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Author Topic: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition  (Read 1991 times)

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Offline Tucker

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Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« on: May 20, 2010, 04:28:57 PM »

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8376192




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garybeck  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 12:40 PM
Original message
Stupid question... Can't they just put a big plug on the leak?
   
If there is a leak in something, isn't the logical course of action to PLUG IT UP? Why the hell have they wasted 4 weeks scratching their heads, trying to divert or caputre the spewing oil, when any idiot can see it needs a big plug?

Is it really that difficult to make a big concrete pad, and drop it slowly with some kind of steering mechanism so it lands right on top of the leak?

Am I missing something?

Yeah. Your brain.

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BrklynLiberal  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 12:42 PM
Response to Original message
2. There is extreme outgoing pressure from the spurting oil..A plug cannot just be   Updated at 12:17 AM
   
Edited on Thu May-20-10 12:43 PM by BrklynLiberal
inserted into the hole and be expected to stay there.
It must be capable of countering the outgoing pressure...

Think of water spurting out at high pressure from a huge firehose. It could not be stopped by merely putting a "plug" into it.

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garybeck  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 12:48 PM
Response to Reply #2
14. OK, so calculate the pressure, and engineer a plug that's big enough
   
we can send a man to the moon, but we can't make a plug big enough? hogwash. it's all about the math... figure out how big and heavy it needs to be and make one. supposedly there was supposed to be a safety valve on there that could handle the pressure. If a safety valve can be designed, so can a plug. whatever it takes... figure out how big it needs to be and go for it. I could easily see a design that allows the pressure to be diverted around the plub as its lowered down until the last minute, and then PLOP!

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MUAD_DIB  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 12:57 PM
Response to Reply #14
20. Make a conical screw/bore plug.
   
Screw it in place (somehow) until tightens then set the pipe in a cement sarcophagus.

Then the rocket scientists get in on it.

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gristy  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 12:43 PM
Response to Original message
4. I read somewhere there's a 1500 psi difference between the oil and the water
   
That's part of the reason why it's gushing out at such a high rate. I also read it's a 21" pipe. That's a lot of force that the plug has to withstand.

Strelnikov_  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 01:40 PM
Response to Reply #4
24. Actually it is more like 13,000 psi
   
Edited on Thu May-20-10 01:41 PM by Strelnikov_
Following is a calc from the Oil Drum:

18,360' x 0.052 x 13.7 ppg = 13,000 psi reservoir pressure.
5,067' x 0.052 x 8.5 ppg = 2,240 psi hydrostatic pressure of seawater at wellhead
Differential of 10,760 psi

But I think this has an error.

The pressure in the deposit is water + rock = 13.00 kpsi + 2.24 kpsi = 15.24 kpsi static MSL.

The pressure differential at the BOP is (water + rock) - water = 13 kpsi static seabed

Statistical  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list  Donate to DU!      Thu May-20-10 03:18 PM
Response to Reply #24
44. That likely is the minimum pressure.
   
You also have the pressure of natural gas inside the well. The organic material decayed into methane gas (expanding) that gas expansion adds even more reservoirs pressure.

Actually pressure will depending on a number of factors including geography, and geographical history (over time the pocket could have been compressed, or reduced due to geological activity).

Pressure could be 20,000 to 100,000 psi.

Strelnikov_  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 04:48 PM
Response to Reply #44
47. ..
   
Edited on Thu May-20-10 04:50 PM by Strelnikov_
A) The unit volume of a gas is a function of pressure (and temperature). In other words, the unit volume is in equilibrium with the pressure and temperature.

B) If the pressure in the reservoir exceeded the pressure exerted by the overburden, forces would not be in equilibrium. The volume of the reservoir would increase, raising the ground (sea floor), thus reducing pressure to equilibrium with the overburden.

Egg head. :hammer:

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DrDan  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list  Donate to DU!      Thu May-20-10 12:43 PM
Response to Original message
5. how about just pumping concrete into that leaking pipe
   
sure seems to me that BPs priority is to salvage as many barrels as possible - and to avoid future delays in drilling.

Back to abnormal.

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BeFree  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 12:48 PM
Response to Original message
13. They do have a big concrete pad   Updated at 10:37 PM
   
That dome they put on the bottom.

They could set the thing on top of the pipe and crush the pipe crimping the flow.

They could even use it like a hammer -- raise it up and drop it down until the pipe is crushed.

It is sitting right there ready to go.

The question is not if they can stop it from flowing.
The question is: Why haven't they?

BTW: here is a link to an animation of the spread of oil
http://ocg6.marine.usf.edu/~zheng/research/Oilspill/ind...

Too funny.

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Dank Nugs  (35 posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 04:56 PM
Response to Original message
49. A small yield nuclear bomb would seal it n/t

Yikes!!
« Last Edit: May 20, 2010, 04:42:11 PM by Tucker »
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Offline Carl

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2010, 04:36:48 PM »
 :thatsright:
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #2 on: May 20, 2010, 04:38:18 PM »
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Dank Nugs  (35 posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Thu May-20-10 04:56 PM
Response to Original message
49. A small yield nuclear bomb would seal it n/t

These DUmmies want to detonate a nuclear bomb, and  contaminate the gulf, but they don't want a nuclear power plant.  :hammer:
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Offline Tucker

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #3 on: May 20, 2010, 04:46:32 PM »
Quote from: thundley4 on May 20, 2010, 04:38:18 PM
These DUmmies want to detonate a nuclear bomb, and  contaminate the gulf, but they don't want a nuclear power plant.  :hammer:

Think about it. It's not a bad idea. Your shrimp would be fully cooked when its caught. Saving energy from coast to coast.

[/DU mode off]
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Offline diesel driver

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2010, 06:01:59 PM »
DU mode:

If it's an underwater oil leak, nuke it....

If it's a nest of islamic jihadist that could be wiped out all at once, no nukes! 

 :thatsright:   :mental:   :hammer:

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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2010, 06:09:35 PM »
 :thatsright:

We have to put this in a way they can understand.

OKAY, DUmmie listen up. What happens to your plug when you fart a big one?  :p

exactly.
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Offline Tucker

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2010, 06:23:39 PM »
Quote from: FGL on May 20, 2010, 06:09:35 PM
:thatsright:

We have to put this in a way they can understand.

OKAY, DUmmie listen up. What happens to your plug when you fart a big one?  :p

exactly.

 :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:
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Offline thundley4

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2010, 06:26:58 PM »
Quote from: FGL on May 20, 2010, 06:09:35 PM
:thatsright:

We have to put this in a way they can understand.

OKAY, DUmmie listen up. What happens to your plug when you fart a big one?  :p

exactly.

Isn't that how most of them are born?
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Offline jukin

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2010, 06:36:22 PM »
Seriously, can't we just have it outlawed?
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Offline The Village Idiot

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2010, 06:42:28 PM »
lol
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Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2010, 08:14:20 PM »
Quote from: FGL on May 20, 2010, 06:09:35 PM
:thatsright:

We have to put this in a way they can understand.

OKAY, DUmmie listen up. What happens to your plug when you fart a big one?  :p

exactly.

I might go to Hell for this, but . . .

 :lmao: :rotf: :lmao: :rotf: :lmao: :rotf: :lmao: :rotf: :lmao: :rotf:

 :hi5: :hi5: :hi5: :hi5: :hi5:
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Offline Chris_

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2010, 12:36:54 AM »
Just ignore it, it will stop spewing oil soon enough.They are going to have to drill another well next to the bad one to relieve the pressure.
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Offline AllosaursRus

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2010, 11:29:23 AM »
Quote from: thundley4 on May 20, 2010, 06:26:58 PM
Isn't that how most of them are born?

I thought the Clintoon jerked off on a stump and the Sun hatched 'em.
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Offline Ralph Wiggum

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2010, 11:34:38 AM »
Since they supposedly care so much for the environment, we should start plugging the hole with DUmmies.
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Offline AllosaursRus

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Re: Oil leak- put a plug in it- Lefty flinging poop has competition
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2010, 11:38:58 AM »
Quote from: Ralph Wiggum on May 21, 2010, 11:34:38 AM
Since they supposedly care so much for the environment, we should start plugging the hole with DUmmies.

Naw, once the shit got smashed outa them, there wouldn't be enough to plug a toilet!
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