U.S. regulators don’t mandate use of the remote-control device on offshore rigs, and the Deepwater Horizon didn’t have one. With a remote control, a crew can attempt to trigger an underwater valve that shuts down the well even if the oil rig itself is damaged or evacuated.
The efficacy of the devices is unclear. Major offshore oil-well blowouts are rare, and it remained unclear Wednesday evening whether acoustic switches have ever been put to the test in a real-world accident. When wells do surge out of control, the primary shut-off systems almost always work. Remote control systems such as the acoustic switch, which have been tested in simulations, are intended as a last resort.
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Can you explain the above for us lay people?... Is there something require over and above the BOP which this well did have? Thanks.
This sounds like another backup switch to the backup switch for the main switch to trigger the BOP. Since they have had submersible ROVs directly trying to fully actuate the BOP since Sat the 18th I doubt it would have helped.
If the main, direct panel does not work, a remote switch that triggers the main panel is not likely to have helped. If the main breaker trips in your house, it doesn’t matter how many light switches you have, the lights are not coming on until the main breaker is fixed.