Tech Talk: Revisiting Oil Well Pressures and Blowout Preventers after BP's Gulf

[Gknowmx]

The Oil Drum has a lot of information regarding the Blowout situation in the Gulf of Mexico.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6421#more

Author: "Heading Out"

I thought that it might be useful to explain where and how at least part of the problem with the Transocean Deepwater Horizon fire and sinking spreading oil across the Gulf of Mexico might have started. I am going to start by repeating one of my previous technical posts, where I explain what a blow-out preventer is, then I will add some comments in an update relating to the current leak.

rest at link above...

[cigarlover]

Lots of good info there. Thanks for the link. Will read up on it more tomorrow.

[Cebu_4_2]

I have read all about how things work and are supposed to shut the hole up, I really don't care to educate myself on any more of that faction but are more interested in watching/reading how they are going to cork this thing up.

The complexity of problems related to being 5000 feet below or 20K below (mattering on read) just amazes me that a 20 inch hole through the crust of the earth can have such devastating consequences.

[cigarlover]

I agree. I'm actually surprised they dont have some sort of contingency plan in place already. Drilling a second hole that may take months doesnt seem like much of a plan to me.

[Grand Master Melon]

It looks like BP spends more money on commercials to make themselves look "green" than they do on contingency plans for a disaster.

If BP went out of business over this deal I wouldn't be a bit upset. I hope all other oil explorers, producers, refiners etc. take notice and come up with their own back-up plans because this crap is going to happen again down the road and sitting around with their thumbs up their asses isn't going to cut it.

[wildcard]

Anyone that has ever gone scuba diving knows that anything over 100 feet deep is plenty deep. 5000 feet down in a little submersible? Not me pal.

[cigarlover]

I havent even been 100 ft down but yea I agree a mile under water. What is the PSI at that depth? I also saw posted someplace, maybe that site, that the oil rushing out of that hole is under tremendous pressure and that in itself is enough to eat through 1" thick steel.

If they cant cap this quickly I dont know how they even contain it to the gulf of Mexico. Even if they do the property damage, ecological damage and all the resulting lawsuits from that should be enough to bankrupt BP.

[wildcard]

I read someplace that it may be coming out at 30,000psi. That is an insane amount of pressure. They won't cap this without explosives and a lot of luck.

[Cebu_4_2]

The following is not public' document states

. A confidential government report on the unfolding spill disaster makes clear the Coast Guard now fears the well could be on the verge of becoming an unchecked gusher shooting millions of gallons of oil per day into the Gulf. A confidential government report on the unfolding spill disaster in the Gulf makes clear the Coast Guard now fears the well could become an unchecked gusher shooting millions of gallons of oil per day into the Gulf.

"The following is not public," reads the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Emergency Response document dated April 28. "Two additional release points were found today in the tangled riser. If the riser pipe deteriorates further, the flow could become unchecked resulting in a release volume an order of magnitude higher than previously thought."

Asked Friday to comment on the document, NOAA spokesman Scott Smullen said that the additional leaks described were reported to the public late Wednesday night. Regarding the possibility of the spill becoming an order of magnitude larger, Smullen said, "I'm letting the document you have speak for itself."

In scientific circles, an order of magnitude means something is 10 times larger. In this case, an order of magnitude higher would mean the volume of oil coming from the well could be 10 times higher than the 5,000 barrels a day coming out now. That would mean 50,000 barrels a day, or 2.1 million gallons a day. It appears the new leaks mentioned in the Wednesday release are the leaks reported to the public late Wednesday night.

"There is no official change in the volume released but the USCG is no longer stating that the release rate is 1,000 barrels a day," continues the document, referred to as report No. 12. "Instead they are saying that they are preparing for a worst-case release and bringing all assets to bear."

The emergency document also states that the spill has grown in size so quickly that only 1 to 2 percent of it has been sprayed with dispersants.

The Press-Register obtained the emergency report from a government official. The White House, NOAA, the Coast Guard and BP Plc did not immediately return calls for comment made early this morning.

The worst-case scenario for the broken and leaking well pouring oil into the Gulf of Mexico would be the loss of the wellhead and kinked piping currently restricting the flow to 5,000 barrels -- or 210,000 gallons -- per day.

[wildcard]

They may as well nuke it. Sounds like it's going to explode anyhow.

[I am me, I am free]

It looks like BP spends more money on commercials to make themselves look "green" than they do on contingency plans for a disaster.

If BP went out of business over this deal I wouldn't be a bit upset. I hope all other oil explorers, producers, refiners etc. take notice and come up with their own back-up plans because this crap is going to happen again down the road and sitting around with their thumbs up their asses isn't going to cut it.


HA! Don't hold your breath.