May 29: Statement by the President on the Latest Efforts to Contain the BP Oil Spill

[ProSense]

Statement by the President on the Latest Efforts to Contain the BP Oil Spill

Today, I’ve spoken with National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen, as well as Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and senior White House advisors John Brennan and Carol Browner regarding the ongoing efforts to stop the BP oil spill. From the beginning, our concern has been that the surest way to stop the flow of oil – the drilling of relief wells – would take several months to complete. So engineers and experts have explored a variety of alternatives to stop the leak now. They had hoped that the top kill approach attempted this week would halt the flow of oil and gas currently escaping from the seafloor. But while we initially received optimistic reports about the procedure, it is now clear that it has not worked. Rear Admiral Mary Landry today directed BP to launch a new procedure whereby the riser pipe will be cut and a containment structure fitted over the leak.

This approach is not without risk and has never been attempted before at this depth. That is why it was not activated until other methods had been exhausted. It will be difficult and will take several days. It is also important to note that while we were hopeful that the top kill would succeed, we were also mindful that there was a significant chance it would not. And we will continue to pursue any and all responsible means of stopping this leak until the completion of the two relief wells currently being drilled.

As I said yesterday, every day that this leak continues is an assault on the people of the Gulf Coast region, their livelihoods, and the natural bounty that belongs to all of us. It is as enraging as it is heartbreaking, and we will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimized by this manmade disaster are made whole.

[sandnsea]

1. Obama spoke to Allen and Browner today

Statement of the Press Secretary on the President's Briefing Call Today with National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner


“Today, the President was briefed by the National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen and Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change Policy Carol Browner regarding the ongoing efforts to contain the BP oil spill.

He was informed that skimming, dispersing, and burn operations continue with eight controlled burns yesterday.

He was also updated on BP's efforts to begin to put cutting machines into place that will be used to cut the riser pipe for placement of an alternate containment device. According to BP, the riser cutting will likely start Monday, or Tuesday.

They also discussed the fact that the flow rate could increase as much as 20% until the containment device is applied over the leak.

Adm. Allen indicated that, as per the President's direction, government and contractor resources in areas affected by oil will be tripled. He also indicated that officials on the ground have increased efforts to be more responsive to needs identified by local communities.”

[ProSense]

3. Thanks. Browner today:

<...>

Robert Dudley, the BP official who appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" and other talk shows, said early estimates that 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) were leaking into the ocean each day came from government satellite imaging, rather than BP's figures.

<...>

Not true, countered Carol Browner, the assistant on energy and climate change to President Barack Obama, who spoke to the NBC program "Meet the Press" and the CBS show.

"The very, very first estimates came from BP," Browner said on the CBS program. "They had the footage of the plume. The government then did satellite imagery and we realized that those estimates were not accurate."

Browner noted that BP had a "vested financial interest" in downplaying the size of the leak.

"They will ultimately pay a fine based on those rates," Browner said. "That's why we brought in an independent team. We did not include BP in the estimates that were made available this week."

link

[sandnsea]

4. Thanks, a question

Have you seen anything that indicates whether there are skimmer tankers in the gulf, how many, which ones, etc. I know there are skimmers, both boats and machines, but not sure about how many tankers.

[ProSense]

6. Don't really know.

I keep seeing the question, but no one addressing whether this is viable solution or even logistically possible.

This seems to be the source of the suggestion:

<...>

According to Hofmeister, oil supertankers could be used to suck up massive amounts of oil--possibly millions of barrels at a time.

In an interview with FastCompany.com, Hofmeister explained that a little-known Saudi oil spill from an offshore platform in the early 1990s dumped more crude into the sea than any spill in U.S. history (think hundreds of millions of gallons). But the government and local press kept it quiet. And that's why one of the big fixes in the Saudi oil spill--the oil-skimming supertanker--hasn't been publicized.

"(They) figured out how to deploy supertankers that had the ability to both intake and discharge liquids in vast quantities with huge pumps," Hofmeister explained. "The supertankers could simply suck in seawater and oil simultaneously--they can hold millions of barrels--and when full, they could discharge oil at a port into tanks where they could separate oil from water. The idea is novel in that you can get massive of oil amounts quickly." Once the supertankers make it to to the port, water can be treated and discharged, and oil can either be used or destroyed.

Pozzi saw the technique used in the Middle East, where it recovered 85% of the oil from the Saudi spill. And he thinks it could work in the Gulf of Mexico. "The only downside is that you tie up oil tankers. That's why we think that BP won't listen to us. They don't want to spend that extra money."

After learning about the supertanker technique a few weeks ago, Hofmeister decided to bring it to the government's attention. "I've been trying to connect engineers with decision-makers at the Coast Guard and in the interior department," he said.

Pozzi and his business partner Jon King have also tried to contact officials, with no luck. "I called the President of BP, got his secretary and then got a call from a lady inside the building we were standing outside of. We never really heard back from her. Nick also knew some people and got one of the men in charge of the spill. He threatened to sue Nick for not going through channels," King said.

But even if BP and the government both approve the technique, it will take a while before it can be implemented. "A lot of these supertankers are sitting on the ocean full of oil. How do you get them empty? It may take some time to organize," Hofmeister explained. And, of course, organizers will have to make sure that the supertankers don't crash into each other. All the more reason to get started now.

link

The entire claim sounds suspect.

[Hestia]

10. The tanker/skimmer issue was addressed on Chris Matthews show Wed or Thursday

professor from LSU? Tulane? It was a Louisiana college. Anyway, he said that supertankers can only go in one direction, they are huge, and a tug can barely tow them. They are too big for the Gulf. There is no way for them to turn around in the Gulf. We need ships that are smaller to skim in our Gulf. Interesting segment and the only place I have seen this question addressed.

[jenmito]

7. I didn't hear this reported on tv today at ALL-just "questions" about how this will

hurt Obama politically. :eyes:

[ProSense]

9. That's the media for you. n/t

[Cha]

2. KR..Thanks.

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