What needs to be done is very simple. The pipe must have a plug installed, or the pipe must be crimped closed. One of these two solutions is all that is required to stop the flow of oil. OK, now we know the solution, how do we implement it. The pipe is a mile under water, the pipe is releasing material under extremely high pressure and enormous flow rates. When the gasses contained in this pipe drop in pressure they cool and create ice. If we restrict ourselves to only those solutions we know will work, without risk of making the problem worse, we must have a testing laboratory. This test lab must reproduce the conditions of the real situation. No such lab exists. Given immediate funding it would likely take months to create one. During this time the well will continue to leak. The lab tests may not be produce a solution that is considered foolproof. Should we then let the oil flow until a foolproof solution is developed. At this point it seems the best course of action is to experiment on the real problem. If a solution does work, the problem is solved. If experiment makes the problem worse, it would be somewhat worse than an already bad situation. Imagine taking a fatal dose of poison, does it matter much if you increase that dose by 20%? The situation is extremely frustrating. I am sure there were things that could have been done in advance that would have made the situation better, but that milk has been spilled. We now need to clean up a mess that is technically extremely challenging. If there is an existing solution, I don't think there is anyone with any motivation to hold back on applying their best effort. I think the best role the government can play at this point is making sure all the best experts are talking to each other, and the best solutions are tried with all deliberate speed. Like it or not, many of those experts probably work for BP and other oil companies. On May 31, 2010, at 8:17 PM, skimmer wrote: > We are roll playing here. I am playing the roll of government. I am asking > you the expert to come with your best plan to shut the well. You might be > from any other company than BP (Baffle and Placate). Your answer appears to > be the best one out there for the final answer. I expect "government", in > this case recruited experts from any US or international source, to > aggressively search for an effective near-term answer from anywhere in the > world. Such answers can not do worse than BPs answer to "Cut the pipe" and > increase the flow by 20% Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 54 South Rd Groton, CT 06340 USA Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847 http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jun 01 2010 - 05:36:09 PDT
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