In the Ixtoc spill divers were able to activate the BOP but then saw it showing signs of bursting under the pressure from the well so they opened some valves and let it spill 10-30,000 barrels/day while two relief wells were being drilled to relieve the pressure so they could cap it. The well blew out June 3, 1979 and wasn't capped till March of '80.


[search.aol.com]

BP has added a nice illustration of the relief wells concept.

[www.bp.com]

I'm still not quite sure of the physics involved. The Ixtoc '79 blown out well had a mostly functional BOP in much shallower water so they could pretty much stop the flow of oil and gas in an emergency?, like when choking the well with heavy mud and cement plugging; and the point of intersection with the well is above the reservoir so it'll be a modified "top kill" procedure of a well with a formation pressure of 13,000psi rising up on it? Maybe they'll have a better top cap by then to take the bite out of this thing... I appreciate the graphics and explanation from BP. Thanks!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/2010 02:37PM by loeve.

The owner of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig, Transocean, is doing an
investigation looking at possible causes of the disaster including lack of
cement cure time --

"Did the operator give the cement enough time to cure? (from Halliburton lab test reports)
"Test on 3/29 of 9-7/8”liner slurry (previous casing): 15 hours needed to reach
2100 psi compressive strength
"Test on 4/12 of 7”casing slurry : 0 psi compressive strength after 24 hours;
needed 48 hours to reach compressive strength of 1590 psi
–Negative test started ~18 hours after pumped
–Do not have any sample test results from rig samples; requested"
[energycommerce.house.gov]

So up to 48 hours is needed for well casing cement to cure. They were testing
the cement 18 hours after pouring and had displaced the drilling mud in the
riser and part of the well casing with sea water, and the choke line also
contained sea water (significance?) at the 20 hour mark when the well blew
out. Chunks of cement were blown out of the well landing on the decks.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2010 10:44AM by loeve.

BP's procedure varied from the standard procedure and even from their MMS permitted procedure --

[energycommerce.house.gov] (p. 10)

It looks like BP tried to do too many operations at once getting ready to install the top cement plug possibly before
the Haliburton casing pour was fully cured.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2010 12:07PM by loeve.

We can sum this up with a reference to the Keystone Kops, yes? If only it were that funny . . .

I like Transocean's approach which is to outline the disaster as they see it and to make it public, even aspects that might come back to haunt them as owner and lessor of the rig supplying most of the workers.

OOPS...

A robotic vehicle "bumped" into the cap, so they removed it today...

jk,

I just read that over at Kos. And lowered my weary head onto the desk top, almost soul-dead . . . I was watching Mad Max on TeeVee the other day, and my mind started to wander and I sort of reimagined it in a more realistic way as it played: It wasn't gasoline the crazies were after, but water. This is the Future, God help us.

Mr. Wells (real name) is BP's tech person answering questions on their web site. If they get this top cap back on it won't be for long. They have a new top seal ready to attach just waiting on a few details like how best to attach it. They'd like to unbolt the damaged top of the BOP and then bolt down this new cover and are just figuring out how to manage these massive bolts under incredible torque using these little submersibles, nothing that diamond saw they carry can't manage.

Last year Australia had its largest offshore oil spill caused by the blowout of the Montara well which wasn't sealed and capped properly. They are looking at cementing and plugging procedure.

Human error is always going to play a part. These rigs work around the clock in 12 hour shifts. Miscues and mistakes are inevitable.


[search.aol.com]

It seems the cap is back on.

Nice diagrams by Transocean.

But I don't think I believe all of Transocean's hype about their safety record. They did receive a safety award from MMS in 2009, but maybe that's not saying much.

A Wall Street Journal report shows that since merging with GlobalSantaFe in 2007, "...Transocean has accounted for 24 of the 33 incidents investigated by the MMS, or 73%, despite during that time owning fewer than half the Gulf of Mexico rigs operating in more than 3,000 feet of water."

[online.wsj.com]

And Transocean may not be reporting all of what they know.

According to whistleblower Tyrone Benton, leaks in the BOP that were reported to both BP and Transocean were not appropriately addressed.

[www.thisislondon.co.uk]

Yet Transocean has claimed there were no leaks in the weeks before the blowout.

Transocean neglected to fit the Horizon's BOP with two blind shear rams in accordance with advice in a report commissioned by MMS (and MMS neglected to require it), despite findings from Transocean's own internal report that only 45% of BOPs operate reliably.

[www.nytimes.com]

We're told that drilling for the relief wells is ahead of schedule (good, I guess).

I'm looking forward to seeing the OceanTherapy (Kevin Costner) centrifuges being deployed. BP is buying 32 of them.

[www.wwl.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2010 11:16PM by suncloud.

According to the MMS Transocean accepted an award as a finalist for the SAFE award in the offshore drilling contractor category in 2009. Noble Drilling accepted as *winner* that year.

"Drilling Contractors:

Larry Dickerson, President and CEO, accepting for Diamond Offshore Drilling Inc.
John Knowlton, General Manager, accepting for ENSCO International Inc.
Tommy Travis, Vice President and Division Manager, accepting for Noble Drilling Corporation *Winner*
Keelan Adamson, Division Manager, accepting for Transocean

[www.mms.gov]

I'm going to cut Transocean a little slack. It's not their place to tell everything they know at this time. They've stepped up with the Discoverer Explorer drill ship and the Development Drillers II and III to drill the relief wells. They've been struck by lightning setting fire to the ship and are floating over a well erupting methane gas.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2010 02:10AM by loeve.

"West’s experts concluded that calculations used by makers of blowout preventers overestimated the cutting ability of blind shear rams, so-called because they close off wells like a window blind. Modern drill pipe is nearly twice as strong as older pipes of the same size. In addition, the intense pressure and frigid temperatures of deep water make it tougher to shear a pipe. These and other “additive pressures,” the researchers found, can demand hundreds of thousands of additional pounds of cutting force." NYTimes.com p.3

Nice article. So as the rigs drill deeper the drill pipe has been made so strong that a shear ram might fail even in the best of circumstances.

The Deepwater Horizon had a BOP stack composed, I guess, of 2 pipe rams, 1 blind ram, 1 test ram (converted), 1 blind shear ram, and two annular preventers. I read the annular preventers might be good for 5000psi +/-, so it was up to this single shear ram manufactured for this 2001 rig.

"The agency made no such requirement. Indeed, it waited until 2003 to require even one blind shear ram. By then, the industry had already started moving to two blind shear rams — although industry and government records show that roughly two-thirds of the rigs in the gulf today still have only one. " nytimes p.5



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2010 03:31AM by loeve.

loeve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In the Ixtoc spill divers were able to activate
> the BOP but then saw it showing signs of bursting
> under the pressure from the well so they opened
> some valves and let it spill 10-30,000 barrels/day
> while two relief wells were being drilled to
> relieve the pressure so they could cap it. The
> well blew out June 3, 1979 and wasn't capped till
> March of '80.

"Ixtoc I was an exploratory oil well being drilled by the semi-submersible drilling rig Sedco 135-F in the Bay of Campeche of the Gulf of Mexico, about 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche in waters 50 m (160 ft) deep.[2] On 3 June 1979, the well suffered a blowout resulting in the fourth largest oil spill and the third largest accidental spill in history." [en.wikipedia.org]

Both the Ixtoc I and the current oil spill were "exploratory" wells using "single" blowout preventers. You never know what the formation is going to throw at you till you get there.

..now I've read the blowout preventer in the Ixtoc I disaster of '79 had a single malfunctioning shear ram which could not be activated even by divers in the relatively shallow 50m depth.

I'm so glad BP is going to put Kevin Costner's centrifuge to work and look forward to hearing how they do at cleaning oil out of the Gulf.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2010 11:23AM by loeve.

"..now I've read the blowout preventer in the Ixtoc I disaster of '79 had a single malfunctioning shear ram which could not be activated even by divers in the relatively shallow 50m depth."

..or the Ixtoc I shear ram(s?) weren't strong enough to penetrate and seal through the drill collar, the joint in the drill pipe...





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2010 11:44AM by loeve.

Loeve, I'm so glad you're posting on this!

I think I'm having some trouble with my computer, not sure yet, but have to keep an eye on my MB use till it's figured out.

As these weeks go by, it's difficult to stay positive, with all the destruction to the wildlife and the oil still coming. For me, I just feel I have to talk about this somehow. Trying to understand it and knowing that others are trying too is a little bit comforting, because the understanding of it might help us all avoid such horrors in the future (doesn't do much to help the poor wildlife in the present though....sigh)

BP is burning rare sea turtles alive, blocking efforts to save them:

[www.naturalnews.com]

brome Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BP is burning rare sea turtles alive, blocking
> efforts to save them:
>
> [www.naturalnews.com]
> _of_Mexico.html

How horrible! This has to be stopped. I wanted to verify this because it's just so bad, and I found several articles presently on the internet referring to the same accusation - that BP is burning where sea turtles, especially the baby sea turtles, gather to feed on the sargassum. If true, I hope this story will get enough attention to reach the mainstream media. Once that happens, maybe BP will feel pressured to stop, and put more energy into the animal rescue effort!

According to the Wikipedia link provided by Loeve, "Thousands of baby sea turtles were airlifted to a clean portion of the Gulf of Mexico to help save the rare species", during the Ixtoc I spill. I wonder if there's any "clean portion of the Gulf" available for moving a large population of turtles during the current spill. I know they're saving some turtles, at least. Those will go somewhere, of course, but I don't know where. Does anyone have more information about where the rescued turtles are being relocated?

I thought the Wikipedia article was overall somewhat encouraging, since it does appear that a recovery is possible. "Recovery", meaning a recovery of habitat, and/or a recovery of a species. But at some critical level of destruction, a species will not survive, even if the habitat is recovered. There will be no recovery for any of the thousands of animals who are dying and have already died.

If enough of us can only remember what happened here, maybe it will never happen again.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2010 10:03PM by suncloud.

I haven't been reading this thread at all (way too depressing) so forgive me if this has already been posted.
oil spill in 1979, you'd swear it was the one that's happening today. Save "advanced" technology being used to fix the problem as over 30 years ago. Sigh.

[www.wimp.com]

That wimp.com video was so cool I looked to see what else was on that website --

[www.wimp.com]

These "wimp" videos have a way of getting right to the point, this one concluding we can't afford to wait months for these relief wells.

Thanks coco! Rachel Maddow seems to have some good stories before anyone else. Good show!

CNN answered my question about where the rescued turtles will go - at least the critically endangered Kemp's Ridleys. At this time, there really is nowhere at all for them to go, because the only place in the world where Kemp's Ridleys are found is the Gulf Coast. If the turtles are released, they'll likely return to where they'll be covered in oil again.

Right now each turtle is in solitary confinement in it's own plastic tub. It's better than being plastered with oil!

Very grateful to all the animal rescuers. There's some cool new boats - sponsored by Jimmy Buffet - built for rescuing the wildlife. They float on just a foot of water, so they can go into the marshes.

[blog.gulflive.com]

A WHALE to the rescue!

A Taiwan "super skimmer", called A Whale has arrived in the Gulf Coast, after being recently coverted in Portugal to skim oil from the ocean. The owners claim it can skim 500,000 barrels of oily water per day, and then separate nearly all the oil from the seawater. [www.reuters.com]

In comparison, Kevin Costner's V20 centrifuges each have the capability of skimming 2,000 barrels of oil a day.

According to an AP article written when A Whale was harbored in Virginia on its way to the Gulf:

"The owners of the A Whale said the ship features a new skimming approach that has never been attempted on such a large scale...

"Its owners claim the ship could gulp oily water at a daily rate that nearly matches the skimming total to date in the Gulf...

"Oil skimmed up by the tanker would be separated from seawater, then transferred to another vessel.

"Its owners claim the ship could gulp oily water at a daily rate that nearly matches the skimming total to date in the Gulf.

"Nobu Su, CEO and founder of TMT group, compared the massive ship to a whale scooping up small fish. He said cappuccino-colored oily water would be processed through several tanks to extract oil the color of espresso...

"'I believe this spill is unprecedented and you need an unprecedented solution,“ said T.K. Ong, senior vice president for TMT."

[www2.wsls.com]

Is this some actual good news for a change?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2010 09:43PM by suncloud.

Did you guys hear the latest? BP is dumping fresh sand on top of the oily stuff (think it's in Pensacola's beach)! Will the evil ever stop topping itself? Stay tuned...

Cool idea for cleanup...

[www.wimp.com]

the A WHALE on the scene and ready to start working soon I believe from what I heard earlier today, would be awesome if they could get running by tomorrow... the sooner the better!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

Great oil skimmer! just put it out in the Gulf where the oil is at it's densest and let it go to work. BP is about to reconfigure the BOP with a new and much better Cameron custom cap during which time the oil is going to flow heavier for several days. The up side is if the current formation pressure and existing BOP strength allow BP will simply shut off the well ending this gusher even before the relief wells are done.

The problem as I see it with these BOPs is they are custom stacks of whatever odd components the drilling company had asked for. In this case they stacked together 15,000psi rams with 10,000psi annular preventers with a 10,000psi connector thrown in resulting with a stack where the weak link is the 10,000psi components. Yet they call it a 15,000K BOP? Well, not if trying to cap it after the blowout of a 12,000psi oil/gas formation... BP seems to be waiting for the formation pressure to naturally decrease by letting it blow off it's reserve of natural gas. It's turning out to be a costly waiting game.


[aolsearcht3.search.aol.com]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2010 11:36AM by loeve.

BP is posting pictures under the caption, Capping Stack BOP. It's the new cap from the BOP manufacturer Cameron, on its way out to the disaster site.

[www.bp.com]

It's a serious cap apparently including a ram device.

Please God, let it work.

God, Goddess, Maude, I'm praying to them all. Fingers and toes and eyes crossed while I'm at it!

Hurray for the new BOP! Hope they can get it on there quickly, and it works!

To clarify about Costner's centrifuges (I think this is right): the potential 2000 barrels of oil/day skimmed by each centrifuge is the oil left over after separating the skimmed oil from the water. So the 32 centrifuges BP asked for would theoretically take out 64,000 barrels of oil/day.

In an earlier CNN interview, Costner said the unseparated oily water currently being skimmed off the ocean contains about 90% water and 10% oil. If the oil:water ratio is the same for The Whale, then the 500,000 barrels/day of oily water skimmed by The Whale would amount to about 50,000 barrels of oil/day (compared to the approximately 64,000 barrels of oil/day capacity of the Costner centrifuges)

Whatever the case, it seems like both technologies could be useful in the Gulf! The Whale already has its own separation technology. The Costner centrifuges could be used in coordination with the smaller skimming boats, particularly in the shallower waters where The Whale can't go.

According to the following link, as of June 23, three of Costner's centrifuges are in use in deep water, 2 more in shallow water, and crews are working to get the other 27 into action: [trueslant.com]

According to the article, the 3 Costner machines are processing 600,000 gallons/day. I believe the number refers to unseparated oily water, so there's really no way to tell how much separated oil that comes to. If the oily water is 90% water and 10% oil, that's 60,000 gallons of oil/day removed from the water, or about 1429 barrels of oil/day for the 3 machines together. (There's 42 gallons in a barrel.)

That's only 476 barrels oil/day for each machine; 32 machines would yield about 15,232 barrels oil/day. Hopefully they're getting more!

Just trying to get a better sense of these numbers. It's confusing when we have one number for barrels, another number for gallons, and a lot of incomplete information.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2010 11:43PM by suncloud.

Here's a petition from Environmental Defense Fund that people can fill out and send off to "Urge the Unified Command and federal agencies to observe, report, and intervene to protect Gulf wildlife."

The message is:

"In response to concerns that wildlife, including sea turtles and other protected marine species, may be victims of sea surface oil burns, skimming and other oil containment techniques, we call on Unified Command and federal agencies to:

-- Place qualified third party wildlife observers on "Vessels of Opportunity" responding to the BP oil disaster;

-- Publicly report all wildlife observations in the oil impact areas;

-- Postpone burns when protected species are present to allow for appropriate intervention and immediately implement measures to eliminate avoidable harm to all protected species; and

-- Coordinate wildlife rescue interventions when necessary.

This applies to all open water response operations conducting burning, skimming, vacuuming, chemical dispersant application and any other techniques used to collect, capture, or disperse oil.

Observation data of oil-exposed wildlife should be made publicly available and included in the official daily wildlife casualty reports that currently only report captured and collected wildlife."

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Apparently, sometimes when an area is cordoned off by boom to be set on fire, there are turtle and other wildlife caught up in the oil. There needs to be some coordinated intervention that allows animal rescuers to access the wildlife before it's burned along with the oil.

There also needs to be a better accounting of all the wild victims.

Please sign the petition! Thanks