Gulf Oil Spill

[Jonathan Bird]

Hey Clay,
You are our man on the scene down there. How about some local insight into what the heck is going on?

Jonathan

[sorvju-f]

Hey Clay,
You are our man on the scene down there. How about some local insight into what the heck is going on?

Jonathan

Some comments from diving point of view, would be nice. How abbout California, Key Largo, Bahama, Caribean?

I think that in the bottom there is nothing to do, just wait that the source is empty...it can take months...up to year:o

I don't know if there have been case like this earlier to refer ( never heard ).

That is for sure that this is huge disaster ( Iceland vulcano was nothing compared to this one ).

Jonathan, I feel that this is the story to tell to kids like episode or series of episodes.

Jukka

[Carl]

Guys,

Unlike BC, with me coming up for my camera covered in Kelp, I DO NOT VOLUNTEER to come up covered in tar ! Find another sucker for this one!

Thanks!

Caaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrlllllllllllllllllllll

[Clay Coleman]

Hey guys. You probably know as much as I do. I got an inquiry from Brandon today about this very thing. What I've heard is this:
The BP rig hit an area of very high pressure gas. They fought to bring the pressure under control for about 2 hours before the rig blew. Their pressure system was designed to deal with short bursts of pressure up to 60,000 psi. It couldn't contain the gas and oil. That's serious pressure. The leaks are at 5,000 feet. So containing the thing is a monstrous problem. They are attempting to install some sort of cofferdam to collect the oil near its source. Reports refer to this as a "capping", but it's not a cap like a traditional "Christmas tree" valve assembly. They're not shutting off the flow, they're just trying to catch it and funnel it to an area where it can be collected. The oil that is leaking is not heavy crude. They've been treating it with chemicals from the air. I don't know what kind of stuff they're dumping on it. No significant amount of oil has reached any coast that I know of. There have been reports of a "sheen" at some of the barrier islands. There have also been reports that the slick is shrinking despite the continued flow. That means to me that the oil is sinking, possibly due to the chemical treatment. I don't know what that means for the benthic life in the Gulf. I do know that the state opened an emergency shrimping season to try to salvage a shrimp crop as soon as possible.
The slick is currently north of the Loop Current, which is a finger of the Gulf Stream that runs west to east in the Gulf. If the slick is caught in the Loop, it could travel rather quickly eastward, down the Florida peninsula, through the Florida Straits, and catch the Gulf Stream to North Carolina. North of the Loop, the movement of the slick is a guess based on prevailing wind.

Here is a link to the Baton Rouge newspaper for local reports: www.2theadvocate.com

[Jonathan Bird]

Thanks for the info Clay. This is a real bummer for sure. This also probably means that our oil rig segment is off for this summer? (Unless we get funded, it's probably off anyway).

[Clay Coleman]

Re: the sinking oil: The area where the slick appears to be is over the so-called "dead zone"--an anoxic, lifeless bottom caused by too much outflow of the Mississippi River due to levees. This has been a huge problem in the past, as the levees prevent the river from depositing effluent to re-build the delta and wetlands. And, as stated, it has caused this dead zone near its mouth. However, if you want to sink some oil in deep water, that's the place to do it.

To Jonathan: The rigs we would dive are in much shallower water pretty far to the west of where the spill is. If your funding can be replaced, there's a good chance we could make some rig dives if the spill can be controlled by the cofferdam in the next few days. We'll see.

[Jonathan Bird]

That's good to know Clay! Keep fingers crossed for the NSF grant we applied for!!

How does one sink oil?

[Jonathan Bird]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100508/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill

[Clay Coleman]

Some local reports, one from a guy who had worked on the exploded rig:



Here's an explanation from a former supervisor on the Horizon as to what likely happened.

O.k. folks I will put to rest that anything other then a tragedy occured. The failures are a sequence we don't yet fully understand. What I know with certainty is the operation when things went tragic. The voiding of gas from a Riser is our largest fear. I have witnessed and survived it one time and pray not to see it again. I have also worked on a wild well team for 8 months. A gas blow out can ignite with the push of a button. I have seen gas blow outs that never catch fire. It is very likily that the seal assembly for their last casing run failed. This would allow gas from the back side of the casing to be released into the riser. Gas expansion occurs at a rapid rate. At some point the pressure of the gas bubble over comes the hydrostatic pressure of the riser column. This leads to a rapid swap of fluid for gas. This would void the riser of fluid (loss of hydrostatic pressure that controls the well bore) and allow the well to flow uncontroled (blow out). We have a circulating system that would now fill with gas vs fluid. Actions that we understand took place would have to be perfect to gain control at this point. It is clear to us that failures took place at this time that doomed the rig. I have had to stop typing a couple of times because this makes me cry. The men that would have performed the displacement (my job) were trapped like rats with no hope to come out alive. The Horizon rig design would place guys where there is no way out. Sad thing is many rigs have the same design.

Now back to what actions I know they took. When the gas swap occured in the riser the Diverter was opened. The diverter is designed to give gas a path out to the side of the rig. This volume had to be such that the system could not handle it. Depending on the sequence of events the shears perhaps should have been closed at the first sign of gas to the riser. When the diverter was hit the Blind Super Shear rams should have been activated. The blind shears stop all added flow from the well bore. This did not take place (big question).

Now with gas and oil to the surface space are filling with gas any spark and it's now a fire. The first exposion. Once the first explosion occures anyone on the drill floor is dead. The B.O.P.panel on the drill floor is destroyed. The remote panel in the living Quarters will only work for seconds if at all. Fire is burning the control lines that send the signal to the sea floor. Now with no controls the well comes on line full force (the second explosion). All hope for shutting the well in from the rig is lost. You can not disconnect the rig from the sea bed. The rig will burn down with in 15 seconds the derrick is gone. Men are loading boats and jumping into the water to save their lives I have talked with two that made the 68' jump.. Fear and panic rule.

Question why did the failsafe shut in on the B.O.P. not work?

No one blew this Rig up. There were failures that took place. We have lost our work mates. We will figure it out like we always do.

Gas and Oil come at alot higher price then these companies can ever pay us. Today I will share with the kids on my rig the reality that they are just now looking at. I will speak to them after our weekily fire and abandon drill. Their attitude will be adjusted with my tears. More then the tears my harsh reality is that what we do can and will kill men. I will no doubt have some choose not to come back offshore; God bless them. God bless and allow each of us that stays to remember the Deepwater Horizon and never fail to do our jobs.


And a comment from another oilfield worker on the government's grandstanding.

Just saw Napalitano and Salazar on the news talking about all that they are doing. What a joke, BP and the other oil companies are leading the way and doing everything possible to mitigate this issue. Not saying that the feds and the polticians cant help, but this is not their area of expertise. They speak of all of the boats, oil boom, aircraft, etc that they have on site. The fact is most, if not all of those resources are called upon and paid for by the oil companies. The oil companies keep aircraft, boats, and booms on retainer year round for just such an event. BP has pulled over 3000 employees from their normal jobs and stationed them along the coast from Mobile to Texas to assist and lead any cleanup efforts as or if they become necessary. I am not sure how many personnel the other oil companies have contributed, but I am sure it is substantial.

The politicians are trying to spin this as they are saving the day by forcing BP and the others to do what is right. Fact is the oil companies know what is at stake and are doing the right things because it is morally right and because it is simply good business.

[sorvju-f]

Some local reports, one from a guy who had worked on the exploded rig:



Here's an explanation from a former supervisor on the Horizon as to what likely happened.

O.k. folks I will put to rest that anything other then a tragedy occured. The failures are a sequence we don't yet fully understand. What I know with certainty is the operation when things went tragic. The voiding of gas from a Riser is our largest fear. I have witnessed and survived it one time and pray not to see it again. I have also worked on a wild well team for 8 months. A gas blow out can ignite with the push of a button. I have seen gas blow outs that never catch fire. It is very likily that the seal assembly for their last casing run failed. This would allow gas from the back side of the casing to be released into the riser. Gas expansion occurs at a rapid rate. At some point the pressure of the gas bubble over comes the hydrostatic pressure of the riser column. This leads to a rapid swap of fluid for gas. This would void the riser of fluid (loss of hydrostatic pressure that controls the well bore) and allow the well to flow uncontroled (blow out). We have a circulating system that would now fill with gas vs fluid. Actions that we understand took place would have to be perfect to gain control at this point. It is clear to us that failures took place at this time that doomed the rig. I have had to stop typing a couple of times because this makes me cry. The men that would have performed the displacement (my job) were trapped like rats with no hope to come out alive. The Horizon rig design would place guys where there is no way out. Sad thing is many rigs have the same design.

Now back to what actions I know they took. When the gas swap occured in the riser the Diverter was opened. The diverter is designed to give gas a path out to the side of the rig. This volume had to be such that the system could not handle it. Depending on the sequence of events the shears perhaps should have been closed at the first sign of gas to the riser. When the diverter was hit the Blind Super Shear rams should have been activated. The blind shears stop all added flow from the well bore. This did not take place (big question).

Now with gas and oil to the surface space are filling with gas any spark and it's now a fire. The first exposion. Once the first explosion occures anyone on the drill floor is dead. The B.O.P.panel on the drill floor is destroyed. The remote panel in the living Quarters will only work for seconds if at all. Fire is burning the control lines that send the signal to the sea floor. Now with no controls the well comes on line full force (the second explosion). All hope for shutting the well in from the rig is lost. You can not disconnect the rig from the sea bed. The rig will burn down with in 15 seconds the derrick is gone. Men are loading boats and jumping into the water to save their lives I have talked with two that made the 68' jump.. Fear and panic rule.

Question why did the failsafe shut in on the B.O.P. not work?

No one blew this Rig up. There were failures that took place. We have lost our work mates. We will figure it out like we always do.

Gas and Oil come at alot higher price then these companies can ever pay us. Today I will share with the kids on my rig the reality that they are just now looking at. I will speak to them after our weekily fire and abandon drill. Their attitude will be adjusted with my tears. More then the tears my harsh reality is that what we do can and will kill men. I will no doubt have some choose not to come back offshore; God bless them. God bless and allow each of us that stays to remember the Deepwater Horizon and never fail to do our jobs.


And a comment from another oilfield worker on the government's grandstanding.

Just saw Napalitano and Salazar on the news talking about all that they are doing. What a joke, BP and the other oil companies are leading the way and doing everything possible to mitigate this issue. Not saying that the feds and the polticians cant help, but this is not their area of expertise. They speak of all of the boats, oil boom, aircraft, etc that they have on site. The fact is most, if not all of those resources are called upon and paid for by the oil companies. The oil companies keep aircraft, boats, and booms on retainer year round for just such an event. BP has pulled over 3000 employees from their normal jobs and stationed them along the coast from Mobile to Texas to assist and lead any cleanup efforts as or if they become necessary. I am not sure how many personnel the other oil companies have contributed, but I am sure it is substantial.

The politicians are trying to spin this as they are saving the day by forcing BP and the others to do what is right. Fact is the oil companies know what is at stake and are doing the right things because it is morally right and because it is simply good business.

Any news?

Jukka

[sorvju-f]

I read that it has been seen whale sharks feeding in "oily areas". There were evaluation that many of them in the area will die?

How about this Donsol...is it danger area?

Jukka

[Jonathan Bird]

Donsol is a whale shark area in the Philippines. I think you are thinking of Holbox, which is at the northern tip of the Yucatan. I haven't heard anything yet about oil there.

[sorvju-f]

Donsol is a whale shark area in the Philippines. I think you are thinking of Holbox, which is at the northern tip of the Yucatan. I haven't heard anything yet about oil there.

Yes Jonathan, I was meaning this Holbox, where you have been earlier...I read some article about it.

Jukka

[sorvju-f]

I got some news that it has happened again?