A rescue sub for USN and other navies' submarines can be flown anywhere in the world in 24 hours.

[Captain Hilts]

Why can't the device that can help stop one of these leaks be flown to the US?

The USN, RN and even Russian navies - as is the case with the space programs - have compatible rescue protocols for submarines. Why not here? There are submersibles to deal with these oil situations and there isn't one in the US.

Well, get one here!

[rockymountaindem]

1. Assuming the subs were here, could they actually do anything about the leak?

I'm under the impression that getting to the leak with mini subs will be easy, but it's not like they could just put a manhole cover in the pipe and have that be that.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. DSRVs don't have the gear

to manipulate which is what is needed. I talked about this with hubby, retired Submariner.

The sad reality is that the very specialized equipment needed to deal with this is in the hands of private industry. So the faustian choice is who do you hire to do this?

Of course the extant question should be why don't we have that capacity in PUBLIC hands, I don't care where.

Yes Ronnie I am looking at you...

[Captain Hilts]

3. I'm not talking about a DSRV. I'm talking about the equipment other countries require

oil companies that have offshore rigs to have to deal with these situations.

I'm using the DSRV as a comparison only that it can be transported anywhere very quickly.

[sharp_stick]

5. Like what

I don't know of any special equipment anywhere that is designed to handle a blowout at 5,000+ feet.

The drillers only real chance AFAIC was to properly set the well up with redundant blow out protection along with proper well sealing to being with and in the way of the average corporation these days decided it was financially worth the rist to not bother doing all they could to prevent what happened.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Read what you wrote

your answer is there. The equipment is in the hands of PRIVATE COMPANIES.

So there is YOUR ANSWER.

The Faustian choice remains, WHO THE HELL DO YOU HIRE TO DO THIS? The closest to publicly owned gear would be Brazil... (Publicly owned company) and if we asked nicely, I am sure they can even load it themselves on C-130s, of the Brazilian Air Force, assuming they fit on C-130s.

This is not unprecedented though... the last time we had a large gusher in the Gulf though took nine months and a relief well. That don't make me happy, but I like to deal with reality.

[Captain Hilts]

9. That's why political pressure needs to be also put on the Brits. I read they have one for Abderdeen

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. They have an ROV on site

or you missed the feed?

And all the pressure in the world, I am betting on the only thing will work will be a relief well... took nine months last time...

And the extant question still remains... one of the problems is the belief the government is the problem. Well this is a self fulfilling prophecy of sorts. (At one time the US Government had a lot more equipment in the hands of the USCG to do this... you know who killed that right?)

[sharp_stick]

4. I don't think a submarine

could handle the pressures of 5000+ feet of water. Robotic vehicles are the best we have for any kind of work at that depth.

[Captain Hilts]

7. That's what I'm talking about. These robots are used in other countries. Get one HERE. nt

[sharp_stick]

10. Which robots

I'm genuinely curious about what specific deep sea vehicles exist and where they are. I see people claiming that this technology exists but I've never seen it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Perhaps you have miseed the live feed from the site

of the gusher. What do you think they are using to give you a live feed?

That is an ROV. I suspect the shear is such that the experts don't believe they can use ROV's to fix it... by the way.

Again I like to deal with reality. Expect to be disappointed when they try the top kill. As I said, the last time we had a deep gusher (Ixtoc I) they tried MANY THINGS, in the end the only thing that sort of worked and allowed them to finally cap was a relief well. It took nine months, and that don't make it happy whatsoever. But any screaming on my part will make no difference.

[Statistical]

15. There are nearly 2 dozen robots working at the site.

Do you think there is some kinda of magic well capping robot?

The problem isn't a lack of ROV it is the fact that well is under tremendous pressure.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Is there a sunken submarine that needs rescuing?

Fucking christ.

[MineralMan]

13. Uh, there's already one of the robotic submersibles on the scene,

and has been for some time. How is it that you were not aware of that?

[Statistical]

14. This situation is a first of its kind.

This the deepest water blowout in history of mankind.
Combined with the fact that the well (depth drilled) is the deepest in history of mankind.

BP kinda pick the wrong place to skimp on safety, and backups.

The bad news is all the ROV in the world likely won't do squat.

Every other disaster of similar size and scope was solved by a tried and true method.
Drill a relief well (or 2, or 3, or 5) and flood main well with mud and then concrete.

Bad news is it takes months. The Mexicans, the Aussies, the Russians have all resolved similar spells via the use of relief well.
Unless you know some kind of magic super laser which can drill 30,000 ft in seconds it will take 60+ days to drill the relief well.

Well the Russians did close at least 5 wells via nuclear device but I doubt you would support that "shortcut".

[MineralMan]

16. Yeah! We can land a man on the moon, so let's get some of

those old astronauts and send them down to seal the well. Uff da!

Before posting, why not look into the actual situation? You would have discovered that there's already a submersible working on site. That's how they got that tube in their that sucking up a small fraction of the escaping oil.

Stuff like this is why I wrote this post yesterday that turned into such a long thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8398408

There's way too little information being posted about this blowout, and way too much nonsense.