Posted on 05/16/2010 10:08:35 AM PDT by Donald Rumsfeld Fan
ROBERT, La. - The Unified Area Command for the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill continues to advance multiple subsea options to contain and ultimately stop the flow of oil from the MC 252 well in the Gulf of Mexico.
Overnight the Riser Insertion Tube Tool was successfully tested and inserted into the leaking riser, capturing some amounts of oil and gas. The oil was stored on board the Discoverer Enterprise drill ship 5,000 feet above on the water's surface, and natural gas was burned through a flare system on board the ship.
The test was halted temporarily when the tube was dislodged. While this is disappointing, it is not unexpected given the challenging operating environment.
Technicians have fully inspected the system and have re-inserted the tool.
The tool is fashioned from a 4-inch pipe and is inserted into the leaking riser, from which the majority of the flow is coming. While not collecting all of the leaking oil, this tool is an important step in reducing the amount of oil being released into Gulf waters.
The procedure - never attempted before at such depths - involves inserting a 5-foot length of the specifically-designed tool into the end of the existing, damaged riser from where the oil and gas is leaking. In a procedure approved by federal agencies and the Federal On Scene Coordinator, methanol will also be flowed into the riser to help prevent the formation of gas crystals, known as hydrates. Gas and oil will then flow to the surface to the Discoverer Enterprise drillship.
The Enterprise has the capability to separate the oil, gas and water mixture safely and eventually store or offload the recovered oil onto another vessel.
We will continue to provide updates as they become available.
For information about the response effort, visit www.deepwaterhorizonresponse.com.
Necessity really is the mother of invention.
Still no excuse for not having some plan ready to go on day one.
Here’s a question: Why don’t they put a concentric reducer, or in this case, a concentric increaser, at the end of the 4” pipe and at least make the “gathering” end larger?
Then you still have the leaking blowout preventer to deal with.
Thanks for posting the update.
Added some keywords.
Yikes...that sounds like something the Doctor would tell your wife after coming out of the OR.
There was no need for a backup plan since Obama exempted this major political contributor from normal procedures.
has to accomodate pressures. think of how you would use a straw when sucking on some fluid from a container.
Hey I am an owner of one of those myself.
Simulated sex at 850 fathoms bump....
>>There was no need for a backup plan since Obama exempted this major political contributor from normal procedures.
Do you have some documented sources on this? I’m not challenging you—I just want to see the evidence. This could explain a lot about why the administration is being so quiet on this “crisis” (and letting it “go to waste”).
Here’s one (but its the NYT, so don’t trust everything in it):http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/14/us/14agency.html
That story is more about how the agency responsible doesn’t want to hear about any threats to the environment. I think this is due to the fact that we really can’t control who drills outside our territorial waters, and if we prohibit US companies from drilling, someone else will.
There is something going on here with the Dems or they’d be screaming from the rooftops about the evil of offshore drilling, but mostly all I hear is a little bit of Big Oil hype.
“Still no excuse for not having some plan ready to go on day one.”
I think they did. I think evidence is mounting that a proper response was prevented by the regime.
Enterprise to the rescue! Go ahead and pat yourself on the back and proudly display your huge ATTABOY. You've earned it!
The dems were hoping that huge slicks of black oil would be fouling the beaches and estuaries.
It’s not happening and they’re left stamping their feet like the idiots they are. And, of course, finger pointing at Bush.
When the BOP fails the only proven solution is a successful relief well. Check out this forum for an interesting read on the entire accident. There is a lot of speculation there but it shows the pros/ cons of the entire accident. http://gcaptain.com/forum/offshore/4805-deepwater-horizon-transocean-oil-rig-fire-28.html
Another report indicates the cause of the “dislodgement” was a collision with one of the ROV’s. It shouldn’t take them too long to get it reinserted.
These initial results are encouraging!
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