"BP has failed to manually shut the blowout preventer, and it could take three months to drill a relief well. Before then, BP will try to put a giant hood over the leaking wellhead, or perhaps even install a second preventer. But no short-term options have a proven track record to stop an oil spill."
How to stop the BP oil spill: What else can be tried now? - CSMonitor.com
It is obvious that BP does not know how to stop the oil flow. They can't shut the blowout preventer. The giant hood over the wellhead has never been tested so it may not work. They say they may try to install a second blowout preventer or maybe they will drill another well which will take three months, or maybe longer. Meanwhile, 210,000 gallons of crude oil are spilling into the gulf each day with no end in sight. The Wall Street Journal reports the cost to BP of the cleanup may exceed 8 billion. The cost to the seafood industry and tourism will be huge particularly if the oil is picked up by the gulf stream and it hits Florida beeches and reefs.
Drillers should be required to develop workable tested methods and procedures to cut off oil flow in a disaster. If they can cut off oil flow at surface, they should be able cut it off at the base of the well. Yep, that means government regulations. Comments?
How to stop the BP oil spill: What else can be tried now? - CSMonitor.com
It is obvious that BP does not know how to stop the oil flow. They can't shut the blowout preventer. The giant hood over the wellhead has never been tested so it may not work. They say they may try to install a second blowout preventer or maybe they will drill another well which will take three months, or maybe longer. Meanwhile, 210,000 gallons of crude oil are spilling into the gulf each day with no end in sight. The Wall Street Journal reports the cost to BP of the cleanup may exceed 8 billion. The cost to the seafood industry and tourism will be huge particularly if the oil is picked up by the gulf stream and it hits Florida beeches and reefs.
Drillers should be required to develop workable tested methods and procedures to cut off oil flow in a disaster. If they can cut off oil flow at surface, they should be able cut it off at the base of the well. Yep, that means government regulations. Comments?