86 Days—Oil Gusher Capped

[Stevie Belmont]

It took 86 days to finally plug it up. Why was it not done sooner? Why did the government step right in and take over as soon as this happened. Get the help of every possible resource available to them. There were other oil companies, other submarines, and other options to do something—there had to have been. This was a disaster off the coast of the United States of America. Yes—we know it's BP's well—but is was the United States problem. And a problem we will deal with for many years to come.

[ArlJim78]

While there was a lot the government could have been doing early on regarding the clean-up and containment, I don't think there was much at all they could do about the cap, other than to keep pressure on BP.

I do wonder why BP couldn't have put this type of cap on before. Probably they learned after the first one and re-engineered a second one. When the first one failed they said that nothing could be done and that it would leak until the secondary holes could plug it. Then suddenly, hey this new cap might stop the leak like right now. Someone, somewhere came up with a better idea.

It is still a risky time, while monitoring the pressure. Anything could still happen. This is when we will find out if this is the only leak.

For the moment it looks like the first good news down there in three months.

[Greyfox]

While there was a lot the government could have been doing early on regarding the clean-up and containment, I don't think there was much at all they could do about the cap, other than to keep pressure on BP.

.
Agreed. But let's never forget Obama's lethargic and disinterested approach to the clean up. He was fearing criticism from Unions and their votes more than looking at getting the job done anyway possible, even if it took foreign skimmers to do it.

[senortout]

Agreed. But let's never forget Obama's lethargic and disinterested approach to the clean up. He was fearing criticism from Unions and their votes more than looking at getting the job done anyway possible, even if it took foreign skimmers to do it.

Just this once, let us feel good about things. Rather you not bring the unions into this one....you're running down the wrong hole, and completely out of line.

[Greyfox]

Just this once, let us feel good about things. Rather you not bring the unions into this one....you're running down the wrong hole, and completely out of line.

You are responsible for your own happiness.
No one else is stopping you from "feeling good about things."
Sure I'm glad the hole was capped.
The mess left behind never needed to happen. Blame one person for that.
The post that you directed your comments towards was totally in line.
You have added absolutely nothing with this one.

[Tom]

This is rich. All the crap Bush took for stuff that was not his fault at all, and Obama gets a pass on this major screw up that has been much his fault.
He has left a stain far worse than the oil well left.

And guess where he is off to this weekend? ANOTHER vacation, at the beach. But in Maine, not the Gulf Coast. Great example he is setting, huh?

The pig.

[Mike at A+]

Never waste a good crisis.

[senortout]

Here, I am leaving myself wide open for criticism. But doesn't it take experience in the field to correct these screw-ups? And aside from getting the Russians in on this thing(remember their offer), I do think he(OUR PRESIDENT), while wanting desperately to stop this leak, was hampered by the facts.

1) It was BP well, and the people who made the mistake were either employed by or hired out by, BP to do the work.
2)You must assume here, this is a stretch I'm sure...assume that the president wants this well leak stopped, maybe more than some of you. Yes, in the nature of political gain by stopping it quickly, if you want it that way. Or maybe he's just a better person than you imagine, and he doesn't want any more Gulf pollution. You must think he doesn't care? So what is it?
3)The news today was encouraging, yet some of you chose to find another avenue of attack in this thread.
4)I have an interest in this Gulf thing too, you know.

[newtothegame]

Here, I am leaving myself wide open for criticism. But doesn't it take experience in the field to correct these screw-ups? And aside from getting the Russians in on this thing(remember their offer), I do think he(OUR PRESIDENT), while wanting desperately to stop this leak, was hampered by the facts.

1) It was BP well, and the people who made the mistake were either employed by or hired out by, BP to do the work.
2)You must assume here, this is a stretch I'm sure...assume that the president wants this well leak stopped, maybe more than some of you. Yes, in the nature of political gain by stopping it quickly, if you want it that way. Or maybe he's just a better person than you imagine, and he doesn't want any more Gulf pollution. You must think he doesn't care? So what is it?
3)The news today was encouraging, yet some of you chose to find another avenue of attack in this thread.
4)I have an interest in this Gulf thing too, you know.

Well, since your asking for personal opinions, here's my take.

I don't think Obama wanted it remedied quickly if at all. There is no doubting that Obama is against BIG oil. You need not look further then his handling of BP in this situation.

if you say that "the experts would and should of handled it" then why was Obama quick to press BP without even knowing the facts? He put BP on the ropes from the moent of his intervention (to the point that the English government was getting involved and asking for a toning down of the bashing and rhetoric).

Next, look at the cap and trade agenda....by targeting big oil, it makes all the more a case for his agenda. He can now stand on the pillars of his desk and scream about how we need cleaner, safer energy. Now thats not to say that we wouldnt like it...but at what cost???

Next, look at the Soros connections...the dots are not hard to follow. Oil rigs and companies are already talking about moving from the gulf towards venezuela and other north atlantic locations. This will cost thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs. I thought the goal was to put americans back to work...not get them unemployed.

Next, the admins guy who is running the 20 billion fund today (set up by demands from this administration), said that he will compensate "very well" any and all claims so that lawsuits will not be needed by the victims. What the hell does that mean?? Over compensation??? I am all about paying people what they lost...but this is not "extreme makeover" where you go in losing a hundred dollars and you come out making thousands....

There are many signs as to why and how ...if people only wish to look.

Personally, in my opinion, this administration made a fiasco out of the situation, made a mockery of a privately held business, and have done a huge dis-service to the people along the gulf who depend on this for their livelyhood.

[newtothegame]

Next, how many lawsuits must this administration have shot down for them to understand that a complete moratorium is NOT the answer? On one hand you say that he was hampered by the facts? So why put a moratorium in place with bad facts???

This is like their third attempt at a moratorium. The judge which has already ruled against the administration must be thinking..."what are judges for"?
he made a ruling and the administration just took another avenue.

Same thing will happen in AZ. This administration has not concern for law unless it benefits them. That has been shown time and time again.

[TitanSooner]

Well, since your asking for personal opinions, here's my take.

I don't think Obama wanted it remedied quickly if at all. There is no doubting that Obama is against BIG oil. You need not look further then his handling of BP in this situation.

if you say that "the experts would and should of handled it" then why was Obama quick to press BP without even knowing the facts? He put BP on the ropes from the moent of his intervention (to the point that the English government was getting involved and asking for a toning down of the bashing and rhetoric).

Next, look at the cap and trade agenda....by targeting big oil, it makes all the more a case for his agenda. He can now stand on the pillars of his desk and scream about how we need cleaner, safer energy. Now thats not to say that we wouldnt like it...but at what cost???

Next, look at the Soros connections...the dots are not hard to follow. Oil rigs and companies are already talking about moving from the gulf towards venezuela and other north atlantic locations. This will cost thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs. I thought the goal was to put americans back to work...not get them unemployed.

Next, the admins guy who is running the 20 billion fund today (set up by demands from this administration), said that he will compensate "very well" any and all claims so that lawsuits will not be needed by the victims. What the hell does that mean?? Over compensation??? I am all about paying people what they lost...but this is not "extreme makeover" where you go in losing a hundred dollars and you come out making thousands....

There are many signs as to why and how ...if people only wish to look.

Personally, in my opinion, this administration made a fiasco out of the situation, made a mockery of a privately held business, and have done a huge dis-service to the people along the gulf who depend on this for their livelyhood.
:ThmbUp: :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

[NJ Stinks]

Personally, in my opinion, this administration made a fiasco out of the situation, made a mockery of a privately held business, and have done a huge dis-service to the people along the gulf who depend on this for their livelyhood.


Looks like I lost another bet....I was so sure you came to praise Caesar.... :lol:

[newtothegame]

Looks like I lost another bet....I was so sure you came to praise Caesar.... :lol:

don't worry I guess we both lost bets.....I was counting on you to bring something to the table substance wise in regards to the topic...I should of known better :lol:

[JustRalph]

I have never been in agreement with James Carville on much......but I heard him on the radio today and he sounded genuinely devastated by what has happen to "his" area of the country. He was screaming that the latest embargo on drilling was worse than the first one and even worse than the lack of action early on by the Admin. He really really sounded like he was hurting over this thing........ I guess this is only going to make it worse on some

[Native Texan III]

It took 86 days to finally plug it up. Why was it not done sooner? Why did the government step right in and take over as soon as this happened. Get the help of every possible resource available to them. There were other oil companies, other submarines, and other options to do something—there had to have been. This was a disaster off the coast of the United States of America. Yes—we know it's BP's well—but is was the United States problem. And a problem we will deal with for many years to come.




Stevie,

The first cap was a relatively simple structure that unfortunately did not work.
The second 75 ton cap was far more sophisticated and its design, approval and fabrication took over two months. Work on both caps were started at roughly the same time

The few people, engineers and environmentalists who have any expertise in this deep water well field are already on BPs and other oil company payrolls. Big oil business keeps them paid a retainer so that they do not work for competitors or release data that is "unhelpful".

US Government has no expertise in this area whatsoever but took submissions from all over the World on possible solutions - so did BP, they have no interest in prolonging the agony. A few of those solutions might help in future but would require years of research and testing. Offshore is packed with plant and anymore would just get in the way.

If Government steps in, it take responsibility from BP directly onto the Government. Instead of BP limiting liability to $750M by law it has agreed interim compensation paid up to $20B and a fast track payment system. The sea is a detergent /oil filled mess but the shores have had teams cleaning up anything as soon as it is spotted.

In the Niger Delta, Africa, they have 50 years of oil spill mess by these companies that is worsening week by week. The USA is relatively "lucky" in terms of the thinking of Big Oil.

[Robert Goren]

Next, how many lawsuits must this administration have shot down for them to understand that a complete moratorium is NOT the answer? On one hand you say that he was hampered by the facts? So why put a moratorium in place with bad facts??? There is only really one fact that the public knows. It happened. The causes for it have, if anyone knows them have been kept from the the public. There may be some case for letting some drilling to resume, but as of right now there is no case for letting anybody connected to this mess resume drilling.

[Native Texan III]

There is only really one fact that the public knows. It happened. The causes for it have, if anyone knows them have been kept from the the public. There may be some case for letting some drilling to resume, but as of right now there is no case for letting anybody connected to this mess resume drilling.

Robert,

There is a bit more causal information coming out in the British Press. The blow out preventer was built by Cameron of Houston in 2005. BP had major refurbishments and alterations carried out to their instructions in China for current use. It is not known if the China contractors were supervised. BP sub-contractor Safety Supervisors pointed to hundreds of drawings that were not updated to the as-built or as-modified BOP and other plant. BP got them sacked and gagged. When it came to use the BOP the instructions were for the 2005 model and it failed to operate leading to major damage to the cutter blades and ram - it, the very last line of defense stuck as inoperable.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/18/deepwater-horizon-blow-out-preventer-china

[Greyfox]

There is only really one fact that the public knows.

No. We also know that Obama failed to respond in getting a clean up started. He turned down offers of foreign aid. He turned down ideas for skimming the oil that were offered to him within days of the leak.
That was a fact.

[Tom]

If, by noon Monday, the leak remains plugged, they will move to phase 2.
The same procedure will be performed on Joe Biden.

[highnote]

.... and BP doesn't stand for British Petroleum anymore?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jul/18/deepwater-horizon-blow-out-preventer-china

BP accounts for over a tenth of all share dividends paid by UK companies, and pension funds rely on the income it generates.

Have none of these people ever heard of diversification and black swans? :faint:

Well, there are a lot of black swans now... because they're all covered in oil!

[newtothegame]

U.S. Tells BP to Prepare for Reopening Oil Well After Seep Found

Thad Allen, the U.S. official in charge of the response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, ordered BP Plc to prepare for reopening the company’s Macondo well after a “seep” was detected.

Allen said a “seep” was found “a distance” from the well and anomalies had been observed at the well head, in a letter sent today to BP Chief Managing Director Bob Dudley that was posted on a government website about the spill.

“I direct you to provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the well head be confirmed,” Allen wrote.

Three days of tests on the capped well showed no signs that would prompt BP to reopen the well, Doug Suttles, chief operating officer for exploration and production for BP, said earlier today in a conference call from Houston.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-07-19/u-s-s-allen-tells-bp-to-prepare-for-reopening-oil-well-after-seep-found.html

[boxcar]

Has BO taken credit yet for plugging the hole?

Boxcar

[Native Texan III]

.... and BP doesn't stand for British Petroleum anymore?



Have none of these people ever heard of diversification and black swans? :faint:

Well, there are a lot of black swans now... because they're all covered in oil!


A good punchline contrived there for deeply sad events. ;)

BP stands for "Beyond Petroleum" since 2001. Pays to be wary when companies get a little crazy like that.

We have about 40% of BP share ownership which is same as UK's so share the pain.
Shares that paid regular high dividends for income investors and pensions used to include banks and insurance companies that in old times spread the risk. With BP revenue at $239B in 2009 it is now difficult to find replacement companies for the income portfolio. UK shareholders though had one dubious benefit in that £ devalued 30% so payout incomes in $ there have increased in nominal £s but now lose heavily as BP shares have lost 50% of value in $.

Another unregulated "cowboy" company that now looks too big to fail?

[Robert Goren]

Has BO taken credit yet for plugging the hole?

Boxcar The hole might not be plugged yet. There seems to be some seepage from the ocean floor near the well. We should know more today.

[Robert Goren]

.... and BP doesn't stand for British Petroleum anymore? The name was change to protect the innocent....Yeah right.