BP brings in big box to deal with oil - Crews lower concrete-and-steel structure over well in Gulf

[Pirate Smile]

Source: Associated Press



By HARRY R. WEBER, TAMARA LUSH
Associated Press Writers


ON THE GULF OF MEXICO - Workers eased a giant concrete-and-steel box into the Gulf of Mexico late Thursday, starting the long process of lowering the contraption over the blown-out oil well at the bottom of the sea in an untested bid to capture most of the gushing crude and avert a wider environmental disaster.

The 100-ton containment vessel is designed to collect as much as 85 percent of the oil spewing into the Gulf and funnel it up to a tanker. It could take several hours to lower it into place, after which a steel pipe will be installed between the top of the box and the tanker.

The whole structure could be operating by Sunday.
"We haven't done this before. It's very complex and we can't guarantee it," BP spokesman David Nicholas warned.

The 100-ton containment vessel is designed to collect as much as 85 percent of the oil spewing into the Gulf and funnel it up to a tanker. It could take several hours to lower it into place by crane, after which a steel pipe will be installed between the top of the box and the tanker. The whole structure could be operating by Sunday.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37008288/ns/us_news-environment/

[backscatter712]

1. Let's hope it works!

The sooner this environmental catastrophe is brought under control, the better.

[FLPanhandle]

10. +1

My fingers are crossed.

[zenprole]

2. First Things First

Yes, let's hope it works. Then we can can hang those responsible.

[tomm2thumbs]

3. that 'water' sure looks bad

good luck to them, but boy, so much damage has been done. If this fails, I don't know if they have a back up plan but I give them credit for trying it

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. As i understand it, the backup may be to pump concrete into the well,

permanently sealing it - something else that has never been tried. It may not even be possible to do it considering the depth, pressure and cold.

I've read that it was talked about, but have no idea if it is a viable plan.

ON EDIT:

According to this, it is both possible and viable. Apparently I was incorrect about it not being tried before. I guess the only drawback is that it would require drilling an new well to tap into that particular field again.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4372054

[pezDispenser]

4. Godspeed n/t

[Proletariatprincess]

5. Why do I have the feeling that the prime motivation here is to recover the valuable oil?

I do hope it works, but I have become so cynical lately. I am suspect of everything BP does. If they can avoid capping this well and still work it, they will..... regardless of the hazard to the environment. They are scurrilous scumbags, after all.

[ArcticFox]

9. exactly

[snooper2]

11. an oily watery mix...not really something you can take right to the refinery

nt

[slackmaster]

12. Not that there's anything wrong with that

[MellowDem]

24. Because the cost is not comparable...

the amount of money they would make from selling that gas wouldn't begin to offset the 6 million a day that they're spending on clean up and the additional cost of allowing more oil into the water to have to clean up after the gusher is stopped. They're doing it because it is one of the fastest things they can do right now.

[zonkers]

6. I hope this is nothing like me trying to McGive my broken car door to stay shut.

[crazy homeless guy]

7. Why do I keep thinking of the capped stations in LOST.

...I guess I have been watching to much TV lately.

[SkyDaddy7]

8. Considering I never watched Lost...This is my guess

Because BP claimed they could control a spill far worse than this one but in reality they are "LOST"!

[foxfeet]

14. Giant box above oil leak site

Source: MSNBC

By Harry R Weber, Tamara Lush

updated 36 minutes ago
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO - Underwater robots positioned a giant 100-ton concrete-and-steel box over a blown-out well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico on Friday as workers prepared to drop the device to the seafloor in a first-of-its-kind attempt to stop oil gushing into the sea.

A spokesman for oil giant BP LPC, which is in charge of the cleanup, said the box was suspended over the main leak just after noon EDT Friday and was being moved into position.

Several undersea cameras attached to the robots were making sure it was properly aligned before it plunged all the way to the bottom.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37008288/ns/us_news-environment/

---

Here's hoping for the best.

[jimlup]

15. I still don't quite understand how they are lowering it.

I assume they have a cable system or something that will be a guide as it drops?

[foxfeet]

16. I'd guess so.

Because the Transporter is off-line.

[pinto]

20. Video at website - four cables, one at each corner.

:hi:

[TygrBright]

17. Okay. And when the big box fills up.....?

What, it's not gonna leak?

Nothing's gonna seep out from under it?

Yes, I DID read the whole article, and I don't see how this is gonna help after the damn' box gets full.

This looks like a boondoggle.

suspiciously,
Bright

[foxfeet]

18. All unknowns. And I share your suspicion.

[FLPanhandle]

19. It's really quite simple.

The box will sink into the ground with a cutout for the pipe. The oil flowing out of the pipe will float to the top of the box where it will be pumped out.

[janx]

21. They're apparently going to attach a pipe to the top

of the thing and try to pump oil to the surface:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703338004575229864184350730.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsThird

[marions ghost]

22. OK

but what about the leak over at the Blowout preventer--isn't that the main one?

[slackmaster]

23. It has one main pipe at the top, which will be connected to a ship on the surface

There are several side vents, which I assume are to keep the pressure at the main pipe down while the connection is made, and will be plugged once pumping begins.

Nothing's gonna seep out from under it?

If they can pump the oil out fast enough...

[MellowDem]

25. It's connected to a pipe that sucks the oil up... nt

[truthisfreedom]

26. "I drink your milkshake."