The BP Oil Disaster Continues

Congressional investigators revealed last week that bad wiring, a leaking hydraulic system and a dead battery contributed to the massive oil rig explosion that killed 11 people on April 20, off the coast of Louisiana. They said that BP documents and others also indicated that conflicting pipe pressure tests should have warned those on the rig that poor pipe integrity may have allowed explosive methane gas to leak into the well. "Significant pressure discrepancies were observed in at least two of these tests, which were conducted just hours before the explosion," said Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., at a House hearing on the rig fire and oil leak, citing documents his committee had received from BP. Asked about the tests, Steven Newman, president of Transocean, which owned the drilling rig, and Lamar McKay, president of BP America told the committee the pressure readings were worrisome. They indicated "that there was something happening in the well bore that shouldn't be happening," said Newman. McKay said the issue "is critical in the investigation" into the cause of the accident.

The Coast Guard estimates that 210,000 gallons of oil has been gushing into the Gulf each day, although BP claims the new siphoning tube that was inserted into the leaking pipe will cut that daily figure down by as much as 40%. With millions of gallons already spreading throughout the Gulf and climbing, the catastrophe will eventually eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster, where a captain simply ran his ship onto a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of oil.

Worries over the ecological impact of the huge oil spill are growing, with fears focused on the spread into the 'Loop Current' that could carry the pollution to the Florida Keys and nearby areas. The Coast Guard was analyzing 20 tar stains found on a beach in Key West to determine if they were from the spill, a spokeswoman said today. If it proved to be true, it would mean powerful currents are carrying it around the southern tip of the peninsula and its fragile coral reefs. Today the federal government announced it is nearly tripling the size of an area in the Gulf that's closed to fishing; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said it was closing 46,000 square miles, or about 19 percent of federal waters, beginning today at 6 p.m.

'About 20 tar balls, three to eight inches in diameter, were found on Monday at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, in Key West, on the beach of the park,' said Anna Dixon, a Coast Guard spokeswoman. In the region satellite images taken Saturday by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, it appears the oil may have already entered the Gulf Loop Current, which could pull it through the Florida Keys and into South Florida, some scientists say.

There are also concerns that huge underwater plumes of crude could be starving the sea of oxygen. A research vessel has located plumes reported to be up to 16 kilometers long, 4.8 kilometers wide and 92 meters thick that suggest a far greater impact on the marine environment than previously thought. 'BP is burying its head in the sand on these underwater threats,' said Democratic congressman Ed Markey. An expert from the Hart Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies told AFP that deepwater spills posed greater risks due to these plumes.

Response crews have used some 560,000 barrels of controversial chemical dispersants, spraying them onto surface oil and also directly into the leak in a bid to break up the oil. However, the limited progress is unlikely to take the heat off BP. Congressional and political pressure will continue, along with the investors response; the stock has declined nearly 25% since the incident occurred.

In light of the failed effort to cover the well with a large containment dome, BP’s next attempt will be a 'top kill' procedure to inject heavy drilling 'mud' into the well and permanently seal it with cement in the next 7 to 10 days.

C. Cohn
Cohn-Reilly Report


________Comments

Katherine said.......
Great article Charlie! That photo you posted with the oil-slick gunk on the duck swimming in goo is exactly the vision that is most disturbing about what’s to come. I have deep concerns about the long-term ramifications of the oil spill on our ecosystem. Sad realization of how quickly this disaster will ripple through the waters and destroy wild life; the many species of plants, fish, birds, as well as the all of the livelihoods whose futures are uncertain and hanging in the balance. This is really troubling. The imminent destruction of the coral reefs, begs the question; how many decades will it take before the ocean’s reefs are replenished? We watch helplessly, as our waters become an ever spreading killing field. This is clearly something that no amount of money can reverse at this stage.

Marilyn Casey said...
Quite inclusive, Charlie. BTW -- did you happen to catch 60 Minutes last Sunday? There was a story about someone who worked at BP with knowledge that there was a BP cover up. / May 21, 2010 1:45 PM

Charlie said...
Thank you Marilyn. I did not see the program, but am not surprised to hear about the cover up. The daily reports of the devastation are hard to take, and we can only guess what the long term effects of this catastrophe will bring./ May 21, 2010 2:35 PM