Oil Containment Solution Randomizer

[DetroitDad]

Shortly after I was whatching the three stooges [[BP, Transocean, and the U.S. Government) run around trying to put the first cap on the major leaking oil well, I cam across Steven Colbert's nifty Oil Containment Solution Randomizer.

Now, who is donating some hair?

[Sstashmoo]

That is absolutely going to devastate the Gulf cost economy.

[DetroitDad]

That is absolutely going to devastate the Gulf cost economy.

Amid Gulf Oil Spill, 11 Families Grieve

[[AP) This was supposed to be one of the best months of Michelle Jones' life: giving birth to her second son, her husband Gordon at her side.

Instead, she must prepare for the birth without her baby's father.

Gordon Jones, 28, was among the 11 who died when an oil rig exploded April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly two weeks after the tragedy, relatives of the dead have held memorial services, sued rig operator BP-PLC and grappled with waves of grief as the catastrophe plays out on a worldwide stage - with barely a mention of their loved ones' names.

"It seems like people have forgotten," said Michelle Jones, who, at nine months pregnant, will give birth any day.

She and other victims' family members aren't casting blame; they understand the environmental impact is the reason why the spill has gotten so much attention and their loved ones, so little.

Yes, poor, poor, poor economy.

[Sstashmoo]

Oh I think it's terrible those folks lost their lives. Did you somehow think I thought otherwise? Jumping to idiotic conclusions as always. I also think comedians should not be making jokes about it. Anything on that DetroitDAD? Or are you just content to try and insult me?

[DetroitDad]

No, no, I folded up my jump to conclusions mat long ago, but posting about money when people and fish are dying was awkward.

Still... finding comedy in tragedy bolsters the spirit. And these guys have absolutely no idea about what they are doing.

[Papasito]

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/...-build-it/?dbk

Disturbed by the effects of the Valdez spill in Alaska, Mr. Costner bought the nascent technology from the government in 1995 and put $24 million of his own money into developing it for the private sector.
....
On Wednesday, BP’s chief operating officer, Doug Suttles, said that the company had approved six of Ocean Therapy’s 32 machines for testing. All boast centrifuge processing technology — giant vacuum-like machines that suck oil from water, separate the oil, store it in a tanker and send the water, 99.9 percent purified, back into the gulf.
....
He said that the largest four machines have the capability of separating 210,000 gallons of oil from water a day, 200 gallons a minute.

[Whitehouse]

Didn't see this option on the disc.



Okay, who's got the phone number of International Resque??

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "but posting about money when people and fish are dying was awkward."

"Economy" effects people. Unemployed, loss of income, suffering. When I said "economy" that's what I meant.

Quote: "finding comedy in tragedy bolsters the spirit. "

Oh really? Making jokes about an incident where many died and many will suffer for years to come is not my idea of comedic fodder.

[DetroitDad]

Quote: "but posting about money when people and fish are dying was awkward."

"Economy" effects people. Unemployed, loss of income, suffering. When I said "economy" that's what I meant.

Quote: "finding comedy in tragedy bolsters the spirit. "

Oh really? Making jokes about an incident where many died and many will suffer for years to come is not my idea of comedic fodder.

Well you do not have the dark humor gene I guess.

Note that no one is making fun of the tragedy, but of the bumbling responses by British Petroleum, Transocean, and the U.S. Government. You really can look at that and laugh, look at the devastation and cry, and look at the locals taking matters into their own hands and feel inspired, all in one fall swoop.

Life is beautiful.

I'm also hoping this event wakes the Millennial generation. No more MTV Spring Break Miami or Cancun, or Girls Gone Wild in New Orleans. It's time to wake up and do what we have to do so that we can again do what we want to do.

[3WC]

Obama's acceptance of "responsibility" for any of this on behalf of himself or the government is ridiculous. Typical pandering to his base, who for a change are critical of him [[totally unwarranted.)

The responsible party is BP. It's service company contractors [[such as Halliburton and Schlumberger) have in all probability been indemnified for everything including gross negligence on the contractor's part - a typical oil field service company contractual provision.)

From the voluminous amount of coverage of the story in the trade press [[World Oil magazine, Offshore magazine, the Oil & Gas Journal) and the WSJ and NYT, it appears BP, which was well over $20 million over-budget on the well, following a $25 million loss on the first well they drilled which they lost and had to abandon, cuts ome major corners. The most egregious was the failure to run a cement bond log after cementing the final string of casing. [[I've run well over a hundred of them). They probably did that because they started completion operations only 20 hours after cementing the long string of casing rather than wait the normal 72 hours [[maybe more at that depth in the GoM.)

BP will lose billions as a result and may become, because of the massive decline in its share price, a takeover target by E-M or Chevron, or maybe a foreign, sovereign oil company. Serves them right.

Obama just can't get it right. He should have made the following statement:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" Don't blame me or the government. We do not have the expertise to stop the well from flowing. Deepwater drilling is one of the most complex technologies in the worlds. There have been 1000s of wells drilled in the Gulf without incident, many in deeper water and to greater depths below the sea floor than this well. There are hundreds of offshore well being drilled around the world as I speak.

One could have reasonably concluded that from a safety standpoint, the interests of the government and the oil companies would be mutual, especially in view of the massive financial risks taken on by the operator if something goes wrong. We were wrong on that one.

To BP's credit, it immediately started assembling over 2000 highly skilled geologists, petroleum resservoir enginners, geophysicists, marine salvage experts, offshore drilling contractors, sub-surface well control and equipment manufacturers, and wild well control experts. These people come from the world's major oil companies and from companies all over the world which have a direct or indirect interest in resolving this problem. They have been working 24 hours a day both from BP's HQ in Houston and from Shell Oil Company's Offshore Disaster Control Center in Louisiana which was established after Katrina.

What the government can do and has been doing since day 1 is to assist in controling and dispersing the surface oil slick. The U. S. Coast Guard has been involved continuously and should be credited for much success in those endeavors so far.

Oil companies are forced to drill far offshore by regulations which prevent them from drilling closer in, in shallower water. Perhaps it is time for Congress to consider permitting oil companies to drill in shallower waters, where it's safer. Perhaps Congress should consider permitting drilling in the millions of onshore acres in the lower 48 states and Alaska, where there are huge amounts of oil to be discovered and produced.

America must face facts. It is addicted to crude oil, and to energy in all forms. The problem is, alternative sources [[to crude oil) are unproven and much more expensive than crude oil, and always will be. Always. We all must face that fact. Environmentalists prevent us from building new nuclear plants. They would love to further restrict the use of coal. Where will it end, when we are a third world country?

What'll it be America, more and more restrictions and $7 a gallon gas? Your call.

Just don't blame me, my administration, Congress or our supervisory agencies for the current problem in the Gulf."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fat chance he would ever make such a logical or truthful statement.

Obama has precluded all drilling in the Gulf for 6 months. He has stated he will seek to terminate all current drilling operations in the Gulf. Marathon acknowledged that it is shutting down drilling today on it's offshore exploratory wells in anticiaption of such an Order. The price of NYMEX crude was above $75/bbl in premarket trading this morning, up over $5/bbl for the week.

Obama's an idiot. However, every cloud has a silver lining. The price of crude will continue to rise as a result of these actions and I'll make a lot more money. All's well that ends well.

[DumplingDude]

Obama's acceptance of "responsibility" for any of this on behalf of himself or the government is ridiculous. Typical pandering to his base, who for a change are critical of him [[totally unwarranted.)

The responsible party is BP. It's service company contractors [[such as Halliburton and Schlumberger) have in all probability been indemnified for everything including gross negligence on the contractor's part - a typical oil field service company contractual provision.)

From the voluminous amount of coverage of the story in the trade press [[World Oil magazine, Offshore magazine, the Oil & Gas Journal) and the WSJ and NYT, it appears BP, which was well over $20 million over-budget on the well, following a $25 million loss on the first well they drilled which they lost and had to abandon, cuts ome major corners. The most egregious was the failure to run a cement bond log after cementing the final string of casing. [[I've run well over a hundred of them). They probably did that because they started completion operations only 20 hours after cementing the long string of casing rather than wait the normal 72 hours [[maybe more at that depth in the GoM.)

BP will lose billions as a result and may become, because of the massive decline in its share price, a takeover target by E-M or Chevron, or maybe a foreign, sovereign oil company. Serves them right.

Obama just can't get it right. He should have made the following statement:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

" Don't blame me or the government. We do not have the expertise to stop the well from flowing. Deepwater drilling is one of the most complex technologies in the worlds. There have been 1000s of wells drilled in the Gulf without incident, many in deeper water and to greater depths below the sea floor than this well. There are hundreds of offshore well being drilled around the world as I speak.

One could have reasonably concluded that from a safety standpoint, the interests of the government and the oil companies would be mutual, especially in view of the massive financial risks taken on by the operator if something goes wrong. We were wrong on that one.

To BP's credit, it immediately started assembling over 2000 highly skilled geologists, petroleum resservoir enginners, geophysicists, marine salvage experts, offshore drilling contractors, sub-surface well control and equipment manufacturers, and wild well control experts. These people come from the world's major oil companies and from companies all over the world which have a direct or indirect interest in resolving this problem. They have been working 24 hours a day both from BP's HQ in Houston and from Shell Oil Company's Offshore Disaster Control Center in Louisiana which was established after Katrina.

What the government can do and has been doing since day 1 is to assist in controling and dispersing the surface oil slick. The U. S. Coast Guard has been involved continuously and should be credited for much success in those endeavors so far.

Oil companies are forced to drill far offshore by regulations which prevent them from drilling closer in, in shallower water. Perhaps it is time for Congress to consider permitting oil companies to drill in shallower waters, where it's safer. Perhaps Congress should consider permitting drilling in the millions of onshore acres in the lower 48 states and Alaska, where there are huge amounts of oil to be discovered and produced.

America must face facts. It is addicted to crude oil, and to energy in all forms. The problem is, alternative sources [[to crude oil) are unproven and much more expensive than crude oil, and always will be. Always. We all must face that fact. Environmentalists prevent us from building new nuclear plants. They would love to further restrict the use of coal. Where will it end, when we are a third world country?

What'll it be America, more and more restrictions and $7 a gallon gas? Your call.

Just don't blame me, my administration, Congress or our supervisory agencies for the current problem in the Gulf."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fat chance he would ever make such a logical or truthful statement.

Obama has precluded all drilling in the Gulf for 6 months. He has stated he will seek to terminate all current drilling operations in the Gulf. Marathon acknowledged that it is shutting down drilling today on it's offshore exploratory wells in anticiaption of such an Order. The price of NYMEX crude was above $75/bbl in premarket trading this morning, up over $5/bbl for the week.

Obama's an idiot. However, every cloud has a silver lining. The price of crude will continue to rise as a result of these actions and I'll make a lot more money. All's well that ends well.

Of course the government should not have to protect its citizens. No,not at all. Just let the oil continue to flow and don't say a word. After all , he was quiet up until now. What damage could possibly be done if he just stayed out of it?
Whoops, I did forget to mention that MMS under his watch failed to properly inspect the rig and do the reports needed to make sure this thing was safe.
For the record, they haven't done anything since day 1. Even his base didn't buy that bs. He islooking more and more like the lame duck we all knew he would be.

[3WC]

Holy Mother of God!!!

[ghettopalmetto]

Of course the government should not have to protect its citizens. No,not at all. Just let the oil continue to flow and don't say a word. After all , he was quiet up until now. What damage could possibly be done if he just stayed out of it?

I think you meant to write "protect its corporations".

So, what's your stance on regulations, if you want the government to clean up the mess of every company who chooses to endanger lives as part of its normal business operations?

[Danny]

British Petroleum will PAY for the mess. The Ghettoman told me and my Street Prophets that we will continue to protest by not going to any BP gas stations nationwide. I urge every American not to buy gas for BP until the completely fix the leak.

[Papasito]

Talk radio is humming today about some clause in the Clean Water Act that gives the President near dictatorial powers to lead a Federal takeover of environmental disasters such as oil spills, and are quick to point out how Obama has been slopping the blame for the damage and the cleanup on BP when the Fed has had the legal authority to take over the operation since day 1.

I've been searching for the actual text on this Act to verify whether or not this is true, but haven't been able to locate the portion of the Act that spells this out. Did anyone else hear anything about this? How true is it?

[Detroitej72]

and are quick to point out how Obama has been slopping the blame for the damage and the cleanup on BP

The blame lies completely at BP and Halliburton's door. They put profit ahead of safety, plain and simple.

I wouldn't trust too much of what talk radio has to say since we know that unless its NPR, it is a bunch of propaganda for entertainment purposes.

[ghettopalmetto]

Talk radio is humming today about some clause in the Clean Water Act that gives the President near dictatorial powers to lead a Federal takeover of environmental disasters such as oil spills, and are quick to point out how Obama has been slopping the blame for the damage and the cleanup on BP when the Fed has had the legal authority to take over the operation since day 1.

Wouldn't that just be another government bailout? Couldn't the private sector do the cleanup cheaper and more efficiently?

You can take your hypocrisy and shove it plumb up your ass.

[sturge]

Wouldn't that just be another government bailout? Couldn't the private sector do the cleanup cheaper and more efficiently?

You can take your hypocrisy and shove it plumb up your ass.

Yeah, I find it that funny. If you can't trust the government to run healthcare how can you expect them to clean up an oil spill?

[oladub]

Yeah, I find it that funny. If you can't trust the government to run healthcare how can you expect them to clean up an oil spill?

Yeah, really funny especially since the EPA had the option of doing an environmental survey a year ago under Obama and foreign company rigs in US economic waters are not inspected to the same standards as US rigs in those same waters. Had the federal government not squandered it's focus on regulating and micro-managing our personal lives, then perhaps it could focus on real problems such as this and its Bush era maintainace of New Orlean's levies. Actually, it was more Louisiana's job to maintain it's own levies but the feds decided it was their job. International water and defense is more of a federal responsibility though.

More funny stuff:
If the rock gave way due to the out-of-control gushing [[or due to a nuke being detonated to contain the leak), it could become a Yellowstone Caldera type event, except from below a mile of sea, with a 1/4-mile opening, with up to 150,000 psi of oil and natural gas behind it, from a reserve nearly as large as the Gulf of Mexico containing trillions of barrels of oil. That would be an Earth extinction event.
Breaking News: Reports Say Huge Explosions Cause Seafloor Collapse Beneath Gulf Oil Spill

"Barack, your're doing a heck of a job"

[Papasito]

The blame lies completely at BP and Halliburton's door. They put profit ahead of safety, plain and simple.

You can take your hypocrisy and shove it plumb up your ass.

WOW. You guys don't like Obama being criticized do you?
Are you really content letting the Gulf be full of oil while expecting one piddly oil company to be in complete and total control of the cleanup effort? While you post dead fish and bird pics and point a finger? This is a disaster, and Government is made to handle disasters, not point fingers and play the blame game.

Had the federal government not squandered it's focus on regulating and micro-managing our personal lives, then perhaps it could focus on real problems such as this

Exactly.
Government is designed to step in in times of crisis, like this disaster.
Instead they spend all thier times focusing on crap they shouldn't.

The Act also establishes a national response system and requires the preparation of a National Contingency Plan by the President to provide for efficient and coordinated action to minimize damage from oil discharges, including containment, dispersal and removal. The Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund established under 26 U.S.C. § 9509 is made available for purposes of the Act. Further provisions on oil discharges can be found in the Oil Pollution Act, summarized separately in this Handbook. § 1321.

http://wildlifelaw.unm.edu/fedbook/fwpca.html

How's that National Contingency Plan working out for Louisiana?

When responding to a spill, many considered the lines of responsibility under the pre-OPA regime to be unclear,

33 with too much reliance on spillers to perform proper cleanup.34 OPA strengthened and clarified the federal government’s role in oil spill response and cleanup. OPA Section 4201 amended Section 311[[c) of the CWA to provide the President [[delegated to the USCG or EPA) with three options: perform cleanup immediately [[“federalize” the spill), monitor the response efforts of the spiller, or direct the spiller’s cleanup activities. The revised response authorities addressed concerns “that precious time would be lost while waiting for the spiller to marshall its cleanup forces.”35

The federal government determines the level of cleanup required. Although the federal
government must consult with designated trustees of natural resources and the governor of the

state affected by the spill, the decision that cleanup is completed and can be ended rests with the

federal government. States may require further work, but without the support of federal funding.

36

http://www.marklevinshow.com/goout.a...sc-RL33705.pdf

[Jimaz]

Yep. Here we go down the "privatize the profits but socialize the losses" path again.

I noticed Palin is turning all "socialisty" on this issue too.

You can't make this stuff up.

[Sstashmoo]

Good point Jimaz. I personally think any industry engaging in such activities with potential environmental impact on the order of magnitude as offshore drilling, should be required to have contingencies in place for any potential disaster. Not simply insurance, or capital available to satisfy fines. A ways and a means in which to contain and control. If that is not possible, then the activity should not be possible as well. In short the Fed should take them to the mat for that alone. Wreck the fuckers.

[oladub]

Jimaz, I agree with you that BP and other private concerns should pay for the cleanup. Right now there is a $75M cap on how much BP has to pay just as there are caps on how much utilities have to pay if their Nukes Chernobylize. That is sort of the problem here . We have an oily Chernobyl on our hands. One question is if BP has the resources to deal with this. BP could always pay back the government and other private entities for help received. Gov. Jindal is now openly complaning about the level of help Louisiana has received. We have an oil slick out there the size of Florida and 80% of the oil is still below the water's surface. This is an economic catastrophe and President Obama does not seem to treating this for the Chernobyl size catastrophe that it is. This requires the likes of a Pearl Harbor attack response. I don't see that happening.

[Papasito]

Our government should have thrown everything and anything we have down there to address this disaster by now.
Meanwhile, Kevin Coster's oil/water separating machines are still collecting dust because of corporate [[BP) and governmental [[Obama/Fed) red tape http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/...-build-it/?dbk

I know my post a few posts up sounds very anti-Obama, but even as a Democrat, you gotta call it as you see it. One of the problems with Bush II era Republicans was they were partisan blind and didn't call out Bush II for the stupid things he did. If Democrats don't call out Obama when he drops the ball, you are not going to get his very best, and you'll be dooming the party by letting leaders go uncriticized or unchecked.

[Sstashmoo]

Quote: "Obama does not seem to treating this for the Chernobyl size"

Obama is not capable of dealing with anything like this. I've said it and I'll say it again, the man is slow on his feet. Give him a teleprompter, he can rally the troops, make a decision on his own? Forget it. Just as Hillary bulldozed him around during the debates, he is being bulldozed by everything. The only decisions he;s making are the one's made for him by his supporters, Goldman Sachs, Insurance Industry etc. Ecological disaster in the Gulf? Where is Obama? Did BP fund his campaign? That is the real question.