What is the estimate of oil remaining from that gusher anyway? So far the rate hasn't abated and looks like it could flow forever. Are there any other companies tapping into that deposit of oil, or does BP soley own the rights to that reserve? Also, once they cap it, they are going to abandon it, but why would they do that after spending all that money developing that field of oil?
How much oil is left in that field of oil?
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Makes you wonder just how much oil there really is under there.
I thought I had read that BP estimated that the deposit had between 500 million and a billion BARRELS in "recoverable" yield. I'm not sure how much additional oil would be "unrecoverable". In any event, it could continue flowing at the current rate (or a much higher rate should the well deteriorate further or collapse, a worst-case scenario sending millions of barrels of oil into the ocean)for a LONG time if they don't figure out a way to tap/block/seal the thing. The damage from this is unestimable and will be felt by people watching it unfold for the rest of their lives.
Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
Makes you wonder just how much oil there really is under there.
I think the estimates of how much oil is offshore in the US is vastly underestimated because the federal govt. has generally prevented companies from exploring and drilling. That policy won't change until at least 2013.
Makes you wonder just how much oil there really is under there.
I think the estimates of how much oil is offshore in the US is vastly underestimated because the federal govt. has generally prevented companies from exploring and drilling. That policy won't change until at least 2013.
At the current rate of flow, probably enough to displace all the water in the Gulf within a few months. Recovery of the oil is expected to be much easier then, and should drive fuel prices down to less that 50 cents a gallon by December 21, 2012.
The world needs more oil, so what's one Gulf more or less? Besides, all those birds can fly away where there isn't any oil, and the shrimp and oysters can just go swim somewhere else. Problem solved. To hades with the west coast treehuggers and east coast Florida sun worshippers. By gawd we need oil and plenty of it! What greater strategic oil reserve can you ask for than the great Gulf of British Petroleum. The Mexicans have had their name on it long enough--and what improvements have they ever made? Not a darn one! We don't even care if they get offended by the name change; to heck with em!
PS// No BULL, all the investers in the know will soon rate BP stock as a "Buy" amongst themselves in the stampede soon to occur in the oil futures market! If you ever wanted to own an oil company then that will be your lucky day. Buy low--sell high!
The world needs more oil, so what's one Gulf more or less? Besides, all those birds can fly away where there isn't any oil, and the shrimp and oysters can just go swim somewhere else. Problem solved. To hades with the west coast treehuggers and east coast Florida sun worshippers. By gawd we need oil and plenty of it! What greater strategic oil reserve can you ask for than the great Gulf of British Petroleum. The Mexicans have had their name on it long enough--and what improvements have they ever made? Not a darn one! We don't even care if they get offended by the name change; to heck with em!
PS// No BULL, all the investers in the know will soon rate BP stock as a "Buy" amongst themselves in the stampede soon to occur in the oil futures market! If you ever wanted to own an oil company then that will be your lucky day. Buy low--sell high!
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Matt Simmons, petroleum scientist, who lives down the road from me in Rockport, Maine, is pessimistic about being able to get this well under control. He believes the casing is so badly damaged that, given the pressure and flow rate of the crude and gas coming out of that well, it may be impossible to stop without such an extraordinary measure as a low yield nuclear device detonated at the well head 5,000 feet below the ocean's surface. Such a detonation would send a shock wave down the bore of the well driving the column of rising crude back down temporarily, while, at the same time, fusing the rock and sand near the well head into a glass-like permanent seal. Of course, if the blast should cause fracturing at various lower levels in the well bore, it could allow the crude and gas from below to escape at countless other locations. Not a happy prospect. Depending upon the total volume of liquid and gas in the subsea reservoir as well as available pressure driving the material, this so-called "spill" could go on for many years.
The relief well will intercept the original well. If the casing is damaged it would not matter as they are going to pump cement into it and seal it off. Left untouched the current well could flow for 5 years (so I have heard)
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Kestas
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That's assuming the relief well hits the original well square into it. I don't see how they can aim drilling with such precision. It's just another plan to gives us hope.
Be prepared for a letdown and the fact that they may never stop the hemmorhage.
Be prepared for a letdown and the fact that they may never stop the hemmorhage.
I would tend to agree with you, but the experts say this has a "near" 100% chance of success. We can only pray it does...
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Originally Posted By: Bluestream
I would tend to agree with you, but the experts say this has a "near" 100% chance of success. We can only pray it does...
The experts thought that the original plan was going to be 100% successful.
Anyway, I hope it works. Panzerman can't crank out enough wringer washers to reclaim the oil from the beach kill.
I would tend to agree with you, but the experts say this has a "near" 100% chance of success. We can only pray it does...
The experts thought that the original plan was going to be 100% successful.
Anyway, I hope it works. Panzerman can't crank out enough wringer washers to reclaim the oil from the beach kill.
Originally Posted By: Kestas
That's assuming the relief well hits the original square into it. I don't see how they can aim drilling with such precision.
That's precisely my concern. I'm involved in the drilling industry (to a smaller scale than what we are dealing with here) and it will be very difficult to near impossible to squarely drill into the existing well. Might be a better chance of hitting the lottery.
That's assuming the relief well hits the original square into it. I don't see how they can aim drilling with such precision.
That's precisely my concern. I'm involved in the drilling industry (to a smaller scale than what we are dealing with here) and it will be very difficult to near impossible to squarely drill into the existing well. Might be a better chance of hitting the lottery.
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Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
Makes you wonder just how much oil there really is under there.
I think the estimates of how much oil is offshore in the US is vastly underestimated because the federal govt. has generally prevented companies from exploring and drilling. That policy won't change until at least 2013.
+1
Originally Posted By: xxch4osxx
Makes you wonder just how much oil there really is under there.
I think the estimates of how much oil is offshore in the US is vastly underestimated because the federal govt. has generally prevented companies from exploring and drilling. That policy won't change until at least 2013.
+1
From what I've read, this gusher still is not as large as the on in the southern Gulf of Mexico in 1979 - that one had hardly any cleanup effort, and the area recovered within a few years, mainly from tropical storms/hurricanes dispersing the oil, and natural organisms and processes taking care of the oil. Seafood tested safe within a year after that disaster.
We won't know until it happens, but despite the doom and gloom, IF they can successfully cap the BP well, a potent hurricane season may be just what the Dr. ordered to help mitigate the damage, as contrarian as it sounds.
Neil Cavuto had an oceanographer on his show that laid this scenario out a few days ago. Interesting.
We won't know until it happens, but despite the doom and gloom, IF they can successfully cap the BP well, a potent hurricane season may be just what the Dr. ordered to help mitigate the damage, as contrarian as it sounds.
Neil Cavuto had an oceanographer on his show that laid this scenario out a few days ago. Interesting.
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