I have some actual experience with the gulf region water (spill area) questions

[Howard]

Back in 1998, and 99, I was part of a group of La science teachers that did various forms of analysis on the bayou water and esturary system
http://www.nicholls.edu/phsc/lasip/98/default.htm
My name is Howard White and you can see my my LaSIP publication and profile on the web site.

I also worked for Ashland oil in R&D for a couple years back before I started teaching.
If you want some straight info without media or political spin, , feel free to ask

[Eyeball Chambers]

Schmoe...

[Howard]

Schmoe...

wtf? do you have a question? I don't get your crack for THIS post.

[Eyeball Chambers]

Schmoe

[chaos]

Schmoe

Howie......the argument back and forth I've seen is about clouds of oil suspended in the water, is this true or not?

[Howard]

Howie......the argument back and forth I've seen is about clouds of oil suspended in the water, is this true or not?

yes, due to the dispersant used by BP in bonds with the oil and breaks it down to smaller particles.This increases the denisty and bonding properties of the oil and why they can from giant plumes or cliuds below the surface swept along via the Gulf stream currents.

[Tapeworm]

Howard, why didn't BP just put a big-assed bell over the top of the leak, with a pipe on it or even under it, and pump that shit to the surface and into a tanker at the same rate it's venting out?  I haven't really followed the story but this seems like the obvious solution.

[Coach is Back!]

Schmoe...

LOL

[sync pulse]

Back in 1998, and 99, I was part of a group of La science teachers that did various forms of analysis on the bayou water and esturary system
http://www.nicholls.edu/phsc/lasip/98/default.htm
My name is Howard White and you can see my my LaSIP publication and profile on the web site.

I also worked for Ashland oil in R&D for a couple years back before I started teaching.
If you want some straight info without media or political spin, , feel free to ask

I have been following the exploits of your brother in Albuquerque...

[240 is Back]

.

[ThaRealist]

Alright Howard, rough guesstimate how will this oil spill effect the gulf coast over the next 5 years??? I am asking, because I live right on the gulf

[clued-up]

Howard, why didn't BP just put a big-assed bell over the top of the leak, with a pipe on it or even under it, and pump that shit to the surface and into a tanker at the same rate it's venting out?  I haven't really followed the story but this seems like the obvious solution.

Yeah, why didn't they do that? Maybe that would prevent BP from working on the rig.. which they would like to salvage. Stopping the leak sooner, rather than later.. and the effect this has on the environment doesn’t seem to be their main concern.

[Howard]

I have been following the exploits of your brother in Albuquerque...

Now THAT is a funny reply 

[Howard]

Howard, why didn't BP just put a big-assed bell over the top of the leak, with a pipe on it or even under it, and pump that shit to the surface and into a tanker at the same rate it's venting out?  I haven't really followed the story but this seems like the obvious solution.

That is what they first tried, and it failed. why?
1. At that depth the cold temp and high pressure made pockets of crystals called hydrates, so, it froze up

Simple example - ever seen spray can stream " freeze up" and clog at the nozzle?
As the spray gooes from high pressure and blows out the nozzle it spreads out. This causes a drop in pressure and temp and the mist begins to get like slushy as a result and clogs the nozzle.

[Howard]

Alright Howard, rough guesstimate how will this oil spill effect the gulf coast over the next 5 years??? I am asking, because I live right on the gulf

I lived and worked in southern La for many yrs.
La is going to get hit the worst in terms of economics.
The fishing, shrimping, oyster industries are going to be destroyed considering this leak cotinues to spill at a rate of 9 gal per sec.
All the local resturants will suffer along with anything related to Bayou, wetland tourism.
The oil industry won't be able to drill off shore and THOUSANDS of oil industry workers will be laid off for who knows how long.
La schools actually get some income from oil revenue tax, so they will be hurt some.

Miss and AL gulfcoast will lose shrimping and fishing and may see a big drop in casino business in Biloxi, Gulfport.

The FL Pan handle ( Pannama City beach, Pennsacola, Destin ) will go bust this summer in terms of tourism but may rebound quickly depending on the the amount of oil spilled

[Red Hook]

1. This spill will cost the tax payers 10 of billions when it is all said and done.  Would you be in favor of passing some kind of legislation to garnish/tax BP a percentage of their earnings until the cost is covered?

It would be unfair for them to go back to business as usual and generate huge profits while the tax payers are left to pay the bill.

2. The economic and environmental impact of this thing is so massive that it is almost beyond comprehension. Would you be in favor pf forcing the oil companies into creating a sort of escrow fund against future damage?

[ThaRealist]

1. This spill will cost the tax payers 10 of billions when it is all said and done.  Would you be in favor of passing some kind of legislation to garnish/tax BP a percentage of their earnings until the cost is covered?

It would be unfair for them to go back to business as usual and generate huge profits while the tax payers are left to pay the bill.

2. The economic and environmental impact of this thing is so massive that it is almost beyond comprehension. Would you be in favor pf forcing the oil companies into creating a sort of escrow fund against future damage?

How come the Saudi's can get it cleaned up and BP can't???

[Tapeworm]

That is what they first tried, and it failed. why?
1. At that depth the cold temp and high pressure made pockets of crystals called hydrates, so, it froze up

Simple example - ever seen spray can stream " freeze up" and clog at the nozzle?
As the spray gooes from high pressure and blows out the nozzle it spreads out. This causes a drop in pressure and temp and the mist begins to get like slushy as a result and clogs the nozzle.

So seawater mixed with the oil froze up and clogged the extraction tube?  Presumably this didn't happen just at the outlet since they could just stop the pump, lop it off and slap a new one on, or heat the hell out of it, pump into a pressurized vat, etc.  So it happened inside the tube as the pressure decreased on the way up?  Water won't turn to ice below freezing point, so is there not a pressure they could maintain inside the tube above which ice won't form, simply by reducing the outlet's size?  

Surely you don't mean things were icing over at the outlet like your spray can analogy?  Hard to believe they couldn't manage someting so accessible.

Clearly, BP needs to hire me.

[nder98]

How come the Saudi's can get it cleaned up and BP can't???

Or better yet we can land a fucking little remote control car on Mars 3 million miles away, drive the thing and we cant cap a oil leak under 5000 feet of water.

[ShipSekki]

 Do yall in Lousiana fuck your sisters and bite the heads of crawdads every day? Or just on special occasions?

 What do you think of those white towns out there where you still see nooses hanging off trees to make a statement?

 The South..... fuck them.

[ThaRealist]

Do yall in Lousiana fuck your sisters and bite the heads of crawdads every day? Or just on special occasions?

 What do you think of those white towns out there where you still see nooses hanging off trees to make a statement?

 The South..... fuck them.

I not originally from the south, but you prove to me everyday how much of an idiot you are

[leadhead]

Do yall in Lousiana fuck your sisters and bite the heads of crawdads every day? Or just on special occasions?

 What do you think of those white towns out there where you still see nooses hanging off trees to make a statement?

 The South..... fuck them.

Says the twink who chose to move to some rat hole Asian country and live in a matchbox called an apartment over there . The South is head and shoulders above your country you reside in.....

[ToxicAvenger]

If you want some straight info without media or political spin, , feel free to ask

1)why dont they just blow it up....collapsing the "vent" and hence shutting off the oil?
2) how long does it take for crude oil to naturally breakdown into non toxic stuff (hydrocarbons??)?
3) who dont they just burn off the oil on the waters surface?
4) the pressure of the water on top of the "vent" must be great. do they know long before the pressure exerted upwards from the gushing oil equals the downward pressure of the water column above and the vent naturally stops spewing oil?
5) i'm hearing all this stuff about ice formation...if i remember my chemisty correct (boyles law) then ice should not form under those immense pressures...so what gives?
thankyou in advance

[Howard]

1. This spill will cost the tax payers 10 of billions when it is all said and done.  Would you be in favor of passing some kind of legislation to garnish/tax BP a percentage of their earnings until the cost is covered?

It would be unfair for them to go back to business as usual and generate huge profits while the tax payers are left to pay the bill.

2. The economic and environmental impact of this thing is so massive that it is almost beyond comprehension. Would you be in favor pf forcing the oil companies into creating a sort of escrow fund against future damage?

1st off the current attempt at Criminal charges against BP via the Atty Gen is a good start.

[Howard]

So seawater mixed with the oil froze up and clogged the extraction tube?  Presumably this didn't happen just at the outlet since they could just stop the pump, lop it off and slap a new one on, or heat the hell out of it, pump into a pressurized vat, etc.  So it happened inside the tube as the pressure decreased on the way up?  Water won't turn to ice below freezing point, so is there not a pressure they could maintain inside the tube above which ice won't form, simply by reducing the outlet's size?  

Surely you don't mean things were icing over at the outlet like your spray can analogy?  Hard to believe they couldn't manage someting so accessible.

Clearly, BP needs to hire me.

From what actual facts I could get, this crystal formation and clog happened within the original containment dome, so the gas/oil mixture was allowed to spread and may have caused this effect? The current effort will use a dome structure with methanol injected in it to prohibit this.
Presss and Temp changes this drastic can alter moecular formation. I worked with Dr Sweeny at UNO in the summer of '92 as  a lab asst, and he was able to get noble gases to react at very low temps , around 8 K ( - 269 celecius)