Wow... this thread is entertaining....
Oil and Water don't mix... so they're going to come up with some "New" technology to separate them ha ha ha
Hmmmm well, oil comes from porous rocks, reservoir rocks such as sandstone, not big caves in the ground sloshing with oil, and each pore space between two, say silicon granuals within a sandstone matrix, (Microns in size) will have a % oil, % Sea Water and % Gas...
How do you think they've gone all these years without separating oil and sea water they recover?
Separation is the first stage of oil production process: separates Oil from Gas, Seawater, Sand, Methanol (and other chemicals used to inhibit hydrates etc etc)...
People really need to read up and learn about the process of oil production from start to finish. Or keep posting here and keep me entertained!!
Top Kill Failed because they just couldn't get the pressure differential they needed to get a sufficient depth down hole with the mud column. Generally whilst pumping though they were not losing oil, but were not progressing the mud column down hole far enough. They have had a plan for a while now to cut off the LMRP and replace it with a new cap (already sat on the seafloor ready to go. But they had to try top kill first, because as soon as you remove that cap, it's going to explode with flow and there is no chance then to try and top kill it... it's all a logical process, because the mangled riser will no longer be choking the flow.
Anyway, this is a monster already.... and im sorry but the blame lies primarily at the American doorstep.... you're regulations are slack as fuck in the gulf compared to the North Sea and most other producing regions, the MMS is a joke, they take Billions in Revenues from Oil.... once again, the corruption in the American Capitalist world (the American dream right?) causes corners to be cut everywhere. Im getting emails everyday from colleagues in Europe, you're the laughing stock of the world... emails reading ... "fucking Cowboys done it again.... "
This is Bp America. I met Hayward the other day and he's livid.... Once again, Bp America has brought the company into Disrepute.... first Texas City, Then Prudhoe bay in Alaska, now this... when are Americans going to realise, you cannot cut corners and sacrifice safety for Profit?
Bp is HQ'd out of the UK, but BP America is a separate entity, ran out of Houston.... having worked at both, the differences in Process Knowledge are ... well, alarming... and I wouldn't be suprized is hayward pull bp out of America.... which would be a big hit on the regional economy of the gulf as well as one the Fed government.... any idea how much they get each year from the likes of Bp and Exxons etc? Shame Bp is the biggest operator in the gulf with the most leases, and if that goes, your dependance on Foreign oil goes through the roof, not down and your gas is going to go up.... alot.
This is the worst timing for this because most of the operators have been holding off investing (drilling, new projects etc) over the last year or so because of the economy. Now, because it takes 5 years to get a well into production, they've already lost a year or two with the economy, now this.... in 3 to 4 years, you're all going to feel it hard... Oil will be pushed up to 150-200 and rising, and a gallon of gas will be hitting european prices... 6-8-10 dollars a gallon easily.
You're government really needs to think carefully now how to balance all this... You need oil for manufacturing, and everything in this country.... if you carelessly ban all production and drilling in American waters for even 6 months.... it'll cause mayhem down the line.... they need to be intelligent and sensible here.. and delicate.... 3 things americans are fundamentally incapable of being.
