More ships headed to Gulf of Mexico to capture spilled oil

Nobody knows -- still -- exactly how much oil is flowing into the Gulf of Mexico from the ruptured BP well. But Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is in charge of the federal response, is predicting that virtually all of the outflow can be collected and either burned off or hauled to shore within the next few weeks.

That's thanks to two new vessels that are steaming toward the Gulf now. A total of 15,000 barrels was successfully collected over the last 24 hours, Allen told reporters, and he expects that total to reach 28,000 barrels by next week. Within the next several weeks, once the new vessels and containment systems are in place, they should be able to capture virtually all of the oil hurtling out of the mile-deep well.

With reports that BP still doesn't have enough capacity to capture and shuttle away all of the oil that it could be collecting, the Coast Guard issued a stern directive in a letter to BP executives: They have 72 hours to come up with a plan, complete with redundancies in case something goes wrong, to capture and contain all of the oil leaching into the Gulf. Period.

"BP shall provide the plans for these parallel, continuous and contingency collection processes, including an implementation timeline, within 72 hours of receiving this letter. Current collection efforts may not be interrupted to implement these plans," Rear Adm. James A. Watson, the federal on-scene coordinator, told BP in the letter.

Coast Guard officials in a separate letter also ordered BP to provide full, detailed information about the status of claims filed by residents and businesses damaged by the ongoing oil flows, which have disrupted fishing, tourism and scores of other businesses along the Gulf Coast in four states.

BP has opened claims offices across the region and has issued $46 million in checks to about 17,500 Gulf Coast residents, but many have complained about difficulties processing their claims and say the initial money doesn't come close to covering damages that have cost some families their entire incomes.

"The federal government and the public expects BP's claims process to fully address the needs of impacted individuals and businesses," Allen said in the letter.

To read the full story on today's briefing, click here.

-- Kim Murphy

Photo: The mobile offshore drilling unit Q4000 holds position directly over the damaged Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer as crews work to plug the wellhead. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 3rd Class Patrick Kelley

Comments

[Oil Spill]

A solution is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdW7EVWx3Q4

[Paul Taylor Examiner]

Environmental groups take tax deductible donations from you and industry to operate global fear-mongering campaigns about the problems of pollution, species extinction and climate change. These eco-groups also lobby intensely for costly government regulations to fix environmental problems. Elite green groups have traded their green “seals of approval” for donations as marketing tools to industry – including to corporate oil companies. The green lobbies have grown to some $1.5 billion in annual tax-exempt assets with the advent of selling “green cred” to industry.

The Washington Post and The Economist have recently reported on the cozy relationships between eco-groups and corporate interests such as BP (British Petroleum). BP is responsible for one of the largest and most ecologically-destructive pollution incidents in history. Oil soaked ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico will be disrupted or dead for years to come. Some of the most politically-influential and wealthy eco-groups have taken tens of millions of dollars from BP, and formed “donor alliances” with other big oil operators to assure continuing corporate cash donations. At some point, these sales of green group endorsements to corporations become a clear conflict of environmental interests.

As a matter of good faith dealing and integrity, green groups should return the millions of dollars in donations from BP. And, BP should apply those millions to the cleanup and recovery in the Gulf of Mexico. Here are a few of the reported BP money and other corporate entanglements that directly benefitted big eco-groups:

· The Nature Conservancy has taken about $10 million in cash and land from BP;
· Conservation International took over $2 million from BP;
· The Environmental Defense Fund (Environmental Defense) campaigned with BP for government carbon cap-and-trade regulations through the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP), an alliance of eco-groups and corporate carbon trading ventures;
· USCAP involvements include the Nature Conservancy, Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Natural Resources Defense Council and the World Resources Institute;
· BP had energy business relationships with the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society.

In addition, President Obama was the top recipient of BP campaign money during the 2008 presidential election. Obama collected $71,000, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. The Obama campaign should return all of its BP money.

[Mike Reda]

Dumping dirt (sand, clay and earth dirt contains large spectrum of bacteria) over the rising oil from the leaking pipe at the bottom of the gulf.
My son Sami did not finish high school; he won the trophy for the best martial art player in the province of Ontario. My son said that if he was working his car engine and his hand got dirty with oil and even if water and soap are available, my son prefers to use dirt from the ground (sand and clay) and rub his hand with the dirt. It is the best to remove oil from your hand. Why not dump load of ground dirt (soil consisting of sand and clay and earth dirt) onto the site where the oil is coming out from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. I mean 4 to 5 ship load every day. It is cheaper, Greener, and very effective. The rising crude oil will mix with the sand and dirt and settle to the bottom. It is confirmed that the under sea plumes are in anaerobic conditions ( no oxygen) , and thus this will be a heaven for anaerobic bacteria that can in the absence of oxygen eat everything’s and a good source of these bacteria comes from dirt. Later when the rising oil leak will be stopped, the mixture of sand and oil can be vacuumed from the bottom and treated accordingly.

[Mike Reda]

Re: What really caused the 2010 oil spill ?

Kick is the cause of the explosion in the Gulf of Mexico. President Obama is right when he said:
"We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick". The word Kick is very scientific because the reason for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is a Kick.
It is well known in the oil industry and the oil companies are well aware that:
When drilling in oil and gas-bearing formations submerged in deep water, the reservoir gas ( mainly methane) may flow into the well bore and form gas hydrates due to the low temperatures and high pressures found during deep water drilling( similar to the situation in the Deep water Horizon Oil Spill). The gas hydrates may then flow upward with drilling mud or other discharged fluids. As they rise, the pressure in the drill string decreases and the hydrates dissociate into gas and water. The rapid gas expansion ejects fluid from the well, reducing the pressure further, which leads to more hydrate dissociation and further fluid ejection. The resulting violent expulsion of fluid from the drill string is referred to as a "kick" (see. Petroleum Science 6: 57-63, 2009). This could possibly be the reason for the accidents which caused the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.