re: there is nothing they can do to stop it
I fear you might be correct. They say the relief wells will do it, but I don’ see how that will let them get a handle on the problem.
Frankly, I blame those who have forced us to look so far out and down to get the oil we need. I know we’ve pretty much used up the oil under less water in the Gulf of Mexico, but just think how quickly this mess could have been halted if this were on dry ground rather than a mile below the surface.
I have heard several people complaining of having ideas as to how to stem the flow but they can’t get anyone to listen to them. If it were up to me I would have a phone line and a web site to ask for suggestions. Who knows, someone could have an idea that might work.
I don’t see why they can’t put a large pipe down directly over the flow and capture it into ships at the surface.
Should been able to do that from day one!
The relief wells will take the pressure off of the oil in the original drillhole , at that time they can pump in mud , cement , skittles or teddy bears ,, it’ll all go in easy. As I see it the only thing that might work faster would be the other BP plan of cutting off the pipe and dropping a new (working) BOP on top.
I really don’t understand why they cannot do something like that either. How would the methane affect that now that it is coming out of the broken riser vs. coming up a drilling pipe as it did just before the explosion?
I don’t understand why some type of large pipe or hose cannot be lowered, directing the water/oil to some type of tanker, which is then equipped with the “Kevin Costner” device to separate oil from water, and pumps the oil into another tanker and water back into the ocean.
The relief wells stop the pressure at the source, at the point the well enters the oil field. They are not dependent upon a leaking casing and riser to hold a column of mud.
How a relief well works
http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9033657&contentId=7061734