blow BP's oil to Cuba.

[MDR]

I'm still undecided I guess on the true motivations of BP. While I would like to believe BP wanted to cap the thing, or at least capture the flow, as quickly as possible, you guys make some good arguments.

I agree with YAL on his suggestions for future drilling,

I did learn something today though regarding the relief well. Previously I thought they were going to be drilled into the same oil pocket to direct the flow of oil away from the broken pipe. As I understand it now the relief pipe will actually be used to drill into the broken pipe so that mud and concrete can be injected into the broken pipe.

[bigredbobber]

The intention of the relief well to be used to bore into the original pipe is correct. What they do once they get there is still just talk. I, too, believe if they can get the oil reserve producing, they will, regardless of the cost to us. Money is the bottom line. We're just a "cost of business."