gulf of mexico oil spill

Like rumours of Mark Twain's death, the claims of the disappearance of BP's oil spill have been greatly exagerated. From the Times-Picyune of New Orleans. Additional photos here. These pictures are only a few days old. Watch/Listen/Read this interview from DemocracyNow! as well: we hear that five million barrels of oil were released from the Macondo well. We know that [ 362] miles were oiled in four states, 400 species of animals threatened from this, 400 controlled burns that killed hundreds of sea turtles and untold numbers of dolphins and sea mammals. We're told that it's over, that…

Corexit was a big news topic at the beginning of this tragic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the gulf of Mexico but it seems little talked about now. There is no question that BP's calculation in its decision to use so much of this toxic chemical prioritizes the cosmetics of the situation over ecological impact and the health of cleanup crews. So much more important is PR that BP has not just refused to provide respirators to displaced fisherman labour crews, they threaten them with firing if they use their own!. They don't care where the oil-dispersant mixture goes or what it harms as long…

We tend to give crakar a hard time around here, but via email he has offered us something for which we should all be grateful, and that is new hope for controlling the unfolding BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. In the spirit of pictures being worth many words, I leave it at this: [Update: BP has responded that according to their cost-benefit analysis, only one paper clip is indicated and it is their decision to go with that. "who cares, it's done, end of story, will probably be fine" said BP upper management.] [Update 2: McGiver MacGyver has come out strongly against this new…

I am not an expert in oil field engineering. But I can smell bullshit. So I am sad to confess that at this moment I am putting more faith in an anonymous poster at the Oil Drum whom I have never heard of before than I am in any mainstream reporting I have come across. His lengthy and compelling comment is here. What he says makes sense to my untrained ears and at the very least the "supplementary material" he links to is very informative. The synopsis goes something like this (from memory): the well is damaged below the sea floor erosion from oil and gas flowing outside the well casing…

There remain more questions than answers at this point, but the BP spin from yesterday that "Top Kill" was working appears to have been a falsehood. BP is not the right source for what the actual data from the well head means, but unfortunately they are the only source of said data. I would like to offer interested readers a couple of better sources of technical information. This is the live feed from 5000 ft below the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently what this is showing now (11:02 AM Pacific time) is alot of drilling mud being ejected. This mud is what is intended to counteract the upward…