Happens to the best of us.
You need to modify your thinking a bit too, it seems.
Why can't I be like everyone else and just stubbornly cling to the concept that I know more than everyone else in the world? Then I wouldn't have to change anything.
I did discuss the possibility that the explosion and fire from the well itself damaged the pontoons, but it is not very likely, so I agree with you there.
HOWEVER, what I said first is the the fires and explosions from the small engine equipment and the fuel containers for those engines/generators were initially suspected of having damaged the pontoons. IIRC, the BP staff was completely aware that ONE of the Pontoons had sustained damage, and was filling with water, right after the initial blowout. They have monitors which tell them what the water level is inside the pontoon. Plus, the whole rig tilting every so slowly sideways, like the leaning tower of PISA, was a dead giveaway.
It seems that the major fault here that was not addressed (in addition to over-flooding of the deck of DH)
I have posted the pictures of the rig. Everything I can gather about the rig tells me this. It is impossible to OVER-FLOOD the DECK of the rig. The water just runs off the rig. There is nothing to 'keep' the water 'in place'. This rig is designed to be left out in the middle of the ocean during intense thunderstorms, heavy rain, and hurricanes. It could rain for 40 days and 40 nights on the rig, and it wouldn't 'hold' the water. The ONLY THINGS that can RETAIN water are the PONTOONS, and they are 'sealed' off so water from ABOVE or BELOW doesn't get in (although they leak a little. Every waterborne craft leaks slightly. That's why someone invented the bilge pump.).
The ONLY way the rig can sink is by the pontoons filling with water. The only way that happens is that they suffer some physical damage and start letting water in (maybe from above and below).
.... is the failure to make attempts to power up the bilge pumps in the pontoons and other flotation areas with some type of auxiliary power.
We do not know whether the bilge pump or pumps were even working after the original explosion and fire. It seems like one of them might have be operating, but the one in the other pontoon appeared NOT to be working. Again, the tilting the rig indicated a 'leak' and a pump failure.
Since it has been sitting almost a mile under the water, no one knows for SURE yet what happened to the pump, and to the pontoon.
Your idea 'sounds' good, but unless you are SUPERMAN, I don't think you have a chance at walking onto a RIG, which is ON FIRE, and carrying some cables, or a remote power generator , climbing down to the pontoon and gaining access to the inside (everything is on fire). Then you would have to hold your breath for 30 minutes or so while you swam, in the dark, under water, to hook up some electrical cables.
So, you would need to be 'shock-proof' as well as being able to hold your breath indefinitely.
But, yeah.... other than those minor details, it might have worked.
I know BP would have done anything to save the rig. Since they didn't do as you suggested, I would say they don't have SUPERMAN on their employment roster.
I have enjoyed the banter with you about this.
I’m somewhat mystified myself as to how DH could be flooded sufficiently, but it has been mentioned by analysts who know much more than I do about the rig. You say that is not possible. {{shrug}}
As far as any type of superman type activity, I would contemplate instead some rapid blueprint examination and attempt to run auxiliary power to the bilge pumps from another ship. Running through flames doesn’t seem very promising, but diving in the water under the rig may have been more possible. A ROV? Questions I would first examine is how difficult it is to get to the wiring leading to the bilge pumps... is there a junction box handy subsurface? If not, is wiring located and fastened in a manner that they can be located, drilled toward, and spliced into. Perhaps instead a new bilge pump could be inserted. Perhaps it may be possible instead to drill and place a plug in the pontoons that could be pumped on by one of the CG fire vessels or other pumping vessel. Perhaps attempting such would result in the disaster of DH sinking, though...
Anyway, I was not thinking anything about superman or a super fire walker... but instead a SuperROV or SuperDiver in concert with some SuperEngineers.