No More Oil?
- Thread starter einne
- Start date
Lets hope so. It is way past time.
thunderstruck88
New member
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — It's not a permanent fix -- but for now, it's keeping the oil from flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. BP says the oil from its broken well has stopped gushing into the Gulf, after all of the valves were shut on a new cap over the busted well. BP is drilling two relief wells so it can pump mud and cement into the leaking well in hopes of plugging it for good.
polarisrider1
New member
Plugging it for good? Yea right. They need that oil.
thunderstruck88
New member
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — BP expects to attach a new, tighter cap to its leaking well later in the day and then testing will be needed before it's clear if the oil has stopped spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.
BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said in a Monday morning briefing the plan to replace a leaky old cap on the well remained on track to be done by the end of this week.
The new cap is designed to funnel oil to vessels on the surface as part of a containment system that could prevent crude from spilling for the first time since April 20.
BP is drilling two relief wells so it can pump mud and cement into the leaking well for a permanent fix.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Underwater robots steadily assembled heavy metal pieces Monday as BP prepared to install a tighter cap over its busted well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, offering hopeful signs that it could soon bring the gusher under control.
The oil giant said it was ahead of its schedule to get the new, better cap in place. Once the cap is in place and working properly, officials hoped it would capture all of the oil spewing out of the well and that it can all be funneled to containment ships at the surface.
"The hope is that we can slowly turn off the valves, close the capping completely and then test pressure to see how the well is performing," Thad Allen, the government's point man on the disaster, said on CBS's "The Early Show."
While the operation is under way, the previous cap had to be removed — meaning all of the oil is escaping unfettered until the new cap can be installed. Still, the chance to capture all the oil was a welcome bit of news 83 days into the environmental and economic disaster that has fouled the Gulf and its fragile coastline.
After more than two months of failed efforts, there remains a healthy dose of skepticism among those who live and work along the coast.
"At this point, there have been so many ups and downs, disappointments, that everybody down here is like, 'We'll believe it when we see it,'" said Keith Kennedy, a charter boat captain in Venice, La.
In a regulatory filing Monday, BP said the installation of the sealing cap was proceeding as planned. A transition spool had been installed on the existing flange. The next step was to install a capping stack that has three closing rams.
It was unclear from undersea video feeds and the comments in the filing if the process of lowering the new cap had begun early Monday. Several spokesman did not respond to e-mails and phone calls seeking comment early Monday, and people who answered phone calls to vessels involved in the containment effort declined to comment.
Also Monday, BP said in the Securities and Exchange Commission filing that the cost of the response to date has risen to roughly $3.5 billion. That includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid and federal costs.
Once the new cap was placed atop the gusher it was expected to provide a tight seal that should eventually allow the oil giant to capture all the crude leaking from the well for the first time since the April 20 oil rig explosion set off the environmental crisis. But prior failed attempts to stop the leak have made BP PLC careful to keep expectations grounded.
BP has tried and failed to counter the gusher with a giant concrete box over the well, mud and shredded rubber pumped into it and a pipe to siphon the crude. A converted supertanker specially equipped to skim huge amounts of oil from the surface has been hampered by bad weather.
Gulf residents and politicians reserved judgment about BP's latest effort and said damage already done to the environment, fishing and tourism will haunt the region.
"I'm not a scientist, but I know a lot of people are praying that they get that flow stopped," said Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who was attending a Jimmy Buffet beach benefit concert Sunday in Alabama.
In Louisiana's coastal Jefferson Parish, Councilman Chris Roberts said officials expected oil to keeping hitting the shoreline for up to three months after the flow stops, possibly stretching the cleanup into the fall.
Matthew Peterson, a crabber in Yscloskey, La., hasn't put out his traps since oil began washing ashore. Even if BP is able to prevent any more crude from leaking into the Gulf, Peterson said, it won't make much difference.
"Until it's cleaned up, nothing's going to get back to normal," he said.
Vicki McVey, 44, a bartender at Artie's Sports Bar in Grand Isle, La., said nothing will improve until the waters are reopened for fishing.
McVey says this summer is already shot. Every local fishing tournament has been canceled, including the biggest at the end of July.
"The damage has been done," she said.
Roughly 81,000 square miles of federal waters in the Gulf have been closed to fishing since the beginning of the disaster, about 44 percent of the total.
"You look around, and it's like my life, my little island, my tranquility. It's gone," McVey said.
The well has been gushing largely unchecked since an old, leaky cap was removed from the wellhead Saturday afternoon to make way for the new one.
BP senior vice president Kent Wells said Sunday afternoon he's pleased with the progress, but hastened to add the operation was still expected to last another two to five more days.
Officials won't be satisfied the cap is working until they've run tests on whether it can withstand the tremendous pressure of oil pushing up from below the seafloor.
Asked during a conference call if the new cap and collection efforts would end the spilling of oil into the Gulf, Wells said only that BP will capture all the oil "at some point."
The new cap will be aided in containing the leak by the arrival of the Helix Producer, a vessel that should be able to take in about 1 million gallons of crude per day after coming online. The Helix connected to flexible pipes from the well Friday, and crews have been running tests since then.
Ultimately, the plan is to have four vessels collecting oil from the leak with a combined capacity of about 2.5 million to 3.4 million gallons a day — enough to capture all the oil leaking, if federal estimates are right. Getting all the vessels on the task will take about two to three weeks.
The new, tighter cap is not intended to be the permanent solution to the problem.
Relief wells are being dug for the final fix, a "bottom kill" in which heavy drilling mud and cement are pumped in from below the broken wellhead.
BP and government officials have said the relief wells are expected to be completed sometime around mid-August.
___
BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said in a Monday morning briefing the plan to replace a leaky old cap on the well remained on track to be done by the end of this week.
The new cap is designed to funnel oil to vessels on the surface as part of a containment system that could prevent crude from spilling for the first time since April 20.
BP is drilling two relief wells so it can pump mud and cement into the leaking well for a permanent fix.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Underwater robots steadily assembled heavy metal pieces Monday as BP prepared to install a tighter cap over its busted well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, offering hopeful signs that it could soon bring the gusher under control.
The oil giant said it was ahead of its schedule to get the new, better cap in place. Once the cap is in place and working properly, officials hoped it would capture all of the oil spewing out of the well and that it can all be funneled to containment ships at the surface.
"The hope is that we can slowly turn off the valves, close the capping completely and then test pressure to see how the well is performing," Thad Allen, the government's point man on the disaster, said on CBS's "The Early Show."
While the operation is under way, the previous cap had to be removed — meaning all of the oil is escaping unfettered until the new cap can be installed. Still, the chance to capture all the oil was a welcome bit of news 83 days into the environmental and economic disaster that has fouled the Gulf and its fragile coastline.
After more than two months of failed efforts, there remains a healthy dose of skepticism among those who live and work along the coast.
"At this point, there have been so many ups and downs, disappointments, that everybody down here is like, 'We'll believe it when we see it,'" said Keith Kennedy, a charter boat captain in Venice, La.
In a regulatory filing Monday, BP said the installation of the sealing cap was proceeding as planned. A transition spool had been installed on the existing flange. The next step was to install a capping stack that has three closing rams.
It was unclear from undersea video feeds and the comments in the filing if the process of lowering the new cap had begun early Monday. Several spokesman did not respond to e-mails and phone calls seeking comment early Monday, and people who answered phone calls to vessels involved in the containment effort declined to comment.
Also Monday, BP said in the Securities and Exchange Commission filing that the cost of the response to date has risen to roughly $3.5 billion. That includes the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid and federal costs.
Once the new cap was placed atop the gusher it was expected to provide a tight seal that should eventually allow the oil giant to capture all the crude leaking from the well for the first time since the April 20 oil rig explosion set off the environmental crisis. But prior failed attempts to stop the leak have made BP PLC careful to keep expectations grounded.
BP has tried and failed to counter the gusher with a giant concrete box over the well, mud and shredded rubber pumped into it and a pipe to siphon the crude. A converted supertanker specially equipped to skim huge amounts of oil from the surface has been hampered by bad weather.
Gulf residents and politicians reserved judgment about BP's latest effort and said damage already done to the environment, fishing and tourism will haunt the region.
"I'm not a scientist, but I know a lot of people are praying that they get that flow stopped," said Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, who was attending a Jimmy Buffet beach benefit concert Sunday in Alabama.
In Louisiana's coastal Jefferson Parish, Councilman Chris Roberts said officials expected oil to keeping hitting the shoreline for up to three months after the flow stops, possibly stretching the cleanup into the fall.
Matthew Peterson, a crabber in Yscloskey, La., hasn't put out his traps since oil began washing ashore. Even if BP is able to prevent any more crude from leaking into the Gulf, Peterson said, it won't make much difference.
"Until it's cleaned up, nothing's going to get back to normal," he said.
Vicki McVey, 44, a bartender at Artie's Sports Bar in Grand Isle, La., said nothing will improve until the waters are reopened for fishing.
McVey says this summer is already shot. Every local fishing tournament has been canceled, including the biggest at the end of July.
"The damage has been done," she said.
Roughly 81,000 square miles of federal waters in the Gulf have been closed to fishing since the beginning of the disaster, about 44 percent of the total.
"You look around, and it's like my life, my little island, my tranquility. It's gone," McVey said.
The well has been gushing largely unchecked since an old, leaky cap was removed from the wellhead Saturday afternoon to make way for the new one.
BP senior vice president Kent Wells said Sunday afternoon he's pleased with the progress, but hastened to add the operation was still expected to last another two to five more days.
Officials won't be satisfied the cap is working until they've run tests on whether it can withstand the tremendous pressure of oil pushing up from below the seafloor.
Asked during a conference call if the new cap and collection efforts would end the spilling of oil into the Gulf, Wells said only that BP will capture all the oil "at some point."
The new cap will be aided in containing the leak by the arrival of the Helix Producer, a vessel that should be able to take in about 1 million gallons of crude per day after coming online. The Helix connected to flexible pipes from the well Friday, and crews have been running tests since then.
Ultimately, the plan is to have four vessels collecting oil from the leak with a combined capacity of about 2.5 million to 3.4 million gallons a day — enough to capture all the oil leaking, if federal estimates are right. Getting all the vessels on the task will take about two to three weeks.
The new, tighter cap is not intended to be the permanent solution to the problem.
Relief wells are being dug for the final fix, a "bottom kill" in which heavy drilling mud and cement are pumped in from below the broken wellhead.
BP and government officials have said the relief wells are expected to be completed sometime around mid-August.
___
polarisrider1
New member
After all this, then what? new well next to the leaker? It's black gold we are talking about.
polarisrider1
New member
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You might have heard this: BP is so well connected in Washington that even after being cited for 760 different safety and environmental violations, the company still got environmental waivers for the Deepwater Horizon rig that's now destroying the Gulf.1
But BP's not alone in using its DC influence. Check out the list below of other companies' outrages—then pass it along. And be sure to sign our new Fight Washington Corruption Pledge to support 3 key measures that will protect our democracy from corporate lobbyists!
http://fightwashingtoncorruption.org/?id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x
1. Exxon Mobil made billions in profits, and yet paid not one dime in federal income taxes in 2009.2
2. The 2005 energy bill had a little known provision, commonly called the Halliburton Loophole, which exempted natural gas drilling from the Clean Water Act. The result? Water so contaminated that you can light it on fire.3
3. Massey Energy was cited more than 2400 times for safety violations in its mines, but chose not to fix potentially lethal problems because low penalties meant it was cheaper to simply keep paying the fines. This spring, 29 miners were killed in an underground explosion at a Massey mine in West Virginia.4
4. Michael Taylor was the FDA official who approved the use of Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone in dairy cows (even though it's banned in most countries and linked to cancer). After approving it, he left the FDA—to work for Monsanto. Until last year, when he moved back to the government—as President Obama's "Food Safety Czar." No joke.5
5. Internal Toyota documents outline how the company was successful in limiting regulators actions in the recalls last year—saving hundreds of millions while the death toll continued to climb.6
6. GE and its lobbyists—including 33 former government employees—have successfully lobbied Congress to override Defense Department requests to cancel a GE contract to work on a new engine for the Joint Strike Fighter jet. GE will need $2.9 billion to finish the project.7
7. Top executives at 9 top banks including Citibank, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley paid themselves over $20 billion dollars in bonuses just weeks after taxpayers bailed them out to the tune of 700 billion dollars.8
8. During the waning days of the Bush administration, officials responded to a long-term lobbying campain by pre-empting product liability lawsuits for dozens of whole industries. They bypassed Congress entirely and rewrote rules ranging from seatbelt manufacturing regulations to prescription drug safety.9
9. Sunscreen manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough, in the interest of profits, are opposing an FDA proposal requiring full reporting on sunscreen labels. The New York Times just confirmed that current SPF ratings don't even measure sun rays that cause cancer.10
10. BP—a company with a record of 760 drilling safety and environmental violations—was granted safety waivers in order to operate the deepwater drilling rig that ultimately created the worst environmental disaster in US history.1
Sources:
1. "BP's latest plan succeeding, but may make spill worse," Newsweek, June 2, 2010.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=88880&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=2
2. "GE, Exxon Paid No U.S. Income Taxes in 2009," ABC News, April 6, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89262&id=&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=3
3. "Why is **** Cheney Silent on the Oil Spill?," Newsweek, June 10, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89263&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=4
4. "Other Massey Mines Showed A Pattern Of Violations," NPR, April 13, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89264&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=5
5. "Monsanto's man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role," Grist, July 8, 2009
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/
6. "Toyota tried to cut costs on recalls," Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89265&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=6
7. "GE vice chairman openly challenges Gates over F-35 fighter jet engine," The Hill, June 17, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89266&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=7
8. "Bankers Reaped Lavish Bonuses During Bailouts," The New York Times, July 30, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/business/31pay.html
9. "Bush Rule Changes Curtail Rights of States, Consumers," Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89267&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=8
10. "UVA Reform: It's Not PDQ," The New York Times, June 23, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89268&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=9
You might have heard this: BP is so well connected in Washington that even after being cited for 760 different safety and environmental violations, the company still got environmental waivers for the Deepwater Horizon rig that's now destroying the Gulf.1
But BP's not alone in using its DC influence. Check out the list below of other companies' outrages—then pass it along. And be sure to sign our new Fight Washington Corruption Pledge to support 3 key measures that will protect our democracy from corporate lobbyists!
http://fightwashingtoncorruption.org/?id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x
1. Exxon Mobil made billions in profits, and yet paid not one dime in federal income taxes in 2009.2
2. The 2005 energy bill had a little known provision, commonly called the Halliburton Loophole, which exempted natural gas drilling from the Clean Water Act. The result? Water so contaminated that you can light it on fire.3
3. Massey Energy was cited more than 2400 times for safety violations in its mines, but chose not to fix potentially lethal problems because low penalties meant it was cheaper to simply keep paying the fines. This spring, 29 miners were killed in an underground explosion at a Massey mine in West Virginia.4
4. Michael Taylor was the FDA official who approved the use of Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone in dairy cows (even though it's banned in most countries and linked to cancer). After approving it, he left the FDA—to work for Monsanto. Until last year, when he moved back to the government—as President Obama's "Food Safety Czar." No joke.5
5. Internal Toyota documents outline how the company was successful in limiting regulators actions in the recalls last year—saving hundreds of millions while the death toll continued to climb.6
6. GE and its lobbyists—including 33 former government employees—have successfully lobbied Congress to override Defense Department requests to cancel a GE contract to work on a new engine for the Joint Strike Fighter jet. GE will need $2.9 billion to finish the project.7
7. Top executives at 9 top banks including Citibank, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley paid themselves over $20 billion dollars in bonuses just weeks after taxpayers bailed them out to the tune of 700 billion dollars.8
8. During the waning days of the Bush administration, officials responded to a long-term lobbying campain by pre-empting product liability lawsuits for dozens of whole industries. They bypassed Congress entirely and rewrote rules ranging from seatbelt manufacturing regulations to prescription drug safety.9
9. Sunscreen manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough, in the interest of profits, are opposing an FDA proposal requiring full reporting on sunscreen labels. The New York Times just confirmed that current SPF ratings don't even measure sun rays that cause cancer.10
10. BP—a company with a record of 760 drilling safety and environmental violations—was granted safety waivers in order to operate the deepwater drilling rig that ultimately created the worst environmental disaster in US history.1
Sources:
1. "BP's latest plan succeeding, but may make spill worse," Newsweek, June 2, 2010.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=88880&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=2
2. "GE, Exxon Paid No U.S. Income Taxes in 2009," ABC News, April 6, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89262&id=&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=3
3. "Why is **** Cheney Silent on the Oil Spill?," Newsweek, June 10, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89263&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=4
4. "Other Massey Mines Showed A Pattern Of Violations," NPR, April 13, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89264&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=5
5. "Monsanto's man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role," Grist, July 8, 2009
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/
6. "Toyota tried to cut costs on recalls," Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89265&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=6
7. "GE vice chairman openly challenges Gates over F-35 fighter jet engine," The Hill, June 17, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89266&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=7
8. "Bankers Reaped Lavish Bonuses During Bailouts," The New York Times, July 30, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/business/31pay.html
9. "Bush Rule Changes Curtail Rights of States, Consumers," Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89267&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=8
10. "UVA Reform: It's Not PDQ," The New York Times, June 23, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89268&id=21534-8180211-nUigk9x&t=9
polarisrider1
New member
Much agreed.
Yup
The oil or the current national debt?
Yes
