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Posted by feww on July 23, 2010
Image of the Day
Tropical Storm Bonnie – Visible/IR Satellite Image. Source: CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.
Posted in 2010 disasters, 2010 Hurricane Season, atlantic hurricanes 2010, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexio, Gulf of Mexio storm | Tagged: BP oil spill site, Macondo oil well, Tropical Storm BONNIE | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on June 26, 2010
“It is also in all our long-term interests that there is some clarity, some finality, to all of this, so that we don’t at the same time see the destruction of a company that is important for all our interests,” UK PM David Cameron told Canadian broadcaster CBC.
“Federal officials Friday say a tropical storm or hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico could shut down spill-containment operations at BP’s leaking oil well for two weeks, a report said.
Enemy of Earth Judge Feldman had ordered the moratorium be lifted because he decided it was “too broad” and did not justify the impact on the economy. “On Thursday, he denied a stay request by the Obama administration. ”
“Captain William Allen-Kruse was found dead with a gun on board his boat by fellow workers. Coroner Stan Vinson told US media that witnesses believe Mr Kruse, who had been a charter boat fisherman for 20 years, had been distraught at the spill.”
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Posted in Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill satellite photo, Gulf of Mexio, Gulf Oil Disaster | Tagged: BP lawsuits, BP oil disaster, BP PLC, David Cameron, Macondo, MC252 | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on May 30, 2010
But, it was a psychological game to re-establish the power domains and send a clear message as to who was actually in charge.
“We have not been able to stop the flow. We have made the decision to move on to the next option,” said Doug Suttles, BP Exploration and Productions chief operating officer in the U.S.
Image of the Day:
Redfish Bay in Louisiana’s birdsfoot delta turns black, May 27, 2010. Source: Gulf Restoration Network Handout (via Reuters).
Collapse Survivors Note:
The ultimate ethical expression would be to neutralize the politicians, industry executives and their chains of command responsible for crimes against nature. Corrective action against the wrongdoers should not be viewed as acts of “revenge,” or “punishment,” but as a necessary means of preventing repetitions of similar crimes.
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Posted in Collapse Survivors, Deepwater Horizon, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio | Tagged: BP oil disaster, Capital punishment, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill Aerial photo, Gulf Oil Disaster, Top Kill | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 15, 2010
The short answer: LOTS!
Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster. A freeze frame of the oil leak video supplied by the BP showing only one of at least two separate oil leaks. Image may be subject to copyright.
As to whether the leak is closer to 5,000 barrels per day (bpd) or 25,000 bpd, here’s an estimate we prepared earlier:
NOTES:
1. According to earlier reports at least two separate leaks remain on seafloor the second of which is not shown on the BP video.
2. A reader who claimed to be an oil industry insider contacted one of the blog Moderators saying diameter of the drill pipe that enters top of the well is 6 inches (15cm). That means the oil flows nearly 4 times faster in the drill pipe than it does in the 21-inch riser-pipe. It does NOT affect Fire-Earth estimate significantly.
Probability of another major disaster occurring in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico between now and December 2011 : >90 percent [Fire-Earth Forecast]
For additional details see Gulf of Mexico: A Waiting Disaster and https://feww.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/fire-earth-forecasts-10-major-oil-spills-to-end-2011/
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Posted in environment, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio, gulf oil spill site | Tagged: BP oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, Oil Leak Estimate | 1 Comment »
Posted by feww on May 9, 2010
BP, has encountered problems with the containment dome while trying to place it on the ruptured wellhead.
BP’s Exploration and Production CEO, Doug Suttles, said the 98-ton steel-and-concrete dome developed a problem [they hadn’t thought about,] forcing the technicians to remove the box as gas hydrates, ice-like crystals, began accumulating inside it clogging its opening.
Gas hydrates are formed when gas and water mix at low temperature and under high pressure on the sea floor. [The ruptured wellhead is located about 1.5km (5,000) feet under water.]
“I wouldn’t say it has failed yet,” said Doug Suttles. “What I would say is what we attempted to do last night didn’t work.”
Meanwhile, the damaged well continues to spew a minimum of 5,000 barrels, possibly up to 25,000 barrels, of crude oil into the Gulf each and every day.
The question many are asking is, what if the spill goes on for any length of time?
FIRE-Earth and EDRO Moderators believe the devastation would be apocalyptic in scale. Below is a brief summary of multiple disasters that you should expect:
Water Quality
The quality of seawater in the Gulf of Mexico would deteriorate rapidly. It would become the most polluted water body in the world in a very short time. The Gulf would become a dead zone, permanently.
Food Production
Most of the marine creatures in the Gulf of Mexico will perish. Any species that might evade death, would be too contaminated for human or animal consumption.
Air Quality
The air quality in the region would worsen dramatically, turning the Gulf states into one of the most polluted regions in the world.
Temperatures
The average temperatures in the region would rise rapidly by 3ºC to as much as 8ºC depending on a number of additional factors.
Life Expectancy
Many people would perish as a result of the pollution caused by the oil leak. Many babies would be born with severe respiratory depression or other serious deformities.
Regional Collapse
Collapse of the Gulf states will begin, as most of the population move away from the Gulf heading in all directions. Civil conflict would erupt.
Collapse of the U.S., Canada and Mexico
The collapse of Gulf states, and other areas on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, would result in large numbers of people moving north and into Canada, with others moving southwest and into Mexico. The next phase in the regional collapse of NAFTA countries, an irreversible downward spiral, would follow.
The Time Scale
Your world could disappear as fast as a flash of lightning!
Recent News Releases:
Tar balls found on Dauphin Island beach. Shoreline assessment teams recovered tar balls Saturday from the beach on Dauphin Island, Ala. The tar balls, ranging in size from dimes to golf balls, were recovered and sent to a lab for further analysis. Deepwater Horizon Response
Press Release: Stop Flights Over Wildlife Refuge. Due to heightened interest in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, media aircraft have been conducting low flights and landings on Breton National Wildlife Refuge’s Chandeleur Islands. These flights and landings threaten the very birds that the media are covering and that the public is concerned about. Federal regulation prohibits flights and landings that disturb wildlife on refuges.
Trajectory Forecast – Mississippi Canyon 252
NOAA/NOS/OR&R Estimate for: 0600 CDT, Tuesday, 5/11/10
Date Prepared: 1200 CDT, Saturday, 5/08/10
This forecast is based on the NWS spot forecast from Saturday, May 8 AM. Currents were obtained from the NOAA Gulf of Mexico, West Florida Shelf/USF, Texas A&M/TGLO, NAVO/NRL models, and HFR measurements. The model was initialized from satellite imagery, analysis provided by NOAA/NESDIS obtained Saturday morning, and Saturday AM overflight observations. The leading edge may contain tarballs that are not readily observable from the imagery (hence not included in the model initialization). NOAA is a U.S. Govt agency and its image and news products are NOT copyrighted. Click image to enlarge.
Oil Leak Forecast
On May 1, 2010, Fire-Earth forecast at least 10 more major oil spills worldwide between May 2010 and December 2011, with the probability of 5 of those events occurring in and around America.
Click image to enlarge. Eighteen days after the Deepwater Horizon accident, an oil slick lingered in the Gulf of Mexico, off the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image on May 8, 2010. Oil is discernible in two areas—a serpentine slick near the Mississippi Delta, and a large round slick south of the Mississippi-Alabama border. Image and caption: NASA E/O. [Edited by Fire-Earth for brevity.] Download large image (823 KB, JPEG).
Florida Class Action Filed in BP Oil Spill Disaster
Gulf Actions Spill Counsel (GASP), a national team of attorneys, allege multiple failures by BP, Halliburton and other Defendants in their lawsuit filed Friday. Similar lawsuits are planned for Texas, Alabama and Mississippi, as the devastation from the oil rig disaster continues to grow.
“Oil continues to flow into the gulf, and with it an environmental nightmare,” said Dr. Howard, who most recently played a leading role in coordinating a national team of more than 40 law firms in the Toyota sudden acceleration lawsuits. “This unmitigated horror threatens to destroy one of the most beautiful marine, coastal and estuarine environments in the world.”
Castro Angle
Fidel Castro, Former Cuban leader, called the ecological disaster caused by the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico a testament to how powerless the governments are against the multinational corporations.
“The ecological disaster which occurred in the Gulf of Mexico shows how little governments can do against those who control financial capital,” Castro said in his article published by Cuban media. “The hateful tyranny imposed on the world.”
Castro said the US and European and multinationals are the powers “who decide the fate of peoples [through] the economy in our globalized world.”
Although President Obama is not responsible for the “current threats to the survival of the human being imposed on the world by imperialism, [he] ignores reality and cannot or does not want to deal with real issues. He lives in a dream world,” Castro said.
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Posted in Deepwater Horizon, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill satellite photo, Gulf of Mexio | Tagged: Collapse of Canada, Collapse of Gulf states, Collapse of the U.S., fidel castro, gulf oil spill | 2 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 7, 2010
Planet Earth was blue, and there’s nothing we can do!
This is Ground Control to Major Tom: We’ve really fucked up, can you go round another hundred thousand times?
Astronaut photograph from May 4 provides a different viewing perspective on the ongoing spill in the Gulf. The image is oblique, meaning that it was taken from a sideways viewing angle from the International Space Station (ISS), rather than from a “straight down” (or nadir) view, which is typical of automated satellite sensors. The view in this image is towards the west; the ISS was located over the eastern edge of the Gulf of Mexico when the image was taken.
The Mississippi River Delta and nearby Louisiana coast (image top) appear dark in the sunglint that illuminates most of the image. Sunglint is caused by sunlight reflecting off the water surface—much like a mirror—directly back towards the astronaut observer on the Space Station. The sunglint improves the identification of the oil spill. Oil on the water smoothes the surface texture, and the mirror-like reflection of the Sun accentuates the difference between the smooth, oil-covered water (dark to light gray ) and the rougher water of the reflective ocean surface (colored silver to white). Wind and water currents patterns have modified the oil spill’s original shape into streamers and elongated masses. Among the coastal ecosystems threatened by the spill are the Chandeleur Islands (image right center). Astronaut photograph ISS023-E-32397. Caption: NASA. [Edited for brevity.]
An aerial view of the oil leaked from the Deepwater Horizon wellhead, May 6, 2010. Handout via Reuters/Daniel Beltra. Click image to enlarge.
Attorneys general from five Gulf coast states have written BP asking the company to explain which claims it will pay from the Gulf oil spill and what its intention are concerning how the payments are made.
Alabama Attorney General Troy King said the five attorneys general were seeking detailed answers about the company’s promise to “pay all necessary and appropriate clean-up costs.”
“We don’t know what is a legitimate claim. That’s lawyer speak at a time when we need straight talk and clear answers,” King told reporters at a news conference.
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Posted in environment, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio | Tagged: Astronaut Photo of Oil Spill, BP oil spill, clean-up costs, Major Tom, space oddity | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on May 4, 2010
It’s very simple. If you care about the people, or respect them as human beings, especially those who enrich you, then you do everything humanly possible to protect them from any harm.
Ultimately, there’s little difference between the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico (and elsewhere) and the Union Carbide catastrophe in Bhopal, India in 1984.
In both cases, the two giant corporations had zero regard for the welfare of local populations, never mind the due diligence, care, respect, even basic human rights—they’re just fancy words.
Environment ranks even lower than do people on the corporate scale.
Take a look at this picture:
Would you do this to the environment, if you cared? Does the underwater jungle of pipelines make you feel any safer or more energy secure? Image source: MMS. Click image to enlarge.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill- Approximate Oil Locations from April 309 – May 4, 2010 including forecast for May 5 based on trajectories and overflight data. Click image to enlarge.
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill- Approximate Oil Locations from April 29 – May 3, 2010 including forecast for May4 based on trajectories and overflight data. Click image to enlarge.
In case you haven’t already heard, BP lawyers and paralegals are knocking on the doors in Alabama trying to hoodwink people to accept a one-time compensation of about $5,000, which they could get if they waved their rights to a class action lawsuit.
“BP oil spill 2010 news is revealing that BP is trying to offer settlements to some residents in Alabama. The BP oil spill is not their accident, according to BP CEO Tony Hayward, and now it appears that they are trying to get Alabama residents to agree to settlements that might be far less than they would get in a law suit. Some of the settlement agreements that BP is shopping around to coastline residents in Alabama stipulate that they will get a one-time payment of up to $5,000 in exchange for the residents giving up the right to sue the company. This could also mean that some of the offers are well below that $5,000 threshold, and it has already angered the Alabama attorney general.” More …
BP employees and contractors in Louisiana are welding together large sheets of metal to build a giant 88-ton funnel which they intend to place above the underwater leaks and use a pipe to channel the gushing oil from the damaged well to collection barges.
Schwarzenegger may not be as suave as the President, but he sure as oil spill is a lot smarter, and knows how catastrophe is spelled when he sees one made earlier. [He knows that California stands to lose more money from an offshore oil disaster, than it would make from the royalties, if the new leases went ahead.]
“It will not happen here in California.” Schwarzenegger said at a press conference. “If I have a choice between the $100 million [for state parks] and what I see in the Gulf of Mexico, I’d rather just figure out how to make up for that $100 million.”
“All of you have seen, when you turn on your televisions, the devastation in the Gulf,” he said. “I’m sure that they were also assured that it is safe to drill.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Schwarzenegger was quoted as saying on Monday, he would mount a vigorous defense of his landmark environmental legislation, vowing to “push back” against “greedy oil companies who want to keep polluting in our state.” [Isn’t this stuff just amazing?]
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Posted in environment, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio | Tagged: Bhopal disaster, BP, BP oil leak, Union Carbide | 11 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 3, 2010
“The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states.
“And it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home.” Mr Obama added.
We know that, Mr President. Why aren’t you doing something about it?
Deepwater Horizon Trajectory Map May 2. Click image to enlarge.
Projected oil trajectory for May 4. Source: NOAA/DOI. Click image to enlarge.
BP’s Mississippi Canyon 252 oil leak- NOAA forecast for location and size of oil spill, May 3. Click image to enlarge.
NEWS and UPDATES:
“NOAA is restricting fishing for a minimum of ten days in federal waters most affected by the BP oil spill, largely between Louisiana state waters at the mouth of the Mississippi River to waters off Florida’s Pensacola Bay. The closure is effective immediately,”the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a statement.
“The scenario is a very grave scenario. You’re looking at potentially 90 days before you ultimately get to what is the ultimate solution.” Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. [Could you say that one more time?]
Gov. Robert Riley has ordered the National Guard to construct barriers against the oil slick drifting toward Alabama because, he said, about 80% of boom laid down off the gulf coast had destroyed by rough seas.
When asked why there was no plan to deal with the disaster at the oil well, BP PLC Chairman Lamar McKay said it “seemed inconceivable” that equipment installed to avert a blowout would fail.
Seafood Quality
“Although crude oil has the potential to taint seafood with flavors and odors caused by exposure to hydrocarbon chemicals, the public should not be concerned about the safety of seafood in the stores at this time.” FDA said in a statement Dated April 30, 2010.
Just How Many Birds Are Out There in the Coastal Marshlands
No one told the birds to stay behind the boom line. Then again, it makes precious little difference because the waves easily push the oil over the boom and deposit the stick stuff on the beaches. Further, Gov. Robert Riley of Alabama says about 80% of boom laid down off the coast have been broken down. Image credit: Sean Gardner/Greenpeace handout/via Reuters. Click image to enlarge.
Oil Stats:
NOAA map of the northern Gulf of Mexico showing about 4,000 active oil and gas platforms (July 2006). Click image to enlarge.
What GOM Oil Sill Looks Like (close up)
Gulf’s crude stream. Image credit: Chris Graythen, Getty Images. Image may be subject to copyright. Click image to enlarge.
Quote for the Day: “Buffett ‘n’ BP”
In the same way the Artifact of America (Oracle of Omaha) is staunchly defending the Wall Street Gangsters, Goldmn Sachs for their self-indulgence, he should defend the pirates of the Gulf, BP, for their greed—Blog reader C.B.
The damage is not just about birds and fish, it’s also about people. —Blog reader KBD
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Posted by feww on May 2, 2010
An image of oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico acquired on 30 Apr 10 at 23:51UTC. Credit CSTARS. Satellite images show the surface area of the oil spill has almost tripled in size in 24 hours. Click image to enlarge.
Mississippi Canyon 252- NOAA forecast for oil spill location and size. Click image to enlarge.
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Posted in gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio, LOUISIANA COAST, Louisiana oil spill | Tagged: block 252, LOUISIANA COAST OIL Spill, oil spill gulf of mexico 2010, ruptured oil well, underwater landslide | 8 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 2, 2010
On April 30 Fire-Earth Forecast:
Now:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has determined that deteriorating conditions on the sea bed may result in an even greater flow of 50,000 barrels a day, which would result in America’s worst ecological disaster ever.
Professor Ian MacDonald, an ocean specialist at Florida State University, believes that the leak from the ruptured well has already spewed 9m gallons of heavy crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
NOTE: The Exxon Valdez oil spill, which occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, is thought to be one of the worst human-caused environmental disasters ever. The tanker spilled about 10.8 million gallons (about 41 million litres) of crude oil into the water, covering an arae of about 3,400 sq km (1,300) square miles with its load of Prudhoe Bay crude.
The effects of the spill is still felt today, some 21 years later. there is a marked reduction in the population of various marine animals, including sea otters, pink salmon, ducks and many others.
Oil Slick Near Mississippi Delta
The oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico lingered near the Mississippi Delta on May 1, 2010. MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this natural-color image the same day. The oil slick appears as a tangle of dull gray on the ocean surface, made visible to the satellite sensor by the Sun’s reflection on the ocean surface. Most of the oil slick occurs southeast of the Mississippi Delta. Image and caption: NASA [Caption Edited for brevity by Fire-Earth] – Download large image (2 MB, JPEG)
On April 29 Fire-earth also forecast:
and
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Posted in Exxon Valdez, Exxon Valdez Disaster, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio | Tagged: BP, disasters in 2010, exxon valdez oil spill, oil spill gulf of mexico 2010 satellite, Professor Ian MacDonald | 5 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 1, 2010
Image of the Day:
Freeze frame from a Reuters news video. Feel free to print the photo and send as postcard to the BP CEO:
Tony Hayward, CEO
BP Plc
International Headquarters
1 St James’s Square
London, SW1Y 4PD
UK
Feel free also to use strong language to describe your emotions to Mr Hayward …
Don’t forget to send copies of the photo to those of the lawmakers who pandered to the wishes of the Oil Lobby, allowing their clients to operate without an essential safety feature, a sonar device that is deployed at drilling cites as a last resort to shut down the flow of oil from an underwater well. While the law in Brazil and Norway requires oil companies to deploy such devices near the oil well; the law in the US does not require oil companies to operate one.
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Posted in Deepwater Horizon, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio, Oil Disasters | Tagged: BP oil leak, BP oil spill, BP PLC, Louisiana coastline, louisiana sunset, Tony Hayward | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on May 1, 2010
Let us be clear, Mr President: Has it ever occurred to you that the people who are ‘securing’ our energy are cheats, liars and corporate profiteers?
The oil well 41 miles offshore is leaking an estimated 5,000 barrels (about 210,000 gallons, or 795,000 liters) of crude oil per day, into the gulf, according to the officials.
Fire Earth estimate is closer to 8,000bpd because that’s how much oil the well was producing before the blow-out.
Waves deposit oil on Louisiana beaches, unimpressed by booms deployed along the coastline, Thursday, April 29. The underwater well about 41 miles SE of Louisiana was damaged after a blowout which caused its drilling platform, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, to explode, burn out and sink. Photo Credit: Liz Condo/Ap. Image may be subject to copyright.
It would take about 2 to 3 months to drill a relief well that would allow plugging the damaged well on the sea floor which is gushing crude some 1.5 km (5,000 feet) below the surface. All activities at that depth can only be performed by remote control devices.
It has been revealed that British Petroleum downplayed the probability of a blow-out at the leaking well which caused the offshore rig Deepwater Horizon to explode, leaking what is by now at least 2.3 million [Fire-Earth estimate] gallons of crude oil in to the Gulf.
In its environmental impact analysis, BP repeatedly suggested that it was virtually impossible for an accident to occur that would be serious enough to damage the coastal areas or harm the marine species mammals and fisheries.
Worse than that, the BP’s plan for the Deepwater Horizon well was approved by the federal Minerals Management Service. The plan which was filed in February 2009, repeatedly states that it would be “unlikely that an accidental surface or subsurface oil spill would occur from the proposed activities.”
Where the company conceded that a spill might “cause impacts” to the coastal areas, marine animals and wildlife refuges, it down plays the impact saying, “due to the distance to shore (41 miles) and the response capabilities that would be implemented, no significant adverse impacts are expected.”
“Clearly, the sort of occurrence that we’ve seen on the Deepwater Horizon is clearly unprecedented,” BP spokesman David Nicholas told The Associated Press on Friday. “It’s something that we have not experienced before … a blowout at this depth.”
How can BP, the oil behemoth with 101 years of drilling experience in every nook and cranny in the world, cite this level of ignorance as a credible excuse?
What about the Minerals Management Service? Surely, they should have been aware of the blowouts in the Gulf.
“According to a 2007 study by the federal Minerals Management Service, which examined the 39 rig blowouts in the Gulf of Mexico between 1992 and 2006, cementing was a contributing factor in 18 of the incidents. In all the cases, gas seepage occurred during or after cementing of the well casing, the MMS said.” AP reported.
Perhaps an MMS spokesman could clarify this: Why in the Gulf did they allow BP to go ahead and drill the well without a control plan, and in the absence of safety checks and emergency procedures?
More Terrifying Stats and Findings :
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What Others Say [FEWW Selection]
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Posted in Deepwater Horizon, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio, Minerals Management Service | Tagged: blowouts in the Gulf, BP, BP environmental impact analysis, John Maynard Keynes, Obama's energy security | 9 Comments »
Posted by feww on May 1, 2010
[NOTE: Each of the forecast leaks/spills would probably involve more than one oil company, due to the makeup of their contracts. However, the major parties involved would be Exxon (1-2 incidents), BP (1-2), chevron (1) others (1).]
Variables used in the calculations:
A Representative List of Recent Oil Spills:
More Links to Recent Oil Disasters
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Posted in Deepwater Horizon, environment, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio | Tagged: Cataclysmic Oil Spill, exxon valdez oil spill, offshore Drilling, oil drilling, oil leak | 6 Comments »
Posted by feww on April 30, 2010
“I am frightened. This is a very, very big thing. And the efforts that are going to be required to do anything about it, especially if it continues on, are just mind-boggling.”
The oil slick is threatening hundreds of species of fish, marine animals, birds and other wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico and on the shorelines of the Gulf States.
The crude oil spill also threatens the livelihood of many million of people directly and indirectly. The Gulf Coast is one of the planet’s richest seafood grounds for oysters, shrimps and many other marine species.
Cade Thomas, a fishing guide in Venice, whose livelihood depends on oil-free waters, said he was not sure who the blame, the Coast Guard, the federal government or BP, the oil company who owns the well.
“They lied to us. They came out and said it was leaking 1,000 barrels when I think they knew it was more. And they weren’t proactive. As soon as it blew up, they should have started wrapping it with booms.” He said.
Meanwhile, Bubbly Jindal, Louisiana Gov., declared a state of emergency on Thursday.
Top two images were released by NOAA. Click images to enlarge.
The above image is licensed under Creative Commons. Source: uscgd8’s photostream.
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Posted by feww on April 30, 2010
Image of the day:
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Posted by feww on April 30, 2010
Gulf Oil Spill Creeps Towards Mississippi Delta
The massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico continued spreading on April 29, 2010, moving perilously close to shore, according to news reports. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured a natural-color image of the oil slick just off the Louisiana coast. The oil slick appears as dull gray interlocking comma shapes, one opaque and the other nearly transparent. The northwestern tip of the oil slick almost touches the Mississippi Delta. Sunglint—the mirror-like reflection of the Sun off the water—enchances the oil slick’s visibility. Image and caption: NASA [Edited by Fire-Earth for brevity.]
Download large image (4 MB, JPEG)
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Posted in environment, gulf of mexico oil leak, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio | Tagged: Louisiana oil spill, Oil Leak Modis images, Oil Leak Satellite photos, oil spill disaster, Yin and Yang | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on April 29, 2010
The Gulf of Mexico nightmare enters a new phase—the first stage in the collapse of the Gulf states may have begun.
BP Plc, the legal owner of the leaking well, informed the US officials that it has discovered a new leak on the on the offshore well off Louisiana coat, U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry said.
“BP has just briefed me of a new location of an additional breach in the riser of the deep underwater well,” Landry said.
The new estimate of 5,000bpd, most probably an under estimate, judging by the initial amount of crude oil the ocean floor well was producing, is 5 times as much as the previous estimate.
[Note: The true estimate for the leak may be as much as 8,000 barrels of crude oil per day, or more, which is how much the well was producing before the rig blew up!]
“We have urged BP to leverage additional assets,” Landry said, adding that President B.O. had been briefed on the new phase in the growing disaster.
The growing oil slick, now boosted by at least 5 times as much crude oil leaking from the underwater well, threatens marine life, coastal wildlife refuges, coastal fishing and sea food industries, beaches and estuaries in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida, as well as the livelihood of at least 1 million people in those states DIRECTLY, and up to 20 million other people indirectly.
What People Are Saying
“Tarballs and emulsified oil streamers could reach the Mississippi Delta region late on Friday, said Charlie Henry, an expert with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” Reuters reported.
“By Wednesday afternoon, the edge of the spill was 23 miles off the Louisiana coast, near fragile estuaries and swamps teeming with birds and other wildlife. A shift in winds could push the spill inland to the Louisiana coast by this weekend, according to forecasters at AccuWeather.” Reuters said.
“We’re sitting here half praying and half with our fingers, toes and everything else crossed,” Byron Encalade, president of the Louisiana Oysterman Association in Pointe A La Hache, was reported as saying.
“This brings home the issue that drilling despite all the advancements in technology is still a risky business,” said Athan Manuel of the Sierra Club.
This is, of course, a nightmarish trade-off between the lesser of the two evils, burning thousands of barrels of crude oil, a smaller disaster, to prevent a much greater disaster of coastal pollution.
Imagine all of those other places out there in the universe somewhere, where they don’t have to make such decisions because their lifestyles are much less energy intensive, unlike this human wonderland, and the inhabitants have a direct say in the decision-making process.
Note: NOAA estimate was prepared before the new leak was reported, and therefore does NOT take into account the additional volume of crude that is leaking into the Gulf.
Photo Source: The Minerals Management Service. Click image to enlarge.
Source. Creative Commons license. Click image to enlarge.
Windrows of emulsified oil (bright orange) sprayed w/dispersant. Photo taken as part of an aerial observation overflight. Photo credit NOAA. Click image to enlarge.
Clean-up crews have started “a test burn” in an area some 50km (30 miles ) east of the Mississippi River delta to gauge the viability of the technique, AP reported.
The burn-off “solution” became do-able after the BP failed to stop the massive a 1,000bpd crude leak from two holes in the oil well.
“A 500ft boom was being used to hold several thousand gallons of the thickest oil on the surface, which will then be towed to a more remote area, set on fire, and allowed to burn for about an hour.” AP reported.
Should the test burn prove successful, BP could continue with the blaze, one way or another, weather permitting.
As of now, at least 1,000bpd 5,000bpd (about 210,000 gallons, 800,000 liters per day), most probably 8,000bpd (about 336,000 gallons, or 1.3 million liters per day), of the really nasty, gooey crude oil is leaking into the Gulf of Mexico.
The damaged well which was being drilled by the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, before it blew up killing 11 rig crew members (their bodies are missing, but they are legally presumed dead) is leaking from two different openings.
Although the cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, what is clear is that each and every control and safety mechanism that BP (and the gang) had or should have put in place to prevent such disasters didn’t work or weren’t there.
“Authorities also said they expected minimal impact on sea turtles and marine mammals in the burn area.” AP reported, forgetting to state whether they had interviewed any of the numerous species who live locally.
NOTE: The Exxon Valdez oil spill, which occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24, 1989, is thought to be one of the worst human-caused environmental disasters ever. The tanker spilled about 10.8 million gallons (about 41 million litres) of crude oil into the water, covering an arae of about 3,400 sq km (1,300) square miles with its load of Prudhoe Bay crude.
The effects of the spill is still felt today, some 21 years later. there is a marked reduction in the population of various marine animals, including sea otters, pink salmon, ducks and many others.
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Posted in Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico oil Spill, Gulf of Mexio, Oil Rig Disaster, oil spill size | Tagged: BP, exxon valdez oil spill, lon:bp, oil spill gulf of mexico 2010, Prudhoe Bay, Transocean | 15 Comments »
Posted by feww on April 27, 2010
BP Map of northern section of Gulf of Mexico. Approximate location of the oil slick marked by Fire-Earth. Click image to enlarge.
Facts, Near Facts, Diluted Facts …
Download large image (2 MB, JPEG) – acquired April 25, 2010
Download large image (4 MB, JPEG) – The above images of the affected area were captured on April 25 by MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite (top, wider view) and the ALI on NASA’s Earth EO-1 satellite (bottom, close up). In the top image, the Mississippi Delta is at image center, and the oil slick is a silvery swirl to the right. The oil slick may be particularly obvious because it is occurring in the sunglint area, where the mirror-like reflection of the Sun off the water gives the Gulf of Mexico a washed-out look. The close-up view shows waves on the water surface as well as ships, presumably involved in the clean up and control activities. [Note the oil spill is now larger by at least 2,500 barrels since the above images were acquired.] Image and caption: NASA [Edited for brevity by Fire-Earth.]
Current location of oil sheen according to Unified command graphic (DATE: April 26, 2010 18:34:16 EST)
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Posted in Gulf of Mexio, Oil leak, oil slick satellite photo | Tagged: BP Oil, Deepwater Horizon, Gulf of Mexico Exploration, LOUISIANA COAST, Transocean | 6 Comments »
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