Deep sea ice crystals..

[ddrumman2004]

Can someone with more intelligence than myself, please explain to me how ice crystals formed on that containment vessel that was lowered down into the gulf to control that oil leak?

I didn't think that ice formed that far down in the ocean.

Are they speaking of regular water turning into ice or is it the result of some chemical process.

My wife, she's intelligent compared to me, and I can't figure this out. She asked me about it and said that water doesn't freeze that far down....just look at water under the ice at the north pole.

?????

 

[Pablo]

Pressure. Cold. Methane crystals: Methane Hydrate

 

[ddrumman2004]

So the methane is what froze?

I thought the methane was below the ocean floor.

"Frozen natural gas crystals in which there are methane molecules trapped within frozen water molecules."

Are the water molecules frozen that far down?

 

[bullwinkle]

No-under extreme pressure-kind of the same way that normal gases can exist in a liquid state under pressure @ room temperature-the methane itself was a crystal. When released up the wellhead & well pipe the rapidly expanding methane formed a giant cloud that enveloped the ENTIRE PLATFORM (the safety devices failed)-causing all the running equipment to run away and explode, along with the gas cloud. Amazing that ANYONE could survive that-I personally never realized how dangerous oil rig work could be.

 

[JHZR2]

Thermodynamics

 

[Captain_Klink]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_clathrate
at high pressures, methane hydrate is solid right up to 18 C.
this wikipedia article explains what it is. also, when solid natural gas is de-pressurized, it expands, and the expansion causes tremendous cooling, just like it does in an Air Conditioner. This is our oily Chernobyl. The ONLY purpose of this well is to increase oil company profits, it will only supply less than TWO percent of our consumption, it is ever gets under control

 

[ddrumman2004]

Thanks to all that replied.

After a search, I found out what methane hydrate was and what it can do and how it's formed.

But for the average person, especially one without internet access, that listens to the news and hear's about ice crystals on the ocean floor, just imagine what they would conclude.

Stupid me should have consulted Google in the first place!

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: ddrumman2004
But for the average person, especially one without internet access, that listens to the news and hear's about ice crystals on the ocean floor, just imagine what they would conclude.


Blame the media. They had an interview with someone in the BP brass on CBC yesterday. The interviewer kept referring to ice, whereas he continually referred to the hydrate. He, obviously, made a lot more sense. Perhaps to reporters, everything that is frozen that can be liquid under STP must therefore be ice.

I don't know how he kept his tongue in check.

 

[MNgopher]

Originally Posted By: Captain_Klink
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Methane_clathrate
at high pressures, methane hydrate is solid right up to 18 C.
this wikipedia article explains what it is. also, when solid natural gas is de-pressurized, it expands, and the expansion causes tremendous cooling, just like it does in an Air Conditioner. This is our oily Chernobyl. The ONLY purpose of this well is to increase oil company profits, it will only supply less than TWO percent of our consumption, it is ever gets under control


Ah yes, because just by drilling these companies make money. It has nothing to do with demand for the product it may produce... Whatever

 

[Schmoe]

Interesting. I too was thinking "ice crystals"????? Makes sense now. A lot more to deep sea drilling that I had thought.

 

[Samilcar]

Originally Posted By: Captain_Klink
The ONLY purpose of this well is to increase oil company profits


You mean oil companies aren't in the business to supply their product for free?

Thanks, now I feel like I did when I first learned that the tooth fairy doesn't exist.

 

[mechtech2]

Now we need Paul Harvey to say,
" And that, is the rest of the story!".