Gulf of Mexico oil geyser

The more I learn about this, and as the puzzle pieces snap together, the more saddened I become. The volcanic activity theory is a very interesting one, and I hadn't heard that take on things before. I appreciate the folks who are sharing the videos and info they find. I wish BP were as forthcoming with information and the truth, to let us decide for ourselves how we feel about it all.

To those who live at ground zero on this thing, you're in my thoughts and prayers. Especially with hurricane season headed this way.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Check out figure four (4) on this page -> http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/rrusso/florida_eq.html

Obviously that oil field was under tremendous pressure when that oil rig tapped into it. My guess is either they CAN'T contain that much pressure to cap off the well. Or the entire area is no so unstable that leaks are coming up everywhere and they are afraid of what might happen if they put the cork back in and the pressure spikes.

Evidently there was a 6.0 earthquake in the Gulf back in September of 2006. Anyone think setting off a nuke (yes, I have seen suggestions to do just that!) in that compressed and stressed strata is going to be a real good idea? Why didn't the engineers know about the stress that area is under after Katrina dumped all the sediment into the Gulf? It probably was like drilling a hole into a soda can after you shook it up for several minutes.

Originally Posted by MagickalMorphs

The more I learn about this, and as the puzzle pieces snap together, the more saddened I become. The volcanic activity theory is a very interesting one, and I hadn't heard that take on things before. I appreciate the folks who are sharing the videos and info they find. I wish BP were as forthcoming with information and the truth, to let us decide for ourselves how we feel about it all.

To those who live at ground zero on this thing, you're in my thoughts and prayers. Especially with hurricane season headed this way.

Have you also heard about certain persons selling off BP stock three weeks before this incident?

http://www.blacklistednews.com/?news_id=9027

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...oil-spill.html

This may very well be a criminal matter with very far reaching implications...

Why isn't the US government more directly involved? Does anyone else think there is some substantial foot dragging going on despite the severity and magnitude of this disaster?

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Have you also heard about certain persons selling off BP stock three weeks before this incident?

http://www.blacklistednews.com/?news_id=9027

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/n...oil-spill.html

This may very well be a criminal matter with very far reaching implications...

Why isn't the US government more directly involved? Does anyone else think there is some substantial foot dragging going on despite the severity and magnitude of this disaster?

The government more than likely has no idea what to do, i mean, when the director of "Titanic" is asked his opinion on this matter, than you know this country is in serious trouble in regards to disaster response. First there was Bush with Hurricane Katrina, and now Obama with the Gulf oil spill. God forbid what would happen if there was a Nuclear strike at this country

A short article that is interesting reading...

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293332

I'd heard of that, but am hoping there is still some decency left in the world somewhere and that it's just a horrible coincidence.

Foot dragging - I agree wholeheartedly. That plus their stubbornness to give any in-depth info as to the true reach of this disaster is just... for once I lack the words to express how I feel. They know what's going on, but they aren't telling us.

My heart is in my throat, after reading that article That's all i can say right now, except my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this disaster at the moment.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

This may very well be a criminal matter with very far reaching implications...

Yes but nothing will come of it, research 911

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Why isn't the US government more directly involved?

Could it be because our government is owned by corporations?

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Does anyone else think there is some substantial foot dragging going on despite the severity and magnitude of this disaster?

Not really they are covering things up as quickly possible.

Originally Posted by serpentsden

Could it be because our government is owned by corporations?

Apparently so, it seems....

Air space over oil disaster restricted, media access limited

BP’s latest efforts at containing the oil spill were given a huge assist this week by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), by way of temporary flight restrictions over much of the Deepwater Horizon well’s impacted area.

A new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued late Wednesday night restricts air flights over BP’s Gulf of Mexico catastrophe and ultimately limits the media’s ability to provide current photography and video of much of the affected area. A map on the FAA website shows the controlled air space stretches from Louisiana to Florida and off-shore below the well site.

In part, the NOTAM states: “All aircraft operations are prohibited except those flights authorized by ATC, routine flights supporting offshore oil operations; federal, state, local and military flight operations supporting oil spill recovery and reconstitution efforts; and air medical and law enforcement operations.”

It goes on to state that numerous low level operations associated with the blown-out well have forced the restricted air space below 3,000 feet. These low level operations include aircraft making “sudden changes in direction, speed, and altitude.”

This latest move by a federal agency gives a clear indication of who is actually in charge of the US government. Blocking media access to much of the area where the oil debacle is most visible helps validate earlier reports by the media about restricted travel over and into the contaminated zone.

The NOTAM, issued on June 9 by the FAA, is a direct contradiction to President Obama’s insistence that BP provide more transparency, as noted in a letter from Obama’s point man, Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, to BP CEO Tony Hayward.

The FAA notice also impacts documentary efforts of the worst man-made environmental disaster in the country’s history and will help BP in its containment efforts at public opinion, seeing how its containment efforts with the blown-out well have been futile thus far.

The New York Times reports journalists are repeatedly being denied access to public areas impacted by the environmental polluter’s unimpeded assault on the food chain. Those denying access to the media include not only BP, but local law enforcement, government officials and the US Coast Guard.
Michael Oreskes, a senior managing editor with the Associated Press, compares the Gulf situation with the embedding of reporters and military operations in Afghanistan.

“There is a continued effort to keep control over the access,” Mr. Oreskes said. “And even in places where the government is cooperating with us to provide access, it’s still a problem because it’s still access obtained through the government.”

In the NOTAM, the FAA identifies the nature of the oil catastrophe as being “dynamic” and for that reason all approved flights are subject to last-minute changes or cancellations.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293304

Note the estimate in the text of the volume of flow possibly being as high as 100,000 barrels of oil per day

New estimates: BP oil debacle at 25,000 to 30,000 barrels per day

Government scientists on Thursday have doubled their previous estimates on the flow of oil pouring from BP’s runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico, making the newest numbers a stunning 25,000 to 30,000 barrels of oil. Per day.

New calculations on the BP oil spill dwarf the previous estimate of 12,000 to 19,000 barrels per day. The new numbers of 25,000 to 30,000 barrels per day, possibly as high as 40,000 barrels per day, more than double previous numbers and will undoubtedly lead to a showdown between BP and the US government over the amount of money BP will be asked to pay for cleaning up the environmental disaster as well as the amount levied against the environmental polluter in the the way of fines.

The new estimate will also increase, or confirm, suspicions many Americans feel over BP’s early estimates of 5,000 barrels per day, and reports suggest the new numbers will increase political pressure on BP, pressure that has begun to intensify in recent days.

The Flow Rate Technical Group (FRTG), a team of experts from universities and government science agencies, had based their previous estimates on information provided by BP, information that proved to be inadequate for an accurate appraisal, according to a report in McClatchy earlier this week.

FRTG, under the direction of National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen, and the leadership of Dr. Marcia McNutt, director of the US Geological Survey, along with a scientific team led by Energy Secretary Steven Chu, have analyzed new data and combined it with several scientific methodologies to arrive at the new estimate.

“Developing accurate and scientifically grounded oil flow rate information is vital, both in regards to the continued response and recovery, as well as the important role this information may play in the final investigation of the failure of the blowout preventer and the resulting spill,” said Admiral Allen.

According to Allen, more than one million gallons of dispersant have been used on the oil disaster. “We’re starting to limit the dispersants on the surface to where we need it for safety reasons—for putting down volatile organic compounds or when we have a spill of such magnitude where dispersants have a direct affect in trying to limit our dispersant application to the subsea injections and over 4 million gallons have been recovered either through the riser insertion tube or our containment cap so far,” Allen said in his Friday morning press briefing.

While Allen references the increased flow rate of oil after the riser was cut as “whatever increase there might have been after the cut in the riser pipe,” a scientist on the FRTG suggests the unimpeded flow of oil after the June 3 cutting of the pipe could be 100,000 barrels per day.

Ira Leifer, associate researcher at the Marine Science Institute of the University of California, said that the rate of flow from the blown out well has been increasing over time, most notably since BP’s failed “top kill” effort last month. His research is based, in part, on satellite data and he notes the flow rate was actually increasing before the riser pipe was cut.

"The situation is growing worse," Leifer said.

Leifer also suggests the increase in flow since the severing of the riser pipe last week is far greater than the 20 percent estimate that BP and the Obama administration had predicted before the pipe cutting. Another number is being prepared by the FRTG that will cover the period after the pipe cutting, according to the New York Times.

Dr. McNutt, on Thursday, announced that three of the scientific teams had reached their new assessment based on detailed analysis of flow rates from the Deepwater Horizon well before June 3, the day the riser was cut.

“Each of the methodologies that the scientific teams is using has its advantages and shortcomings, which is why it is so important that we take several scientific approaches to solving this problem, that the teams continue working to refine their analyses and assessments, and that those many data points inform the updated best estimate that we are developing, ” said Dr. McNutt, in the official announcement by the Deepwater Horizon Incident Joint Information Center.

Referencing the upcoming meeting next week between President Obama and BP officials, Allen said “it was time to sit down and talk.”

In an attempt to allay fears over BP’s ability to pay dividends to stockholders, BP spokesman Andrew Gowers said: “We intend to meet all our obligations to all our stakeholders. We are a very financially strong company.”

Regardless, Credit Suisse has estimated the cleanup costs at $15 billion to $23 billion, with an additional $14 billion in claims.

As the crude oil continues its trek through the Gulf’s waters, Florida is bracing itself for the inevitable impact upon its tourism industry. The state, along with Escambia County officials, have announced the closing of Pensacola Pass to any vessel traffic during flood tide. Pensacola Pass will reopen during the ebb tide cycle and this plan will remain in effect until further notice.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293281

Referencing the upcoming meeting next week between President Obama and BP officials, Allen said “it was time to sit down and talk.”

Bullcrap! The time for talk is long passed. Now is the time to damn well DO something!

Maybe the reason BP doesn't want cameras in Louisiana at the coast....