Oil

[frankc420]

So, I've heard that you guys down south can already smell the oil in the air?  I sure hope it doesn't hit the coastline!

[scubadowop]

I have a trip planned for Orange Beach in June, Was hoping to do several days of diving. Of course the Condo people we have rented from say everythings fine, come on down. Sure would appreciate it if some of you coast guys could keep us posted with some truthful updates.

[kylo1597]

i work damn near on the water everyday and there is no smell, just crazies thinkin they smell oil.  though im sure it'll get here soon when that south wind kicks up.  only made 2 spearfishing trips this year so far, doesnt look like i'll be making anymore

[anthony5819]

The Deepwater Horizon was 25 miles south of us when it blew out. I have to go to work Friday and will be flying over the area. I'll let you know what I see.

[frankc420]

The Deepwater Horizon was 25 miles south of us when it blew out. I have to go to work Friday and will be flying over the area. I'll let you know what I see.

What are your thoughts on what happened out there?  And does your crew think BP is doing what they should to contain the oil etc?

[anthony5819]

I haven't heard anything from anyone that really knows what they are talking about. I know and have done the tests they were supposed to be doing and they are dangerous. You're basicly asking the well to flow but you are aware of it so you can be prepared if it does. You can go to www.rigzone.com and get some information.

[frankc420]

I haven't heard anything from anyone that really knows what they are talking about. I know and have done the tests they were supposed to be doing and they are dangerous. You're basicly asking the well to flow but you are aware of it so you can be prepared if it does. You can go to www.rigzone.com and get some information.

Let me ask you this, should the rig know what the max flow of the well is based on the back pressure from when they were pumping?  X amount of mud = X amount of possible flow?

[anthony5819]

Your pretty good Frank, that's exactly how we keep up with it. If you get more back than you put in you've got something coming you may not want. At that point the blow out preventors should be closed and if there is a pressure build up you know there is something. As far as there BOP equipment failing, that is almost impossible, there are several sets of "Rams" to close if one fails. It appears they have only tryed to close the Blind/Shear rams with the ROV's they've deployed. It doesn't look like the rams cut the drill pipe completely and closed the well off.

[frankc420]

Your pretty good Frank, that's exactly how we keep up with it. If you get more back than you put in you've got something coming you may not want. At that point the blow out preventors should be closed and if there is a pressure build up you know there is something. As far as there BOP equipment failing, that is almost impossible, there are several sets of "Rams" to close if one fails. It appears they have only tryed to close the Blind/Shear rams with the ROV's they've deployed. It doesn't look like the rams cut the drill pipe completely and closed the well off.

Well, a little common sense goes a long way =)

Here's how I see it, they are estimating 5,000 barrels a day are leaking, but the rig should know what the max flow rate of the well is if it were un-capped at the seabed, right?  Here's my outlook.

The rig was pumping, they used X amount of mud to slow the flow at the surface to whatever flow rate they wanted, they should be able to calculate the max flow based on the amount of mud and the difference in distance from the surface to the seabed.

I would assume gravity from 1 mile below would cause the flow to slow a good bit, so that's why I say you would want to calculate in the resistance from gravity as well.  Max flow at the surface may be 5,000 barrels without packing with mud, but when you calculate in gravity weight for 1 mile of piping, your max rate would be WAY more right?

I'm no engineer but I have a feeling they aren't being honest with the public about how much oil is pumping into the gulf.

And FYI, I'm thinking about a water hose to come up with my logic.  It's something I can easily picture in my head 

[anthony5819]

I don't know what pressures there are in that zone but where I am right now the oil has to be gas lifted out, it want flow on it's on. They had drilled to 18,260 ft. we are drilling 10,000 ft. wells. They should know what the bottom hole pressure is by the hydrastatic pressure of their fluid column while drilling plus the down hole tools we use now that measure those things. To calculate hydrastaic pressure of the fluid column use: True Vertical Depth X .052 X Wt. of Fluid in use = Hydr. PSI. example: 18,260ft. X .052 X 18.0 lb. per gal. fluid = 17,091.36 PSI. Sounds really bad, doesn't it, if that were the fluid wt. they had to use to keep the well balanced and not flowing while drilling.

[scubadowop]

OK Frank, I have to ask. did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night???  I'm impressed.

[frankc420]

OK Frank, I have to ask. did you stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night???  I'm impressed.

As a matter of fact, I ... didn't , but this oil spill really tears me up inside because I love the underwater world and the fact that something like this could have easily been avoided (I may be way off base in my thinking), it really pisses me off and in turn gets my gears to turning.

When I see a news report that says "the surface area tripled in size overnight" that gets me to wondering, how much do they really know or how much are they actually telling us?  IMO they are downplaying the whole thing to the Nth degree.  5,000 barrels on the surface in 1 mile deep water equates to what?  50,000 barrels daily?  Who knows?  The oil company.

The water column is holding alot of that light oil that isn't making it to the surface and that is what will eventually cover all of our fishing holes and dive spots.  That's the section that the oil company WILL NOT clean up.

Just like a restaurant, clean what the customer can see

Sorry, I just don't think they can fulfill their obligation to clean this up, it has been going on for way too long.  And what they do clean up, will only be what they can see.  I hope I'm way off base here but I seriously doubt it!

To be honest, I think this is a sign from God that we're getting into areas we aren't prepared for, just my $0.02.

[frankc420]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the $75 million cap.  Not sure if it only applies to them reimbursing businesses for lost wages or if it also applies to hiring fishing boats and others to help with the cleanup.  I would hope they would be separate expenses.

[frankc420]

[anthony5819]

I agree with you Frank. I don't trust what I've heard either, but like I said, I will be flying over it Friday so I am lucky enough I don't have to take someone elses word. I have a love for the ocean as well are I don't think I could have spend this long in it. As far as the clean up goes and light oil, anything heavy is what goes to bottom. Seawater is heavier than oil so the oil will stay on top. Our beaches and wildlife that live in southern marshes are most at danger along with any marine life that breathes air like dolphins that would have to get through it to get air. The Horizon was 25 miles south of my rig so looking at the map of where this slick is my rig should be in the middle of it.

[frankc420]

I agree with you Frank. I don't trust what I've heard either, but like I said, I will be flying over it Friday so I am lucky enough I don't have to take someone elses word. I have a love for the ocean as well are I don't think I could have spend this long in it. As far as the clean up goes and light oil, anything heavy is what goes to bottom. Seawater is heavier than oil so the oil will stay on top. Our beaches and wildlife that live in southern marshes are most at danger along with any marine life that breathes air like dolphins that would have to get through it to get air. The Horizon was 25 miles south of my rig so looking at the map of where this slick is my rig should be in the middle of it.

When you head out if you have net on the rig please give us an update.  Pictures would be great too if you have a camera handy!

On the light oil vs heavy oil thing, I think what you said is what I meant LOL

[anthony5819]

Will do Frank.

[anthony5819]

I'm about 25 miles NNW of where the Horizon went down. I haven't seen any oil, looking at the maps before I flew out I figured we would be surrounded by oil. Obviously it's going farther east of me. I haven't seen a recent map.

[iroc4life]

Frank,
 Just to shed some light on what basically happened on the Horizon. They were in the process of cementing in the last string of casing in the well they had just drilled. They were not flowing back the well, the rig was there basically to punch a hole in the ground and find the oil, case it off, plug it with cement and move off location for another rig to come in and actually complete the well for flowing the oil. They had drilled to approx. 18,000 ft and set and cemented the casing (big pipe) in the well. At the top of this casing there is a seal which seals off the backside of the casing. They tested this seal and the cement seal to 10,000 psi. All good right. Then to finish up and move off location they had to displace the mud in the riser which is basically a 21" ID pipe that runs from the seafloor to the rig 5000' above the seafloor so they could move. This "riser" has a BOP (Blow Out Preventer) on the bottom of it that is used to seal off the well in the event of a blowout. It has a series of lets say valves in it, usually 2 to 3 sets that can shear or cut pipe and seal off the well. OK, back to what happened. In this riser they had 16+ PPG mud (Pound per gallon) which equates to 16x.052x18000= 15,000psi at 18,000'. OK so they take this mud out of the riser which reduces the pressure on the well by 16x.052x5000 = 4160 psi. That is when the well kicked or blew out or all hell broke loose. You know what happened next. But it all comes down to the seal on the casing, the cement or the outer seal i spoke of before or the BOP didnt work properly or they didnt have time to close it before it was on top of them. They underestimated the amount of pressure that was there and it kicked. I just hope they clean up this mess so I can dive when I get home I work on these rigs and I know the industry looks bad in the news but they/we are safer than this. Something major went wrong on that rig for this to happen. Thanks

[frankc420]

Thanks for the posts guys!

Talked to my uncle last night that is 'head driller' or something and he told me that he was told the PSI for that well was around 22,000.  He also told me if he was on that rig he would have been one of the 11 dead/missing.

Regardless of what happened, I'm with you 100%, I just hope they get it cleaned up!