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by **thefourthman** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:12 pm

So this weekend, they lowered that big ass metal thing down over the busted pipe, right?

It didn't work cause it got clogged by ice crystals.

Beyond that just not making a whole lot of sense to me, wouldn't a big ass dome that doesn't let oil out of it (cause it is clogged) be a solution to the leak that is a problem?

What am I missing about the equation here?

by **Alchemic_Spider** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:15 pm

thefourthman wrote:So this weekend, they lowered that big ass metal thing down over the busted pipe, right?

It didn't work cause it got clogged by ice crystals.

Beyond that just not making a whole lot of sense to me, wouldn't a big ass dome that doesn't let oil out of it (cause it is clogged) be a solution to the leak that is a problem?

What am I missing about the equation here?

the oil getting in....

by **Zechs** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:16 pm

thefourthman wrote:What am I missing about the equation here?

You're rational. They're not.

by **thefourthman** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:16 pm

Alchemic_Spider wrote:the oil getting in....

getting in what? the giant assed dome they lowered over the pipe?

by **thefourthman** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:17 pm

Zechs wrote:You're rational. They're not.

so, what you are saying is that the problem is is that it stops the leak, but also keeps them from getting their oil? cause that sounds like the real problem with the clog to me.

by **McKegan** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:21 pm

I heard their next move is a smaller containment system they're calling the 'top hat'. I get the distinct impression these Brits aren't taking things seriously.

by **Zechs** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:23 pm

thefourthman wrote:so, what you are saying is that the problem is is that it stops the leak, but also keeps them from getting their oil? cause that sounds like the real problem with the clog to me.

Yep. See there's this thing called money. It means everything in the world to them. Not the utterly destroying wildlife thing that's happening with them not just plugging this up.

by **Strict31** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:30 pm

thefourthman wrote:So this weekend, they lowered that big ass metal thing down over the busted pipe, right?

It didn't work cause it got clogged by ice crystals.

Beyond that just not making a whole lot of sense to me, wouldn't a big ass dome that doesn't let oil out of it (cause it is clogged) be a solution to the leak that is a problem?

What am I missing about the equation here?

I don't really know much about the specifics, here.

But the first method they used was supposed to pump the shit to a collection vessel on the surface, but got too much seawater mixed in, somehow causing ice crystals to form in the relief valve. The oil flow has got to go somewhere; they can't just cap it off, I guess. And the ice crystals prevented the "has to go somewhere" part.

So, the new plan uses a smaller cap, but adds a plan to jam a bunch of shit into the leaking pipe itself, containing it long enough to fill the leak with cement. Also, they're talking about drilling a relief pipe into the line. Both of which sound as if they've gone well past the Plan B stage and are working on Plan W or X.

by **thefourthman** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:36 pm

Would it not be prudent at this point for the government to ask all of the oil rigs if they have the safety blast valves, that were not installed on this damn thing, installed to prevent future problems?

by **Zechs** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:37 pm

thefourthman wrote:Would it not be prudent at this point for the government to ask all of the oil rigs if they have the safety blast valves, that were not installed on this damn thing, installed to prevent future problems?

That cost money and effort.

by **Strict31** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:39 pm

thefourthman wrote:Would it not be prudent at this point for the government to ask all of the oil rigs if they have the safety blast valves, that were not installed on this damn thing, installed to prevent future problems?

It would probably be prudent for them to make use of the power generated by the microscopic black holes that the LHC is crapping out faster than the japanese can build vagina-weilding kill-bots, but that don't mean it's gonna happen.

by **thefourthman** » Mon May 10, 2010 11:41 pm

Zechs wrote:That cost money and effort.

unlike giant ass leaking pipes? in the long run, would BP and the owner of the rig not have saved more money by installing what should be a standard piece of safety equipment (imo)

by **Tendrin** » Tue May 11, 2010 12:18 am

The best part of this is that BP executives were board the rig at the time of the explosion, celebrating its safety record.

by **MoneyMelon** » Tue May 11, 2010 12:24 am

I read that the ice crystals were getting under the cap and making it buoyant, so it couldn't properly contain the leak.

by **thefourthman** » Tue May 11, 2010 12:28 am

MoneyMelon wrote:I read that the ice crystals were getting under the cap and making it buoyant, so it couldn't properly contain the leak.

but that's not a clog and they repeatedly say that ice crystals are clogging the system keeping it from working. The explanation I saw basically implied that with out the release of the oil it would not settle properly and would not containt the leak, however, it would seem to me that at that point you could just continue to attach concret blocks until the damn thing doesn't move anymore, oil is contained.