BP of A?????

[Krom]

... else this sensationalistic reporting is by design...
I'm shocked.

Don't be. It is completely by design, the mainstream press in the US is entirely in the entertainment business and has been for a long time now.

[Will Robinson]

... else this sensationalistic reporting is by design...
I'm shocked.

Don't be. It is completely by design, the mainstream press in the US is entirely in the entertainment business and has been for a long time now.

Absolutely and one day anthropologists and historians will note that transition as the straw that broke the back of what once promised to be the greatest society man had ever formed. Some kid on the first Chinese lunar campus will write a 5th grade Social Studies paper debating if it was the cause or effect....

[Tunnelcat]

So what I don't get TC, that after 80+ days and now when it looks like a real cap may work, people in charge are suddenly worried about the "cork" causing pressure faults to materialize elsewhere in the ground and thus the cap should not be finalized? No one did these geologic analysis earlier on? No wonder it seems like clowns are in charge.

I think that they are really worried that some type of damage was done to the well casing or cementing during the accident. It would be a worse case scenario of they shut down the oil flow, even slowly, and it started leaking out of the rock structure on the sea bed. There'd be LOTS of little leaks. The bottom kill wells they are drilling would be for nothing in that case. There would be no way to stop it at that point. It would leak until the oil reservoir emptied out completely.

I have another theory here, perhaps dissent can tell me. Maybe BP WANTS to keep that well open and producing oil after they get the new cap on to make back some profit. The well's already drilled, convenient, and if they can control the leaks, I wouldn't put it past them.

Ooooh, it gets better with BP! ThunderBunny will love this one! Terrorists for Oil! Who says corporations aren't evil and that they don't influence governments.

Blood Money

More

[dissent]

I have another theory here, perhaps dissent can tell me. Maybe BP WANTS to keep that well open and producing oil after they get the new cap on to make back some profit. The well's already drilled, convenient, and if they can control the leaks, I wouldn't put it past them.

As I understand it, they've just shut in the well and are doing a 48-hour pressure test. After they've completed this, I think they very well might resume production to the existing facilities they have on the surface. However, this is only until they are ready to complete the final well bottom kill, which may well take a few more weeks. As it is, BP is already committed to spending the money from Macondo on GoM restoration, after, of course, the Feds take their royalty cut. So no, I don't expect BP to be getting rich off of MC-252.

[Tunnelcat]

I didn't say get rich, only cut their losses. It would be tempting if they got control of the well. There IS oil down there after all and quite a bit of it too, although a big chunk of it has already leaked into the Gulf.

[dissent]

Blood Money

More

from your last link -

A statement from BP said: “It is matter of public record that in late 2007 BP told the U.K. Government that we were concerned about the slow progress that was being made in concluding a Prisoner Transfer Agreement with Libya.

“We were aware that this could have a negative impact on U.K. commercial interests, including the ratification by the Libyan Government of BP's exploration agreement.

“The decision to release Mr. al Megrahi in August 2009 was taken by the Scottish Government.

“It’s not for BP to comment on the decision of the Scottish Government. BP was not involved in any discussions with the U.K. Government or the Scottish Government about the release of Mr. al Megrahi.”

Sir Nigel Sheinwald, British Ambassador to the U.S., said in a statement that Megrahi was not released in an oil deal.

"Claims in the press that Megrahi was released because of an oil deal involving BP, and that the medical evidence used by the Scottish Executive supporting his release was paid for by the Libyan government, are not true," the statement said.

At a news conference the senators -- Democrats Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer of New York and Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez of New Jersey -- demanded BP suspend its oil drilling plans in Libya until it can be determined whether the oil giant played any role in al Megrahi's release in exchange for a contract.

TC, do you really want to rely on election year political grandstanding by bottomfeeders Schumer et.al. to construct a conspiracy theory???

[dissent]

I didn't say get rich, only cut their losses. It would be tempting if they got control of the well. There IS oil down there after all and quite a bit of it too, although a big chunk of it has already leaked into the Gulf.

As I said upthread some time ago, I'd be very surprised if BP went into any long term attempt to produce from this well. I fully expect them to try to plug it.

I seem to recall that the estimate of the reserves there was in the 50 to 100 million barrel range. Estimates of the leakage are in the couple million barrel range, so most of the reserves are still in the resevoir.

[Tunnelcat]

Capped Thank God and I hope it stays that way!

dissent, maybe it is election year posturing, maybe not, but I do find it interesting that BP has enough influence in the U.K. government to press for the release a bunch of Libyan political prisoners, all for the purpose of speeding up their access to Libyan oil reserves. As it went down, it juuuuuuuust happens the terrorist, Megrahi, is included in the bunch released. Oh and how convenient that he was released on humanitarian terms because of his poor health and impending death with a less than 3 month life expectancy, and SURPRISE, he seems in very good health now and may possibly live for 10 more years. Yeah, suuuuuuuuuure! The bastard should have rotted in jail for the deaths of those 270 people!

[AlphaDoG]

Shouldn't the topic read BP of L?

[Tunnelcat]

Now BP is buying up as many scientists as they can, all in a desperate effort to keep from paying the full cost of this whole mess. If the government can't get any Gulf Coast regional scientific specialists to testify against BP about the damage to the Gulf from the oil and dispersant, then BP won't have to pay as much damages from future lawsuits.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/ ... 4607.shtml

Speaking of damages, you just know BP doesn't want to open up the well and collect oil because then the flow rate from the well could be determined and a more accurate total estimate of oil that has already leaked could be calculated, which would be almost guaranteed to be far MORE than BP has guesstimated from the beginning.

If these greedy bastards had just spent all those millions of dollars that have gone into self-image buffing TV ads and paying off people, a lot of Gulf Coast people would have better compensation for the loss of their livelihoods.

[dissent]

Now BP is buying up as many scientists as they can, all in a desperate effort to keep from paying the full cost of this whole mess. If the government can't get any Gulf Coast regional scientific specialists to testify against BP about the damage to the Gulf from the oil and dispersant, then BP won't have to pay as much damages from future lawsuits.

This whole conspiracy scenario is ridiculous on it's face. BP would have to "buy up" every scientist on the planet for this conspiracy to work. I had no idea that only scientists in schools in the Gulf states were the ONLY ones who were doing any research work in the GoM.

But hey, since we're in crazy conspiracy land, what about the coming apocolyse of the GIANT METHANE BUBBLE FROM THE DEEP!!!!!
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6771#comment-686085
that links an absolutely dreadful (or hysterical, depending on your mood) article by Terrence Aym.

Follow the links therein to get a grasp of how plain silly some of this stuff is. (for example, this one).


R-squared comments on Matt Simmons credibility -
http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/201 ... -credible/


In other words, relax people. You're still gonna need to get up tomorrow and mow the lawn or clean the toilets.

[Spidey]

In other words, relax people. You're still gonna need to get up tomorrow and mow the lawn or clean the toilets.

And the beaches…

[Tunnelcat]

OK dissent, how about this one, BP is killing off wild horses in order to get access to oil leases on public lands.

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/101/439/ ... eases.html

[Heretic]

So you not buying the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's take on the round up where the will be fed cared for and put up for adoption.

Here you can adopt on yourself. This has been happening for awhile now. So why are we believing in blogs a legit news sources.

https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/

[d3jake]

This whole conspiracy scenario is ridiculous on it's face.

Although I agree with the concept of trying to get all independently thinking scientists under agreements not to testify against BP, I find it hard to argue that BP will not try to skate on fines\\fees\\settlements that they'll owe. Exxon was able to get out from under paying a majority of what they were fined though constant litigation. I'm willing to bet $10 that BP will do exactly the same thing to keep from having to pay all of what they're liable for.

[dissent]

OK dissent, how about this one, BP is killing off wild horses in order to get access to oil leases on public lands.

http://beforeitsnews.com/story/101/439/ ... eases.html

I was going to say that wild horses couldn't drag me into this discussion, but .......

I clicked on the video link at the bottom; listened to the first five minutes or so. So who the heck is the ATS News Service? And who were the two talking heads on camera? I guess until I know who they are so that I can try to assess their qualifications to make the numerous allegations that they make every thirty seconds in this "report", I'll have to withhold judgement. Since the banner on the ATS web site lists their categories of reports as World, U.S., Conspiracy, UFO, Economy, Political, Science and Paranormal, I have my doubts as to their level of objectivity.

Oh yeah, and it sounds like the BLM is the one who is actually "pulling the trigger", and that the wild horse management program has been in existance for some time.

I guess "BP" and "killing" in close proximity in a headline gets you more mouse clicks.


http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_h ... burro.html

The BLM estimates that more than 38,000 wild horses and burros are roaming on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states. Wild horse herd sizes can double about every four years. As a result, the agency must remove thousands of animals from the range each year to control population.

[Tunnelcat]

Well, I guess that fits in with my 'BP of A' crack then. The BLM needs to cull the wild horse and burro populations anyway, so the government will just do the oil companies a huge favor and get rid of a few excess animals to clear the way for some more lucrative oil leases. Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, grease my pockets, I'll grease yours.

And I didn't know a private company could even DO this one, and this is NOT a joke, actually send someone to Siberia!!!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010 ... -oil-spill

[AlphaDoG]

Well, I guess that fits in with my 'BP of A' crack then. The BLM needs to cull the wild horse and burro populations anyway, so the government will just do the oil companies a huge favor and get rid of a few excess animals to clear the way for some more lucrative oil leases. Scratch my back and I'll scratch yours, grease my pockets, I'll grease yours.

And I didn't know a private company could even DO this one, and this is NOT a joke, actually send someone to Siberia!!!!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010 ... -oil-spill

OMFG AHAHAHAHAH!

[woodchip]

Speaking of damages, you just know BP doesn't want to open up the well and collect oil because then the flow rate from the well could be determined and a more accurate total estimate of oil that has already leaked could be calculated, which would be almost guaranteed to be far MORE than BP has guesstimated from the beginning.

wouldn't those flow rate figures be available from before the accident?

[dissent]

wouldn't those flow rate figures be available from before the accident?

No.

A quote from "Rockman" on today's TOD thread on the spill sums it up

ROCKMAN on July 27, 2010 - 10:32am
102 -- We were actually talking about a flow rate BP might have measured before the blow out. Such data would have given a little basis for some modeling but I doubt anyone could have taken that data and given even a rough estimate of how much the well was flowing before the recent capping effort. The well isn't completed in a conventional manner so it would be very difficult to make an estimate. And even if you did you couldn't reasonable argue the rate has been higher/lower since the initial wild flow began IMHO.

If it were easy to figure this out, it would have been done already. We know it was something over 25000 bpd, since it was still leaking oil when this much was going to the pre-cap containment efforts. The substantial gas component further complicates getting an accurate value for oil flow.

[woodchip]

So Dissent, you are saying the gas mixed in with the oil is what make measuring the true flow of actual oil so hard to measure? In short, what looks like oil spewing forth is really a carbonated soda pop colored by a caramel (oil) additive?

[dissent]

So Dissent, you are saying the gas mixed in with the oil is what make measuring the true flow of actual oil so hard to measure?

It was one of several factors. The condition of the BOP was another factor, the kinked riser pipe on top of the BOP, before they cut it off, was another factor, etc. etc. etc.

[AlphaDoG]

Gulf flow has stopped, but where's the oil?

BP Oil Spill: Clean-Up Crews Can't Find Crude in the Gulf

IMO The Earth has been and always will be self-correcting.

[dissent]

Gulf flow has stopped, but where's the oil?

There's a horror movie in there somewhere.

Or an Oliver Stone movie ..... oh, but I repeat myself.

[woodchip]

Just can't win:

NEW ORLEANS – A barge slammed into an abandoned well in a coastal inlet early Tuesday, sending a shower of water, natural gas and oil spewing about 100 feet into the air.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100727/ap_ ... l_accident

[d3jake]

IMO The Earth has been and always will be self-correcting.

Yeap, eventually we're going to fark up so bad we're wiped out. That or some natural process will take care of that for us. Either way, we're SOL.

[dissent]

Oh wow, is the \"THE GULF WILL BE DEAD FOR DECADES\" meme now dying itself in our vaunted press -

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... -2,00.html , and

http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/07/29/ ... d=yahoo_hs

LOL. the media begins to walk back its own hysteria.
Say, how's that humble pie tastin' there, Matt Simmons and all his slobbering acolytes?

[woodchip]

Oh wow, is the "THE GULF WILL BE DEAD FOR DECADES" meme now dying itself in our vaunted press -

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article ... -2,00.html , and

http://blogs.wsj.com/source/2010/07/29/ ... d=yahoo_hs

LOL. the media begins to walk back its own hysteria.
Say, how's that humble pie tastin' there, Matt Simmons and all his slobbering acolytes?

I sense a Rush Limbaugh "I told you so" moment in the near future.

[Tunnelcat]

It's still out there, floating around on the surface and underwater, hidden death. Don't be too quick to celebrate.

http://www.nbc.com/news-sports/today-sh ... lick-gone/

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/ ... 5#38464575

[dissent]

It's still out there, floating around on the surface and underwater, hidden death. Don't be too quick to celebrate.

Oh c'mon, TC. There's no doubt that there was a lot of oil spilled from the well. I'm talking about the change in tone of the press coverage. Remember the frequent appearances of Matt Simmons, often on BSNBC, portending all manner of doom and gloom to befall the oceans and the planet because of this oil spill? Remember when the oil slick was supposed to wind around Florida and foul beaches all up and down the east coast of the U.S. ? Remember when the conspiracy mob was claiming there was a massive crack in the ocean floor several miles away that was where the real oil spill was and the BP Macondo thing was just a show piece?

Where are all these clowns and their media enablers now?

Yeah, there will continue to be some effects in the short and medium term from the spilled oil. There wil probably be some impact from the dispersed subsurface oil. But this will have to be determined over the long term by scientists doing actual work.

(Boooring!!! Oh wait, let's all go over here now and look at this pretty glittering thing )

Now in a perfect world, all of this would still be news, but in our real world, this would just not be newsworthy sexy.


Edit: TOD explicates the Matt Simmons hysteria machine
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6789#more

[dissent]

\"plug the damn hole\" (phase one) appears to have been accomplished.

Not over yet; still need to cement this puppy closed.

[Tunnelcat]

Wanna bet that one of those relief wells is going to be used for production? And frankly, that might just be a good thing to get most of that oil out of this problematic reservior for the long term. Then we won't have to worry about future leaks from the damaged wellhead that's plugged up with just mud and concrete or unseen subsurface fractures on the sea floor.

[woodchip]

I wonder if the idiot who placed a moratorium on pumping oil out there understand that TC.

[dissent]

Wanna bet that one of those relief wells is going to be used for production?

as I've said previously, I doubt BP will try to produce from either of the existing wells. I wouldn't be too surprised if they just walked away from this lease acreage in some fashion. If they were to hold on to the lease, I'd bet that they would wait a loooooong time before drilling there, and that they'd drill a completely new well - give it a nice new name like Bambi or Pretty Butterfly.

[Spidey]

I heard the guy say today that they are going to hold on to the lease, and that they would probably drill that site in the future…but this well is going to be “abandoned“.

PBS News Hour

[dissent]

BP has released their \"Bly report\" regarding the Macondo spill.
Documents and video links can be found at http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle ... Id=7064891

[Tunnelcat]

OK, so how do we prevent another repeat of the Three Stooges syndrome? Will anyone take stock in everyone's failures, actually learn something and take charge to implement changes or will things go on as business as usual out there in the Gulf? Everyone involved dropped the ball or got complacent for this accident to happen in the first place.

[Will Robinson]

OK, so how do we prevent another repeat of the Three Stooges syndrome? Will anyone take stock in everyone's failures, actually learn something and take charge to implement changes or will things go on as business as usual out there in the Gulf? Everyone involved dropped the ball or got complacent for this accident to happen in the first place.

It isn't just happening in the gulf, it is happening everywhere government officials make policy with loopholes built in to collect campaign support....EVERYWHERE their greedy corrupt democrat and republican fingers touch you will have these problems.
So if you want a regulation or policy to have a chance at preventing problems you have to take away the ability of those in office to sell exemptions to the rules.
Demand anything less and you are merely providing photo op and empty rhetoric material to one half or the other of the team that created the problem.

Sure Obama can say in the wake he will do x,y and z to correct the problem but if he then sells exemptions to the policy he isn't solving anything, the practice continues and next time it will be a republican president making those false promises and selling off exemptions.

If they are incumbents they are guilty. You only get one chance every couple years to do something about it...you only get so many bullets in your gun. This November is one of those chances. Vote the bastards out no matter what the letter beside their name is. If enough of us do that we will effect positive change. The message won't go unnoticed.
If you don't fire that shot at an incumbent you might as well just put the barrel in your mouth and pull the trigger.

[Spidey]

But, I seem to be firing blanks.

[woodchip]

No lead in your pencil Spidey?