Has the Oil Actually Increased?

Factual Questions
1

I’ve been reading threads about the oil spill, but I don’t remember seeing this answered.

The estimated amount of oil gushing from the leak has increased steadily since the 1000 barrels a day of the first estimate. I get that the early reports are always wrong and that BP had ample reason to downplay the numbers.

What I don’t understand is whether the current estimate of 40,000 barrels was the closer number from the beginning or whether the leak actually increased in size over time. Which is right and if it has increased, what’s the mechanism?

2

BP’s Deepwater Oil Spill - Why the Flow Rates are Increasing

3

I was going to recommend that article as well.

4

Yes, it most likely increases as long as the capping proceedure continues to leak and sealing of the pipe/well head can not be plugged or capped positively.

The idiocy is in failing to employ all the oil tankers available ASAP to skim off as much of the surface oil as possible to prevent further damage to the beaches and shore line marshes. It is much easier to prevent damage than to clean(?) it up effectively later.

I suspect that all of the oil that comes ashore in the wet lands and on the beaches will never be totally cleaned up in the lifetimes of anyone alive today.

5

Rolling Stone is reporting that NOAA had been told by late May that the high-end estimate of the spill was 60-100K bbls a day.

6

Good article, thanks. I’m going to bookmark that site for future reading.