Posted on 09/18/2018 9:25:53 AM PDT by C19fan
The U.S. military is trying to recover the oil form a ship that's been underwater for 72 years. In an interesting twist, it's not even an American warship.
The United States captured the German heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as a war prize after the end of World War II. The Prinz Eugen capsized in 1946 after being nuked—twice—during the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll. For decades, experts have feared that the radioactive ship's oil might leak into the Pacific. Now the Pentagon is trying to do something about it.
(Excerpt) Read more at popularmechanics.com ...
Isn’t this fuel “Bunker C Oil” aka #6 fuel oil and will need to be heated in order to make it viscous enough to be drawn off?
We weren’t because that was a hypothetical.
“We weren’t because that was a hypothetical.”
So your conclusion that it was miniscule was hypothetical?
If it’s miniscule it’s hypothetical. If it’s a lot it can be miniscule. But that depends on how deep the ocean is there and how fast or slow the currents are. And if there were any whales in the area that would change the whole thing.
“And if there were any whales in the area that would change the whole thing.”
Real whales or hypothetical whales?
It depends on the definition of what a real whale is.
I hope to have a blog for our adventures. I’ll post some type of vanity when I make a post (or something).
I knew it was a lot. WOW, that is massive and most it is probably still there.
There was a rumor that among the Navy's solution to the failing wreck was to build a cement sarcophagus around and over the ship.
We are talking about a Battle Ship here. That would be Huge! All of that construction around that could cause the fuel bunkers to rupture!
I would try to figure out away to pump the oil out.
I would too.
But since it is a gravesite, tradition says it shouldn’t be disturbed.
Same as the Ed Fitz.
LOL, it doesn't leak oil because it is out of oil.
Plus, the ooze apparently has some kind of electrostatic attraction that makes it permanently seal it in, so even in the event there WAS a leak from a cask, it would be entombed as surely as if it were buried deep underground.
Sounds a lot better than storing it in rusting 55 gallon drums inside a chain link enclosure...
They get points for having stones on that one, for sure.
I read a book a while back “Descent Into Darkness” about the divers who went into the USS Arizona some short time after the attack.
It sounded horrible.
As for the fuel, here is from the USS Arizona FAQ at the web site (Interesting!):
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Is it true that oil still leaks from the USS Arizona?
Yes. Currently, the ship leaks 2-9 quarts each day.
The USS Arizona held approximately 1.5 million gallons (5.7 million liters) of “Bunker-C” oil. The ship burned for 2½ days, leaving an unspecified amount of oil on board. Oil has been observed leaking from the ship since the 1940’s; however, little action was taken until environmental concerns were expressed.
Since 1998, the National Park Service Submerged Resources Center (SRC) and the USS Arizona Memorial have been conducting research directed at understanding the nature and rate of natural processes affecting the deterioration of the USS Arizona, as well as monitoring hull conditions and oil release rates. Oil release observed during the 1980’s Arizona documentation project originated from a hatch on the starboard (right) side of barbette number three, and later from a hatch on the starboard side of barbette number four. Consequently, when oil release monitoring began in 1998, those hatches were a primary focus.
During fieldwork from 1998 to the present, gradually increasing amounts of oil have been observed releasing from forward of the memorial; however, comprehensive measurement of oil release forward of the memorial in the upper deck galley was not completed until June 2006. Measured release rates have gradually increased each year in direct proportion to the number of locations monitored: in 1998, 1.0 quart (0.95 liters) was measured from one location; in 2003, 2.1 quarts (2.0 liters) were measured from two locations; in 2004, 2.3 quarts (2.2 liters) were measured from two locations; in 2006, 9.5 quarts (9.0 liters) were measured from eight locations. The 2006 oil release measurements are the most comprehensive completed to date – increase in oil release over previous years is in part explained by more release locations being successfully measured then previously.
Although observed rates of oil coming to the surface has gradually increased over the past several years, there is no indication of an increase in the amount of oil released from the primary oil containment spaces in the ship’s lower decks. The increase in oil release rates vary considerably with differing wind, tide, and harbor conditions. Although the exact amount cannot be determined, the USS Arizona contains an estimated 500,000 gallons (liters) of Bunker-C fuel within its hull.
Yes...to my eye, visually similar to the USS Indianapolis at first glance, with a nicer looking superstructure. I do admire the style.
When I was a kid, I spent five days in a US Naval hospital in Cubi Point after nearly bursting my appendix. I was completely into models, and the Prince Eugen was one that I built.
I also built the New Jersey and the Enterprise (CVN-65), so they were all to scale...:)
When I got home, I was out of school for another week, and I used my dad’s hacksaw to cut the hulls of the models off at the waterline so I could use them on my bedroom floor...quite a task force there!
They sure rubbed the Brits’ noses in it...
Thanks for the information.
Jaguar DOHC 6 cyl engines take nine quarts of motor oil. Put nine quarts in.
Dump 7 quarts out...
I’ve been a fan of the big BB’s for decades.
Wife and I toured the Missouri at Pearl some years ago.
The ship had become a hybrid of sorts with nine 16 inch guns and missile launch capacity (courtesy of the Gipper.)
We stood exactly where General MacArthur took the surrender from Japan. A slight dent in the deck was the evidence of a single Kamikaze hit that bounced off...
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