This forum offers us a vent for things which bother us from day to day.

My present concern is the Gulf of Mexico oil leak. Watching this thing spew day after day and hearing all the rhetoric from everyone about the immediate environmental concerns, I have developed some other questions which I haven't heard posed or answered.

1. How big is this oil field? Has anyone seen a subterranean map of where this oil field spreads to?

The well is 6,000ft below sea level (5,000ft of water, on top of 1,000ft of mud, before the well even starts digging thru earth to reach the oil itself). The water pressure at that depth is HUGE ~ enough to crush the hull of any of our subs or submersible rovers.

But the oil keeps gushing out against that pressure like a garden hose, and is so strong, it overcomes both the ambient water pressure AND all attempts to plug the pipe using "Top Kill" procedures.

So I suspect something with THAT much pressure must be a really vast underground reservoir.

But how vast? Is this "THE" subterranean oil field for Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma? Are adjacent oil fields like subterranean water sheds, all interconnected at different depths?

And if this well continues to vent, will it eventually effect the wells in Texas and Oklahoma? Could this actually be a great opportunity for BP to cripple the US supplies of domestic oil all around the Gulf, which would thereby increase the value of their (BP's) own oil, coming from other wells around the world?

2. If this thing isn't stopped soon, what effect might it have on the weather around the Gulf? The temperature of the Gulf of Mexico is a prime factor contributing to rain and storms in all adjacent states. If the warm Gulf waters become a cooler oil pool, what will happen? Will it rain as much, or more?

3. If this thing isn't stopped until the pressure equalizes (enough oil leaks out so the 'oil pressure' falls below the water pressure), will the 'half empty' oil field then fill with Gulf water? If that happens, what will the water level do? Recede? If so, how much? And if all those Texas and Oklahoma subterranean oil fields really are interconnected, will the Gulf salt water fill them, as well ?:shock:

THEN what would we do? The price of oil is already dependent upon availability and demand. If the Texas and Oklahoma fields became unusable or too expensive to make clean, where would the price of oil go?

And would the end result resemble the Jefferson Salt Mine disaster of 1980?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddlrGkeOzsI

Anybody got any input on any of this?

Frank

PS ~ I also suspect that at some point, the Gulf will become so full of oil top-to-bottom, that it will no longer be possible to see the leaking pipe with a camera. At that point there would probably be no way to stop it until the oil field empties.

I'm not going to go into detail, but from just looking at the spill...it could have been capped or funneled up to a boat since June 3rd...

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625 ... d-20247596

BP is doing the "kill" intentionally for some reason....maybe they have a car developed that can run on salt water and oil that they will introduce next year. But from the looks of that vid, they can easily fab up a new flange and bolt it to it too continue pumping oil to a waiting boat instead of letting it leak to the ocean. 6-8 heavy duty bolts...and a flexible pipe to a bolt on flange...done.


and god help us if they spill coffee.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AAa0gd7 ... r_embedded

_________________


Also Known As Clayton Pace

It always takes one idiot to ruin everything, didn't they think ahead about this, NO. To get a pipe to that depth will crush do to pressure, unless it was filled with liquid first. With the right calculations, lower a solid cone shaped sinker right into the hole. Solid steal won't crush, and if heavy enough could overcome the pressure of the oil spout. Pound it down in the hole somehow. Now I'm no scientist, but would that be possible, in the sense of how big would that be. It can't be to big were you can't move it of course. If there was also a way to crimp the existing pipe in a couple spots as well. Remindes me when a brake hose went, I pinched the steel line in a few spots and made it back home with at least 3 brakes working with a full pedal. I just can't believe this has gone this far, with a world of inteligent, (so they call themselves) people around, what's the problem here.

I suppose this will get deleted, but what the heck, I am entitled to an
opinion. Especially if it is based on fact. We saw plenty of flak thrown
at Bush Jr. by the press and the liberal Democraps concerning Katrina
even though Ray Nagin (the New Orleans mayor) and the LA. Governor
did nothing for weeks themselves, before finally getting around to asking
the Federal government for help, which is the REQUIRED channel for
initiating action.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot, or rather in Obama's big mouth,
the press and the liberals find a different way of scapegoating. May I
say that if Obama's swelled head (and ego) had been stuffed into that
wellpipe long ago, the pipe would have sealed up nicely with no leakage
and no ecological "catatrophe." Except from Biden, who himself often
shows himself a catastrophe; who is well-known for leakage; and who
would be next in line to demonstrate gross fiscal ineptitude.

~Rick~