Growing oil well cavity could collapse as oil is squeezed out of the leak. (Vanity)

IMHO

[7thOF7th]

With each gallon of oil that leaks out of the hole in the Gulf, a vacuous cavity is forming and no longer providing structural support to the subterranean oil deposit. It is this very pressure that pushes the oil out of the hole. Under normal operating conditions sea water or heavy mud is used to replace the volume of oil extracted. If nothing is filling the space of the leaking oil, a catastrophe of immense and long lasting impact could occur. If the ceiling of the subterranean cavern collapses, it will release the entire oil deposit into the Gulf of Mexico. This would be biblical in size and scope of disasters as over a billion gallons of crude oil and gas are released all at once. IMHO

[ThePatriotsFlag]

is too, tis true ... that’s what caused that hole in Guatamala ... there’s the proof /s

[library user]

This?

To: library user

if left alone it would run out eventually. Perhaps in several months, perhaps a lot longer—the worlds first oil well, over 140 years old, is still producing, albeit at a very slow rate. The oil is in porous rock, so there’s no empty space. Sometimes the ground subsides a bit in old oilfields, but there’s no big cavern under there that will collapse.

9 posted on 2010-05-29 7:32:25 AM by balch3

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[Misterioso]

This would be biblical in size and scope . . .

You could go so far as to say pre-Biblical, don't you think?

[DCPatriot]

[ZX12R]

The scenario you present is not really possible. There are thousands of feet of rock above the oil deposit. I do wonder what effect techtonic pressure has on this leak though. It is a very volatile time all over the globe with volcanoes and earthquakes.

There are earthquakes, small ones, occasionally, in the gulf of Mexico. Most people don't know that. So, this may yet be an end-times event. Just saying.

[The Cajun]

What an ignorant, ill informed crock.

Shhhhhhhhh, this has the making of a hugh and series thread.
Just let it grow and blossom into what it was meant to be ;^)

[Uncle Ike]

Either that, or one very similar - there’s been a LOT of threads, and a Lot of repetition and redundancy, so the details get run-together-hazy after the first thousand posts or so...

;)

[ConservaTexan]

And to think I was worried the cream filling would start leaking out.

[truth_seeker]

“Shhhhhhhhh, this has the making of a hugh and series thread.”

Am I disqualified from the “discussion” if I ever “squeezed oil?”

[Uncle Ike]

” Am I disqualified from the “discussion” if I ever “squeezed oil?” “

I don’t know what that is, but it doesn’t sound like something you should discuss in public - more like a topic that’s best left for the Confessional....

;)

[rednesss]

‘Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.

[al baby]

No, its about the size of Thailand

[Dallas59]

It's porous rock like a sponge under very high pressure. Most drilling will pump sea water to push the oil out...the sea water replaces the oil inside the rocks.

[mountainlion]

Looks like the oil leak has slowed down greatly. It might stop before they get the hat on.

[The Cajun]

Am I disqualified from the “discussion” if I ever “squeezed oil?”

Only if you make good sensible comments ;^)

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

OK guys, check out this oilfield/geology expert. Remember people like this walk among us, and get to vote.

[frithguild]

WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!

ibtz

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

What an ignorant, ill informed crock.

OK I am making you an Official Texas Curmudgeon, and awarding you a "Best Reply on Thread" statue!

[humblegunner]

biblical in size and scope of disasters

My God! We're all going to die!

What this implies is basically an implosion of the whole planet!

I'm going to max out my credit cards right away.

And I ain't paying no property taxes, either.

[autumnraine]

Oil isn’t underneath sand is it?