Gulf Oil Spill May Be 19 Times Bigger Than Originally Thought (4 Million Gal per Day)

[tekisui]

Source: McClatchy

WASHINGTON — The latest glimpse of video footage of the oil spill deep under the Gulf of Mexico indicates that around 95,000 barrels, or 4 million gallons, a day of crude oil may be spewing from the leaking wellhead, 19 times the previous estimate, an engineering professor told Congress Wednesday.

The figure of 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons, a day that BP and the federal government have been using for weeks is based on observations of the surface slick made by satellites and aircraft. Even NASA's satellite-based instruments, however, can't see deep into the waters of the gulf, where much of the oil from the gusher seems to be floating. The well is 5,000 feet below the surface.

Adm. Thad Allen, the commandant of the Coast Guard, said in an interview Wednesday that he'd had many conversations over the past week or more with other government science officials about how to get a more precise calculation of the flow, a better estimate of the total oil in the gulf since the April 20 explosion and an accurate assessment of what's happening to the oil on the surface.

Allen said his advisers are considering putting sensors near the leak that would give a better understanding of the amount of oil entering the water. "It's coming together very nicely. I'm satisfied we'll have the right people," he said. It's not yet known when the equipment would be ready to use, he added.

Sonar equipment already has been used to try to figure out how well chemical dispersants are working at deep levels, Allen said.

"I don't mean to be glib, but it's kind of hard to measure the amount of water you're putting on a fire while you're fighting a fire," he said. Federal agencies got as much equipment assembled as they could to keep the oil away from shore by skimming, burning and other measures, he said.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/05/19/94489/gulf-oil-spill-may-be-19-times.html#ixzz0oT85W3ND

[BridgeTheGap]

1. Watched the BP spokesclown on News Hour last night. When asked about BP's statement that they would

"take responsibility" and what that meant, he said: "We have to say that!" read: words don't mean anything except as a matter of perception. "Don't watch what we do or don't do...just listen to what we say.

[marions ghost]

2. Oh yeah?

Finding out how much oil is coming out has suddenly become a priority after a month? "It's coming together very nicely..." Sure it is.

I feel like I'm watching the Three Stooges' "Capping A Wellhead" episode... :-(