(Nice Graphic!) Not "why didn't the blowout preventer work?" Why did the rig explode?

[kpete]

Why the Deepwater Horizon rig may have blown up
by Gaius Publius on 6/22/2010 10:00:00 AM

Not "why didn't the blowout preventer work?" Why did the rig explode? For a possible answer, check out the great graphic below.
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2010/06/14/bp-well-bore-integrity-nelson-statements/

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# Start with the vertical sketch at the far left of the graphic. Note the oil rig at the top, then the riser (the pipe down through the water), then at 5321 feet, the start of the sea floor, the sediment and rock. All the way at the bottom of the drawing, three miles below sea level, is the money (sorry, the goo).

# Next look at the middle part of the drawing. It shows, top to bottom, the concentric — and increasingly smaller — holes that were drilled in the earth to get to the goo. At the bottom of the hole is the plug they put in prior to leaving the site, which they were about to do. Note also that the inner pipe is tapered. That turns out to be another indication of BP's haste to move on.

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# # Finally, imagine what would happen if natural gas, under pressure, got into that gap at the bottom. Just picture it — as the graphic says, it's a straight shot to the top.

# Now glance at the top-left corner of the graphic again — at the Deepwater Horizon rig itself sitting on top of that pipe. Imagine the explosion if the rising and expanding gas burst into the rig from below — and found anything making a spark.

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If the failure to seal the casing at the bottom occurred to save money, as recent reports indicate, that's criminal negligence and manslaughter. And if BP were human (sorry, were a human), that human would be looking at San Quentin or Sing Sing.

MORE!
http://www.americablog.com/2010/06/why-deepwater-horizon-rig-may-have.html

[baldguy]

1. This is why Deepwater Horizon blew up:

[Angry Dragon]

2. Why do you find it necessary to post pictures

of a Alzheimer patient, a CIA operative for the oil industry, and a god fearing falling down drunk??

:eyes:

[Skink]

3. They all have pretty good teeth.

[glitch]

8. !

:spray:

[blondeatlast]

4. Especially #40. nt

[Phoonzang]

5. Seeing how much rock is in between the ocean floor and the oil resevoir makes me question

the meme that the whole thing is going to collapse in on itself (therefore opening the reservoir).

[cdsilv]

6. Not all rock, about 1500' of mud on top of rock n/t

[cdsilv]

7. Not all rock, about 1500' of mud on top of rock n/t

[End Of The Road]

9. self-delete

Can't confirm that my info came from a reliable source.

[Blue_Tires]

10. i'm surprised that no one seems to learn from history

since they were unknown to me, i've been looking into some of the high-profile rig accidents, (Piper Alpha, Ocean Ranger, Alexander L. Kielland, Petrobras 36, etc.) and they all have common themes with regard to safety...