View Full Version : possible 'dirty little secret' regarding the Gulf Oil Spill ...
Melonie
07-04-2010, 10:41 AM
and now this new angle is coming forth ...
(snip)"
Scientists with the University of Southern Mississippi and Tulane University in New Orleans have found droplets of oil in the larvae of blue crabs and fiddler crabs sampled from Louisiana to Pensacola, Fla. The news comes as blobs of oil and tar continue to wash ashore in Mississippi in patches, with crews in chartreuse vests out cleaning beaches all along the coast on Thursday, and as state and federal fisheries from Louisiana to Florida are closed by the BP oil disaster.
"I think we will see this enter the food chain in a lot of ways — for plankton feeders, like menhaden, they are going to just actively take it in," said Harriet Perry, director of the Center for Fisheries Research and Development at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. "Fish are going to feed on (crab larvae). We have also just started seeing it on the fins of small, larval fish — their fins were encased in oil. That limits their mobility, so that makes them easy prey for other species. The oil's going to get into the food chain in a lot of ways." (snip)
from
Melonie
07-07-2010, 02:11 PM
and another 'dirty little secret' angle ...
(snip)"CNN: 128 BP oil cleanup workers sickened in Louisiana; Told not to go to public hospitals (VIDEO)
Sanjay Gupta, CNN, July 6, 2010:
Might BP be trying to hide the risk to cleanup workers? …
Louisiana’s Health Department has reported 128 cleanup workers who have been sickened.
State clinics are telling us something else as well, that cleanup workers are being told to report to BP’s own health clinic on Grand Isle, not to go to state facilities."(snip)
(snip)"At least 4 dead in last 10 days after swimming at Gulf beaches
Potential Health Effects of Oil Spill, KRIV Channel 26 Houston (Fox), June 22, 2010:
Dr. Harish Seethamraju is a pulmonary specialist at Methodist Hospital in Houston.
Seethamraju says potential problems include wheezing and asthma, but that’s not all. “If they take a swim in these waters, the toxic chemicals can cause pneumonia and respiratory failure.” …
“We have never seen such enormous amounts of exposure.”(snip)
Melonie
07-11-2010, 08:20 AM
the 'exodus' of gulf coast jobs begins ...
(snip)"WASHINGTON — Diamond Offshore announced Friday that its Ocean Endeavor drilling rig will leave the Gulf of Mexico and move to Egyptian waters immediately — making it the first to abandon the United States in the wake of the BP oil spill and a ban on deep-water drilling.
And the Ocean Endeavor's exodus probably won't be the last, according to oil industry officials and Gulf Coast leaders who warn that other companies eager to find work for the now-idled rigs are considering moving them outside the U.S.
Devon Energy Corp. had been leasing the Endeavor to drill in the same region of the Gulf as BP's leaking Macondo well, which has been gushing crude since a lethal blowout April 20.
But Diamond announced Friday it will lease the rig through June 30, 2011, to Cairo-based Burullus Gas Co., which plans to send the Endeavor to Egyptian waters immediately."(snip)
(snip)"Pickering added that prospects are high that a dozen rigs ultimately could leave the Gulf of Mexico because of the ban.
Brady said the rig owners are searching for revenue - even if it means relocating to get it.
"There are two types of rigs in the deep-water Gulf today: those that are leaving the country and those that want to, because with this moratorium hanging over their heads, they simply can't go back to work," Brady said. "I'm afraid this is the first of many rigs and many American jobs to leave the Gulf."
Once the rigs relocate, it could be a minimum of five to 10 years before they return, predicted Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land.
"We cannot afford to lose these jobs or the energy they provide," Olson said. "(snip)
from
http://www.city-data.com/forum/self-sufficiency-preparedness/1002539-oil-spill-ramifications.html
I find all this information very interesting and very disheartining. So now they're saying toxic rain will come up the east coast. Wish I had the money to move west.
Melonie
07-11-2010, 02:02 PM
^^^ I wish that the article about prevailing winds and rain patterns had done more research and/or provided more info in regard to exactly what contaminants they are most concerned about. Crude oil is pretty heavy to be carried very far, but the light volatile fractions and especially the dispersants they are using ( like Corexit ) could be a very different story.
threlayer
07-12-2010, 07:52 PM
I don't like the idea of a dispersant. I doesn't remove the oil, it just 'waters it down' and makes it less visible to humans.
HailToTheBoob
07-15-2010, 04:07 PM
Notice how now that the flow has stopped, all the locals are assuming that is the end of the leak? I feel bad for them having this false hope because it is way too premature to see if it ruptures! The pressure is tryng very hard to break thru somewhere, hopefully not by blowing the whole wellhead off.
Melonie
07-16-2010, 12:37 AM
Notice how now that the flow has stopped, all the locals are assuming that is the end of the leak? I feel bad for them having this false hope because it is way too premature to see if it ruptures! The pressure is tryng very hard to break thru somewhere, hopefully not by blowing the whole wellhead off.
or, if the fractured seabed theory is correct, the wellhead will remain in place ... the oil leaking from the wellhead will be stopped ... but the pressure won't rise higher because the oil will simply start leaking at a faster rate from the fractured seabed cracks ( which according to the 'secret theory' statements are located up to 6 miles away from the wellhead ).
Even Yahoo concedes this possibility in their 'good news' blurb ...
threlayer
07-16-2010, 09:19 AM
This is what they are testing for now. I just wonder if the test is more severe than actual operations.
HailToTheBoob
07-16-2010, 02:48 PM
or, if the fractured seabed theory is correct, the wellhead will remain in place ... the oil leaking from the wellhead will be stopped ... but the pressure won't rise higher because the oil will simply start leaking at a faster rate from the fractured seabed cracks ( which according to the 'secret theory' statements are located up to 6 miles away from the wellhead ).
Even Yahoo concedes this possibility in their 'good news' blurb ... http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_spill;_ylt=AihedCr1bCoiZviZRpUAx8Cs0NU E;_ylu=X3oDMTNoY3JtbTFxBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNzE1L3V zX2d1bGZfb2lsX3NwaWxsBGNjb2RlA21vc3Rwb3B1bGFyBGNwb 3MDMgRwb3MDNwRwdANob21lX2Nva2UEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9 yeQRzbGsDYnBub29pbGxlYWtp
Yeah, last night people down there were arguing with me on FB about how the news didn't say anything about how the well might explode and then this morning it was all over the news. It was hard, but I resisted the whole I told u so thing. I also noticed that the pressure gauge seems a tad low. It's holding, but yes it could indicate a leak SOMEWHERE many miles away.
Not bad typing for the amount of alcoholic energy drink I've had... lol
Melonie
07-18-2010, 03:51 PM
well even mainstream media is now discussing the issue of leaks from other locations in the seabed ...
(snip)"An administration official familiar with the spill oversight, however, told The Associated Press that a seep and possible methane were found near the busted oil well. The official spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because an announcement about the next steps had not been made yet.
The concern all along — since pressure readings on the cap weren't as high as expected — was a leak elsewhere in the wellbore, meaning the cap may have to be reopened to prevent the environmental disaster from becoming even worse and harder to fix.
The official, who would not clarify what is seeping near the well, also said BP is not complying with the government's demand for more monitoring.
BP spokesman Mark Salt declined to comment on the allegation, but said "we continue to work very closely with all government scientists on this."
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the Obama administration's spill response chief, insisted Sunday that "nothing has changed" since Saturday, when he said oil would eventually be piped to surface ships. The government is overseeing BP's work to stop the leak, which ultimately is to be plugged using a relief well.
Allen decided to extend testing of the cap that had been scheduled to end Sunday. That means the oil will stay in the well for now as scientists continue run tests and monitor pressure readings. He didn't say how long that would take.
Officials at the Department of Homeland Security referred questions to a statement issued by Allen; neither he nor BP officials could explain the apparent contradiction in plans.
A federal official familiar with the spill oversight told The Associated Press that a seep and possible methane found near the busted oil well have scientists concerned that it may still be leaking. The official spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because an announcement about the next steps had not been made yet."(snip)
threlayer
07-18-2010, 06:48 PM
I don't think this is going to be the disastrous end of the Gulf as we know it, beyond the lasting effects of the massive crude oil release, as speculated in the links. But due diligence is very much needed and is apparently being carried out.
People are starting to realize that an effective bag of tricks and a stand-by emergency system are going to be needed to prevent similar repeats of this, and there will be repeats.
threlayer
07-19-2010, 08:18 AM
This is what they are testing for now. I just wonder if the test is more severe than actual operations.
This has turned out to be true. The increased pressure has led to a lowered wellhead pressure. Today the Coast Guard office leading the effort has told BP to reduce the pressure and given the permission to start collecting oil. This will lead to reduced pressure that will not exascerbate potential remote leaks from the original drilling.
fortunately this did not lead to additional catastrophes such as the seabed exploding or other "sky is falling" scenarios.
We have to recognize that the weight of the sea above the surface one down is enormous; that is the pressure that causes limitations requiring special pressure vessels to be needed for undersea exploration etc. There is additional pressure on the crude oil because in addition to the weight of the water on the sea floor, there is the weight of the seabed itself on the oil reserve. The seabed has a higher density than water that is why it doesn't float to the surface) so the sea's pressure can be greatly amplified at the undersea wellhead.
I have no information on the theoretically speculated 'erosion' effect because I've never heard that crude needs to be mechanically filtered.
Melonie
07-19-2010, 12:08 PM
don't be so sure ... breaking news ...
(snip)"BP has confirmed that there is an oil leak on the sea floor several miles away from the Deepwater Horizon's damaged blowout preventer. The undisclosed specific location of the sub- sea leak is reported to be billowing oil and deadly methane gas.
While the live BP video feed has been focused on the BOP, some oil industry experts have suggested that the leak being reported today has been played down, despite a report from Florida Senator Bill Nelson last month. (See video below)
The third oil leak, which was admitted to by BP shorty after the Deepwater Horizon exploded on April 20,1020, may now be emerging from behind what many believe has been an oil spill media blackout.
On May 5, 2010 BP confirmed that one of three initial leaks had been plugged. The second leak is the one millions of people have been watching through the BP live video feed. However, the third leak has been virtually ignored.
In the early stages of the 90 day-old disaster, oil industry expert Matt Simmons told NBC News that a major area of seepage was coming from an area about 7 miles from the well. Simmons called it the “elephant behind the mouse.”
Residents in the Tampa Bay area have been concerned over the lack of available information on the potential risks from the disaster.
Should the sea floor leak announced today be confirmed in same location as the one Simmons and Senator Nelson have reported, then BP and the government have been aware of it all along, further substantiating fears of an oil spill media blackout."(snip)
from
also ...
(snip)"[Tampa ] Local television news station 10 Connects said, “National Weather Service Science and Operations Officer Charlie Paxton says while it's always possible a water spout could pick up some oil and carry it a short distance, the notion of black rain is just not possible. Paxton says that's because oil does not evaporate.”
But water and oil filled with Corexit 9500 does. Corexit goes through a molecular phase transition when Gulf waters heat up. The Corexit then evaporates into the atmosphere in tiny particles absorbed by clouds, which is released in rain, according to a Russian scientific study cited in The European Union Times.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports,“BP has dumped 1.4 million gallons of Corexit on the gulf.”
Despite denials by some officials, “There are increasing reports of people reporting both oil sheen on rain water pools along the gulf coast and wide spread reports of mysterious crop ailments inland most notably in Mississippi and Louisiana.”
This website has received emails from Florida residents claiming that they have seen oil rain droplets on plants and trees in their back yards. Others have said they can smell “burnt crayons” in the air."(snip)
from
threlayer
07-19-2010, 03:07 PM
If this is indeed true, the third leak very likely was caused by the overpressure allowed to build up during the testing. And if so, it would have been better to allow oil to escape thru the surface feed, where flow would of course increase, but pressure of the entire reserve under the seabed would not have increased enough to cause fissures (leaks). Of course the overpressure they will say was necessary to determine if expected variations in pressure during connection/operation of the well needed to be tested. The cap was only to be a stopgap measure anyway. I never liked that plan. I believe a pressure drawdown strategy was the best interim plan because the longer the overpressure happens, the more likely a leak will occur. So what are they now going to do?