The lowest estimate I’ve seen, from an interview with Admiral Allen, is around 3500 PSI at the bottom of the BoP. If so, that’s about 1200 PSI flow rate out of the top*, or anywhere from 4 to 12 times the pressure of a fire hose, though in this case the ‘hose’ is 21" across. Nowhere near bullet pressure really but I don’t think I’d want to stick my hand over it.
*I think that’s how it works, anyway.
The well contains a two mile column of highly pressurized liquid moving rapidly upward. If you jam something into the well head the pipe is likely to explode.
Isn’t this similar to what they tried to do with the containment dome? That failed when methane hydrate crystals formed and clogged the thing. I think it’s important that the oil and gas stay under pressure all the way up the pipe.
For starters I would have cut the riser differently. Anyone who ever cut a tree down knew the 2nd cut was going to bind because of the weight (the riser was suspended in a sling after the first cut). They should have cut the 2nd at the bend (with shear cutters) and made a 3rd and final cut below that with the loop cutter. Instead of an outer mating cap I would have used an inner matting cap designed to round the hole straight and promote a steel-on-steel or copper on steel seal. From there I would attempt a chemical weld.
Sumerian-Cobalt magnets. Shoot them in bunches down the pipe. First they stick to the sides of the pipe then they stick to each other. Problem solved. As a plus all the magnets I’ve torn out of hard-drives become more valuable.
I’d drill a couple of relief wells, then inject cement when they manage to intercept the blown-out well bore.
I really have no idea why BP isn’t trying something like that.
Meanwhile, concerning the estimates being thrown around: anyone who is basing the eventual total spill volume on the total estimated reservoir volume is talking out their ass and hasn’t a clue how reservoirs work. I doubt there is an oil or gas reservoir anywhere in the world where more than 20 percent or so of the oil in place flows to surface without assistance. Even with enhanced recovery technigues, most reservoirs only give up 30 to 60 percent of their hydrocarbons in place. Likewise, for a reservoir of the size and extent of Macondo, it is highly unlikely a single wellbore could draw fluid from all parts of the reservoir.
I’d say take the estimated reservoir volume and assume five percent or less of that as a ballpark figure.
Note: I am in no way dismissing the extent and seriousness of this disaster, just trying to keep things realistic.
Duct Tape & Augustus Gloop. Costner’s Machine has gotten the greenlight from BP.
One part of me hopes this works, the deeper darker cynical side of me wonders if BP is throwing money after this to divert all the bad press until something better comes along.
I say we start pumping more oil into the Gulf! It’s what they do when California gets set on fire every summer. We should lay down an “escape oil spill”. See, once we’ve pumped so much oil into the Gulf, the oil coming out of the pipe won’t have anywhere to go, so it’ll turn around and go back into the pipe. And then we have no more worries. At all.
But seriously, folks, all these jokes are too clean. I’d expect oil spill jokes to be a bit more…crude?
I’d call Aquaman, who would in turn call a couple of great white whales for help. Then when that fails, he’ll use his JLA signal device to call Superman.
