U.S. significantly increases flow estimate of BP spill

[swag]

Source: Reuters

June 15 (Reuters) - A team of U.S. scientists significantly increased its estimate of how much oil is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico from BP's blown-out well on Tuesday.

The team said the "most likely flow rate of oil today" ranges from 35,000 to 60,000 barrels per day.

That's a jump from last week's revision upward to 20,000 to 40,000 barrels per day. (Reporting by Kristen Hays; Editing by Stacey Joyce)


Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSWEN593520100615

[Juneboarder]

1. Another day, another 10,000 barrels/day... nt

[dipsydoodle]

2. Do I hear any increase on 40k ?

140k, 1,040k, 100,040k...........................

Sold to the man in the trilby hat.

[Robbien]

6. BP has an article out that says in a few weeks they would be collecting 60-80K

BP said it planned to send more vessels to the spill site to increase its capacity to capture oil from 15,000 barrels a day now to 40,000-53,000 barrels by the end of this month and 60,000-80,000 by mid-July.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/100614/n_top_news/cnews_us_oil_spill1



Which is probably why we are now getting this official release of upping the amount that is gushing. I expect when BP is ready to collect that 60-80K we will get another "official" announcement that the pipe is gushing at the new higher amount.

The American public is dumb BP believes.

[lib2DaBone]

3. That's roughly 2.1 million gallons a day 24/7... 365.....

I guess 50,000 barrels a day sounds better than 2.1 million gallons a day.

[harun]

4. Hence the media using barrels.

[progrocktv]

5. US flow estimate is increased, so the U.S. Government will probably increase........

...the number of meetings to discuss the situation!

[truthisfreedom]

7. Scientists: Oil leaking up to 2.52M gallons daily

Source: SF Gate

Scientists provided a new estimate for the amount of oil gushing from the ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico on Tuesday that indicates it could be leaking up to 2.52 million gallons of crude a day.

A government panel of scientists said that the ruptured well is leaking between 1.47 million and 2.52 million gallons of oil daily. The figures move the government's worst-case estimates more in line with what an independent team had previously thought was the maximum size of the spill.

"This estimate brings together several scientific methodologies and the latest information from the sea floor, and represents a significant step forward in our effort to put a number on the oil that is escaping from BP's well," Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement.

The latest numbers reflect an increase in the flow that scientists believe happened after undersea robots earlier this month cut off a kinked pipe near the sea floor that was believed to be restricting the flow of oil, just as a bend in a garden hose reduces water flow. BP officials has estimated that cutting the kinked pipe likely increased the flow by up 20 percent.


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fn%2Fa%2F2010%2F06%2F15%2Fnational%2Fa141941D49.DTL&tsp=1

---

I don't know if this particular article has been posted yet... I didn't see it on the first page. The numbers are so scary now. "As of Tuesday, the maximum amount of oil that has gushed out of the well since the April 20 explosion is 116 million gallons, according to the estimates by scientists advising the federal government."

Exxon Valdez spilled about 10.8 million gallons, by comparison. 10 Valdezes so far. And no end in sight... one more Valdez every 5 days.

[gulfbreeze]

8. The extra flow is coming from multiple holes in the sea-bed floor

that BP is also responsible for. Not from the pipe they show us on tv or the cutting and fitting of it they attempted a few weeks ago.

[bahrbearian]

9. Right on

[HughMoran]

11. Can you provide a solid source for that statement?

I know the well integrity is compromised, but I haven't yet heard that any significant amount was flowing from the seafloor and that it the flow rate was known.

[gulfbreeze]

16. Here's 2 but there's many more

Senator confirms reports that wellbore is pierced; oil seeping from seabed in multiple places
By oilflorida, on June 7th, 2010

www.floridaoilspilllaw.com/senator-confirms-reports-that-wellbore-is-pierced-oil-seeping-from-seabed-in-multiple-places

Nelson is not the first to mention reports of a rupture in the wellbore.

BPs findings show fracture in the wellbore

Wall Street Journal, June 2:

BP PLC has concluded that its “top-kill” attempt last week to seal its broken well in the Gulf of Mexico may have failed due to a malfunctioning disk inside the well about 1,000 feet below the ocean floor.

The disk, part of the subsea safety infrastructure, may have ruptured during the surge of oil and gas up the well on April 20 that led to the explosion aboard the Deepwater Horizon rig, BP officials said. The rig sank two days later, triggering a leak that has since become the worst in U.S. history.

The broken disk may have prevented the heavy drilling mud injected into the well last week from getting far enough down the well to overcome the pressure from the escaping oil and gas, people familiar with BP’s findings said. They said much of the drilling mud may also have escaped from the well into the rock formation outside the wellbore. …

The administration told BP on Saturday to halt the top-kill procedure, after becoming “very concerned” that the operation was putting too much pressure on the out-of-control well.

[gulfbreeze]

18. This is a great interview. This is where I first heard anyone contemplate it

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2010/05/prominent-oil-industry-insider-theres.html

[elias49]

10. America needs a MARCH TO THE GULF

How about the 11th of September, 2010?

Be there?

[PJPhreak]

13. Hummm....

ya know,this may not be a bad idea.

[Jefferson23]

12. What a fucking nightmare.

[defendandprotect]

14. Doubt we'll ever really know the seriousness of this unless it becomes

a complete disaster threatening our survival --

and that includes the death of animal-life, as well --

don't think we'll ever know the full truth of this catastrophe.

[elias49]

15. Because we're not allowed to see it

[defendandprotect]

19. If BP was at good at drilling as they are at controlling the press, we'd have no problems!!

[Turborama]

17. Finally they're starting to discuss it in gallons rather than barrels

It seemed like the use of barrels as a measurement was an attempt to lessen the enormity of this catastrophe.