Watch the BP ROV Under Sea Cams...Thread #24

[Subdivisions]

Thread #23 here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8496491&mesg_id=8496491



Hello fellow DU Under Sea BP ROV C-L-U-B-bers! As most of you know, I left the world behind early Friday afternoon to go a family reunion. It was fun but it was crazy hot here in Tejas! I feel guilty when I say that I didn't really think about the oil gusher all weekend. We camped with my brother-in-law and his family (boy how I have complained about his teabagger views in previous posts here on DU!) and we both knew that to keep the peace this weekend, there should be no political or current events discussion. So, we agreed to avoid any conversation that could result in an early pack-up for home. Anyways, I had a good time and now it's time to get back to reality. And, reality is always much clearer as being the bitch it is after you've taken some time off from it.

Here we are, thread #24. I did a lot of lurking last week trying to actually get some work done in another window. I figured it was my turn to finally start one of these threads and so here it is. And away we go....

``````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

HALT! GO NO FARTHER! DO NOT PROCEED if you have not viewed this video. It is an excellent explanation of the process, the stage it's in now, and answers many questions.

>>> Latest Kent Wells explanation of Top Hat and Oil Extraction (June 3 posting): http://bp.concerts.com/gom/lmrp6_060310.htm

>>> May 31 video by Kent Wells http://bp.concerts.com/gom/kentwellstechupdatelong053110.htm

OTHER INFO LINKS:

The latest TheOilDrum thread: http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6566#more

Great forum with lots of pics and video if you need to catch up: (although the DUUSBPROVC is giving them a run for the money!)
http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,68178.4545

Subsea Response Links (great to view when there's downtime): https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AYETicASkH8SZGZmN3ptcXpfN2M2cmR3c2M5&hl=en

LIVE CAM LINKS:

Multi-view ROV page: http://bp.isevil.org

Great site w/multi-screens: http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/bp-live-oil-spill-cam.html

All cams (BP site): http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9033572&contentId=7062605

WKRG Video Stream:http://www.livestream.com/wkrg_oil_spill

Akamai Link: http://mfile.akamai.com/97892/live/reflector:46245.asx

Fox Feed: http://interactive.foxnews.com/livestream/live.html?cha

CNN Feed: http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=str

ABC Feed: http://abcnews.go.com/video/video?id=6105570


A couple of helpful graphics to explain what you're looking at, oil plume permitting:





And, finally, proof that
DU is on this project:



THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR YOUR HELP AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF PICS AND LINKS! :yourock:

[Cleita]

1. It's late at night but I will give you the first post

even though I haven't really checked on what's happening.

[lamp_shade]

2. Prezzint

[Owl]

3. Only 1.05 Million Gallons/Day gushing into to the gulf.

Live Oil Gusher Cam video is as horrible as ever despite the BS from BP.

[jaxx]

4. Welcome back Subdivisions.

Sounds like you had a fun time and behaved yourself. ;-)

Meanwhile you missed nothing but seeing a bit more of the legs of the cap...a little less oil flowing into the Gulf. The politicians all got their moment on the teevee news shows and we watched the ROVs everytime they moved. No drama....compared to last weekend when we were on the edge of our seats.

Thanks for getting the #24 thread up

and a big K & R for the DU Under Sea BP ROV C-L-U-B-bers!

[Subdivisions]

19. Thanx for the update, Jaxx! =)

[time_has_come]

5. It appears to have gotten worse since yesterday, and sprung a new leak

the oil seems to be coming out beneath the containment cap now...as if it's blowing the seal they tried to create.

As well, there's a solid stream coming out of the blowout preventor far beneath the cap.

[jaxx]

6. Where are you looking? Link?

The oil always comes out from under the cap and I can't see the second stream.

[NYC_SKP]

7. Hey everybody!

Keep up the good work and updates.

:hi:

:kick:

[HughMoran]

8. bp.isevil.org! lol! So what are the latest collection numbers for June 6th?

Why haven't they posted these numbers?

[jaxx]

9. Morning update from BP

Update on Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill - 07 June
Release date: 07 June 2010
BP today provided an update on developments in the response to the MC252 oil well incident in the Gulf of Mexico.

Subsea Source Control and Containment
The lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap, installed on June 3, continues to collect oil and gas flowing from the well and transport them to the Discoverer Enterprise drillship on the surface. On June 5, a total of 10,500 barrels of oil was collected and 22 million standard cubic feet of natural gas was flared. From June 3 through June 5, the volume of oil collected was 16,600 barrels and 32.7 million standard cubic feet of natural gas was flared.

Optimization continues and improvement in oil collection is expected over the next several days. It will be a few days before an assessment can be made as to the success of this containment effort.
This is a complex operation, involving risks and uncertainties, being carried out 5,000 feet under water. The LMRP containment cap never before has been deployed at these depths and conditions, and its efficiency and ability to contain the oil and gas cannot be assured.

More here>> http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7062670

[gateley]

10. Good morning, clubbies! Thanks, subdivisions!! Admiral Allen up in a minute

for daily briefing.

Hope lamp_shade gets here with breakfast before I have to go to work.

Have a good day, everybody! :hi:

[flamingdem]

11. Morning. Watching the Admiral do his presser. Think he said they captured 11,000 barrels yesterday?

I tuned in late but didn't hear if he mentioned the LMRP #2 - BP is fabricating it now apparently.

Question from reporter:
What percentage being capture?

Allen: 12-25,000 a day working towards 15,000 a day

[gateley]

13. I must have mis-heard (is that a word?), I thought he said 19,000 - didn't mean to add to the

confusion! :7

[flamingdem]

18. I think they might be aiming for that? Hard to keep up with the numbers

but interesting that the US is estimating its own numbers and not counting on BP... but they should be able to get EXACT numbers of the oil on the ship... you'd think.

[gateley]

21. He explained what they need to be able to give an exact amount, and we're nearing

that point. Coming soon!

[Feron]

40. Some details from the press conference:

I'm just going to post the parts I find most relevant. Any additional info I have is inbetween the "***".

12k-25k is the lower bound flow estimate by the USGS. The Enterprise ship has a daily capacity of 15k bbl/day.

-daily total captured: 11k bbl of oil

-The Q4000 will also assist in capturing the oil with a combined total of 20k bbl/day capacity.

*** I read on IRC that the Q4000 has a capacity of 13k/bbl day. If that's true, then there may be constraints with the equipment. NYT reports that the ship is undergoing modifications for the oil capturing process.***

BP will also bring in another ship. No details on the ship other than it has a larger production capacity.

-Spill has broken up into patches of oil. They hope to skim the oil before it makes landfall. It wasn't anticipated that the oil would break up like it did and that is taxing response resources.

***Talked about the # of vessels of opportunity, but on Garland's radio show today callers said that out of staters were being hired for 1200/day. And they were using flatboats that were as they put it "too small to catch a perch in".***

-Sounds like BP will be allowed to keep any oil recouped.

-1 million gallons of dispersant used. They are trying to minimize the use of dispersants on the surface because they are not as effective applied on the surface as they are subsea. The reason why is that you have to mix the dispersant up with the oil in order for it to be effective and spraying it on a surface with oil inches thick only affects the top layer of that oil.

Dispersants are being applied on the surface near the Enterprise and other ships to suppress the vapors coming out of the surfacing oil.

Applying dispersants with a wand is also much more effective at a much lower rate.

Watch it here: http://cspan.org/Watch/Media/2010/06/07/HP/R/33877/Coast+Guard+Up+to+462000+gallons+of+oil+collected+daily.aspx

[gateley]

12. Approaching 19,000 barrels daily captured; will have a hard number as soon

as they're able to establish flow rate.

[jaxx]

14. The more they capture, the better.

I'd like to see a hard number on how much is floating around in the Gulf. :shrug:

[gateley]

16. Amen, sister! I'm thankful for every drop that doesn't make it into the Gulf! nt

[Subdivisions]

28. I want proof. I want to see the captured oil. n/t

[gateley]

15. BP isn't giving the flow rates -- solely taken over by the government! Interesting,

and good to hear!

[Statistical]

27. That is a positive sign.

[gateley]

17. Gibbs is doing a good job of expanding the explanations, too! nt

[jaxx]

20. Yes, it's a very good briefing.

The press is hungry.... lol looking for prey.

[gateley]

23. Allen is pretty impressive - first time I've actually been able to see the entire

presser rather than a selected snip or two after the fact.

I'm greatly encouraged that he's on top of this and that the government is addressing problems as they become known to them.

[jaxx]

24. He doesn't shy away from answering.

And seems to be very knowledgeable about what is happening in all phases.

[gateley]

25. Agree, although most of the questions are legitimate. I just hope they listen

and hear the answers and don't keep asking the same questions repeatedly (once they're satisfactorily answered).

[jaxx]

22. WoW 1,000,000 gallons of dispersant has been used.

[flamingdem]

26. Allen must have had 20 cups of coffee this morning nt

[gateley]

30. Fine by me! He's imparting lots of valuable info! Keep talking, Thad! nt

[flamingdem]

31. We have to "deconflict" the ROVs. Love that lingo nt

[gateley]

29. Interesting and valuable info on the different types of skimmers and what each

type can accomplish. Another instance of us going "why don't they just get skimmers?" - and learning, again, it's not as simple as it appears to us.

All in all, this effort is huge - very impressive.

[jaxx]

33. MSNBC shuts off the briefing and brings in Chuck.....

live stream here of ongoing presser.... http://cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN.aspx

[gateley]

34. This was great! Gotta FLY out to work now. It's a makeup in the rearview mirror

at 70 mph day! :hi:

Again, gotta say, I'm encouraged by the update and what I learned. Thanks Admiral and thanks, Robert! :patriot:

[jaxx]

35. LOL have a good one.

[gateley]

32. Full coverage of presser continuing on CNN, MSNBC broke to go to commentary. nt

[Feron]

36. Nice topside ROV view of the ships...

[jaxx]

37. Nice.

I wonder how many boats are out there surrounding the drilling and the capture? They said bringing in tankers would be a problem due to so many.

[jaxx]

38. About that bolt yesterday........

It appears they had no success getting the bolt out during the night. I was really hoping they would. If they could master that, it means they could do an at-the-flange repair on this piping system, where high-pressure piping systems are best repaired. If they can't master it, then they're limited to clamp-on repairs at best, trying to contain a flowing high-presssure well.

I believe ability to remove flange bolts and make at-the-flange repairs, at depth, should have been perfected before they started drilling this well. The possiblity of a 5000' long riser being damanged beyond repair and needing to be replaced should have been seriously considered, and ability to replace it at the flange, at depth, should have been worked out ahead of time. If flange bolt removal at depth isn't possible, then the riser flange should have been a quick disconnect type, similar to the well head / BOP connection.

It appears they will be limited to clamp-on repairs now, having varying degrees of success containing the flow from this well.

8:56am http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6569#comments_top

[HughMoran]

39. Where's Thor when you need him?

They need to snag a real tool to loosen those bolts - that little thing wasn't cutting it. They also need to have a socket that isn't such a tight fit - what did it take? An hour to get the damned socket onto the bolt?

[gateley]

41. Transcript of this morning's presser:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/press-briefing-press-secretary-robert-gibbs-and-national-incident-commander-admiral

[HughMoran]

47. Thanks for the link

:D

[jaxx]

42. Good site to view all 12 cams on one site...

http://spillcam.tk/

Found this on the oil drum....we should add it to the list on the opening post of new threads.

[jaxx]

43. Also reading that they expect to switch caps in a couple days.

Sure, wait till I have to go back to work for the fun stuff. :silly:

[Feron]

46. I'm confused about that...

nola.com says next month:
BP said Monday that it plans next month to replace the cap collecting the crude with a slightly bigger device.
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/bp_plans_to_replace_containmen.html

But yet I also heard that it would happen later this week.

I guess we will find out.

[jaxx]

49. 1:49pm from TOD

There are two new LMRP caps on the bottom, and Viking Poseidon ROV 1 is looking them over.

One has two vents that are taller, and appear to have valves that can be controlled from the surface.

The second has four significantly taller vents that, in addition to having remote control over the vent openings, may have sensors (or possibly built in dispersant dispensers) halfway up the vent tube. The tops of the vent tubes also appear to have flapper caps, similar to what you see on big rig exhausts.

> These appear to be 2 of the alternate designs, #3 and #5. (#4 is the one is the one they installed) They seem very interested in the valves on #3. I wonder what they are thinking?

> My guess is that they want to switch to one of these designs because if they are controllable from the surface, and can dispense dispersant, they can free-up the valuable ROVs for other tasks.

Instead of using three ROVs to monitor, close/open vents, and spray dispersant, they can probably get by with one just to monitor.

They could also have built a better sealing system into the cap, as well as some internal redesigns to improve the flow into the end of the pipe.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6569#comments_top

[Feron]

64. These must be the caps...

Anyway BP plans to fire up the Q4000 system this weekend, so I don't think that they would want to run two new experiments in a tiny timeframe.

No biggie...I was just curious.

[Feron]

45. Also add...

http://jtnog.org/

And for a laugh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TW4e8LtVC6I

[jaxx]

48. Ok I got em.

[Feron]

44. Technical update...

Nothing new, but worth reviewing as a refresher.
PDF:
http://www.pennenergy.com/etc/medialib/platform-7/offshore/articles/online-articles/2010-downloads.Par.10382.File.dat/Technical_Update_LMRP_Cap_ongoing_v2.pdf



This must be one of the manifolds.

[NYC_SKP]

51. Nothing new but a very useful summary nonetheless, worth the view.

:hi:

[jaxx]

50. Also the little matter of BP measuring the leak....they're not

Here's the exact Robert Gibbs quote:

Q Right, but then it took until Sunday, day 41, for Carol Browner to say, you know what, BP’s information is not accurate. Why did it take so long?

MR. GIBBS: No, no, no, no, let’s not — I think you’re confusing about eight issues into one. Let’s understand — no, the flow rate is an important aspect to talk about, and let’s discuss it because I’m not sure we’ve briefed since the flow rate group talked about this.

The initial estimates that were done used overhead photography to measure the amount of oil on the surface, right? We know that through the use of subsea dispersants it’s likely that not everything is going to the top, right? So — and even with the picture that many of you guys are using on television, it’s a — it’s not sufficiently of the dimension to fully measure the flow, right?

We’ve never been dependent upon BP for information about the flow. In fact, I think you’ve heard many in the administration discuss accurately that — because fines for BP will largely be determined by the amount of pollution emitted, that they may not altogether have the same transparent public interest that we do in ensuring the public knows exactly — to the best of our scientific ability — what’s coming from the well.

http://blog.taragana.com/politics/2010/06/01/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-robert-gibbs-6110-40628/

Soooooooo contrary to public opinion, the Obama administration is on top of this.

[NYC_SKP]

52. Yep, the lack of even basic understanding in the bloggosphere is frightening.

Folks in the club have a better than average grasp and STILL only get about 10-30% of it, I'm guessing.

Good phrasing of it by Gibbs, IMO.

:hi:

[jaxx]

53. Yep, some are still saying nuke it.

And a conspiracy theory that the floor is cracking open and it's doomageddon. LOL

[Gin]

54. just watched the clip of Senator Nelson saying they are checking

for a leak at the seabed....I hope that's not true.....saw it at the oil drum site

[jaxx]

55. Yes, and it started today at a website

called godlikeproductions where it appears Sen. Bill Nelson may also be a member.....

There have been threads about this on GLP and no-where else for the past two weeks. Now we have confirmation. Hear it here first, folks.
Quoting: Oiled in Florida


Senator Nelson is a fellow GLPer

He posted godlike as a link with his BP web cam info

http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1092114/pg2

[Gin]

56. it was an interview with Andrea Mitchell this morning

hope to hell hes wrong

[jaxx]

57. Yes. And he said "if it is true" in the video.

He did NOT say he knew for sure, but people have run with this as fact. It is conjecture, unsubstantiated rumor.

[NYC_SKP]

59. FDL has the clip, but I won't link to that site. It is conjecture, and I can find...

...no reputable source confirming the theory that there are sub-sea leaks of any kind, immediately around the BOP or even anywhere near this well.

Rumor is what this is.

[jaxx]

60. It's going crazy out on the main floor.

I'm so glad we started this group, people really don't know what is going on. I understand their anger, we're all angry at BP. But it's not productive to just vent and not know what is really happening.

I think FDL is partly responsible for the rumor, they put up the clip eith their FDL over Andrea Mitchell and put up the rhetoric.....and Nelson said right in the video "if this is true". Meaning he didn't know.

:fistbump:

[jaxx]

58. Thread on LBN just locked because:

The website used in this OP, www.floridaspilllaw.com does not meet the standards for LBN news sources.

While we do allow blogs to be used as sources for LBN stories, we tend to generally only allow blogs from mainstream news sources.

Also, the website www.floridaspilllaw.com is a website for a law firm courting those who may believe they are entitled to damages from the BP oil spill. That makes the source highly biased, non-news source, as well as being a blog...three things that are prohibited in the LBN Posting rules:

"Whenever possible, post excerpts and links from reputable mainstream news sources that are available online. Do not link to blogs, vanity sites, or blatantly biased sources, except in cases where reputable mainstream sources are not available."

Please feel free to re-post this story with a link to a mainstream news source.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4417292&mesg_id=4417331

[Feron]

62. Here's a quick cap of the BOP base

They've been down there a few times today and I haven't seen any leaks. Shame that the Skandi bots don't drop a wand again because their feeds are much better.

[NYC_SKP]

61. Also in the news: "Obama Looking for Whose Ass to Kick"!!!

:rofl:

Forgive please the posting here of a non-technical news item:

Obama looking for 'whose ass to kick'

By the CNN Wire Staff
June 7, 2010 7:55 p.m. EDT

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama bluntly defended his administration's response to the undersea gusher fouling the Gulf of Mexico on Monday, telling an interviewer he has met with experts to learn "whose ass to kick."

"I was down there a month ago, before most of these talking heads were even paying attention to the Gulf," Obama told NBC's "Today" show in an interview scheduled to air Tuesday. "A month ago I was meeting with fishermen down there, standing in the rain talking about what a potential crisis this could be."

A variety of critics have accused Obama of being too cerebral in his reaction to the undersea gusher now fouling the Gulf of Mexico, of failing to put the full force of the administration and of putting too much trust in oil company BP. But Obama told NBC his deliberations have been more than academic.

"I don't sit around talking to experts because this is a college seminar," Obama continued. "We talk to these folks because they potentially have the best answers, so I know whose ass to kick."

video and more at the link: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/06/07/gulf.oil.obama/

:applause:

[jaxx]

63. I think he kind of kicked the interviewers ass.

And people don't think he's on the ball...ha!!

[lamp_shade]

65. Comment at TOD (node 6572) by comfychair at 11:44 last night > >

"If these claims were credible, he'd be on with Maddow, not Dylan Ratigan."

Note: Referring to claim made by "Oil Guru Matt There's-Another-Leak Simmons".

[jaxx]

66. True that.

It's not like the blowout and the gushing oil isn't bad enough, people are doing the conspiracy bit to make it seem worse. Can't they see the oil boiling out and the shores getting greased? Honestly, I wonder what motivates people who do this. Politics is the only thing I can think of....and it makes no sense what so ever.

[jaxx]

67. ps....good morning!!

Looks quiet in the Gulf deep.

[lamp_shade]

68. Good morning and... yes... quiet. I wonder if that's good or bad.

:hi:

[jaxx]

69. From the Oil Drum today's thread:

Senator Bill Nelson of Florida spoke on MSNBC on Monday, about the possibility of oil leaking up from the seabed in the vicinity of the Deepwater Horizon well that is currently spilling oil into the Gulf. (The implication being that the well casing had "sprung a leak.") The story will inevitably grow, but it may well be that he is confusing two quite separate events. You might remember that when tar balls first started appearing on the Florida beaches recently they were analyzed, and on May 19th the Coast Guard issued a statement that included the following:

A sampling of tar balls discovered on beaches at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, Fla., Smathers Beach in Key West, Big Pine Key, Fla., and Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas National Park, Fla. were flown by a Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon jet based in Miami, Fla., to New London, Conn. Tuesday for testing and analysis.

The results of those tests conclusively show that the tar balls collected from Florida Keys beaches do not match the type of oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The source of the tar balls remains unknown at this time.

At that time it was conjectured that the tar balls had come from natural seeps under the Gulf. Cutler Cleveland recently wrote a guest post on the topic of these natural seeps, and their size, relative to the current spill, but because of the new furor I thought it worth expanding a little on what he wrote, relying on two of his sources – the National Research Council’s Oil in the Sea III Inputs, Fates and Effects (2003) ; and Dagmar Schmidt Etkin’s Report “Analysis of U.S. Oil Spillage,” which API issued last August.


Much more with diagrams and info: http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6576#comments_top

[jaxx]

70. I may be seeing things....

but it looks like more of the legs are visible on the cap. Two views.

Live feeds from Enterprise – ROV 2
http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAGING/local_assets/html/Enterprise_ROV_2.html

Live feeds from Skandi ROV1
http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAGING/local_assets/html/Skandi_ROV1.html

[jaxx]

71. Thread #25 is up

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8511658

Waiting for today's briefing.