So I was reading up on what BP is trying to do to stop their massive oil spill and it occurred to me that the simplest solution would be to just crimp the pipeline with the Jaws of Life or some other hydraulic press. Seems dead simple to me: Hydraulic press + Robotic sub = No more gushing pipeline. Am I missing something here?
If it’s just a matter of sending a hydraulic press down there, why not just crimp the pipeline by dropping a large concrete block/heavy iron girder on one point?
BP, send my $1 billion consultation fee to my PayPal account, please.
In fact the current solution being tried is to cap the well with a concrete and steel block weighing 100 tons. A simple crimp wont be able to contain pressure just as effectively. Again the BP cap isn’t just a cork on the bottle, but actually has an opening to channel the oil to be harvested - further helping the containing-the-pressure situation.
Now please return the $1billion, or someone will be knocking on your door tomorrow
I think the steel pipeline is thick enough to handle the psi of the oil with a crimp. After all, that’s what the blow off preventer was supposed to do: crimp the pipeline to stop the flow of oil.
Well, where is the well compromised? Is it above or below the sea floor or the BOPs? Is it a clean break or is it rough, jagged metal with multiple leaks? Is there drill pipe sticking out of the well? Is the oil coming out of the casing or from behind it, or both? Plus, this is all happening a mile down.
I take it you are being facetious but I’ll point out that we are not talking about rolling up the end of a drinking straw here.
The pipeline is leaking in 3 spots some ways after the blow off preventer and the pipeline is now lying on the sea floor. Just clamp it with the Jaws of Life just after the blow off preventer. No, there is no drill pipe inside. And no, I’m serious. Clamp the damn thing.
" As high as the oil leakage is now is at 5,000 barrels or 210,000 gallons/day, it is restricted by the presence of the wellhead and kinked piping."
“Two additional release points were found today in the tangled riser. If the riser pipe deteriorates further, the flow could become unchecked resulting in a release volume an order of magnitude higher than previously thought.”
attempting to crimp the pipe and failing (due to a burst closer to the well head in front of the crimp) could make the rate of release 10 x worse.
Just do a test crimp on the further end of the pipeline. All the blow out preventers do is just crimp the pipeline. We are doing the same thing but just on a different section.
you seem to be missing something, the blow out preventer is positioned where the oilpipe comes out of the ground, so the back pressure behind is contained by earth and concrete.
crimp the pipe anywhere and the entire pressure will be placed on length of the already damaged pipe which is lying twisted on the ground. Any already weakened points are likely to burst. you want to take the bet that won’t make it worse?
