Monthly Archives: July 2010

New Snag for Static Kill

Posted on July 30, 2010 by zerbe

Efforts to permanently plug the gusher hit a snag when crews found debris in the bottom of the relief well that need to be fished out before crews can pump mud into BP’s busted well in a procedure known as … Continue reading →

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$1.4 Million X Prize Challenge

Posted on July 29, 2010 by zerbe

X Prize announced a $1.4 million prize in a year-long competition to develop new, more effective methods of cleaning up oil on ocean surfaces. The prize is funded by Wendy Schmidt and the new technology must improve by at least … Continue reading →

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Michigan Oil Spill

Posted on July 29, 2010 by zerbe

A new oil spill of more than one million gallons threatens Lake Michigan. The oil spilled from a pipeline into the Kalamazoo River earlier this week. The leak came from a 30 inch pipeline that carries millions of gallons of … Continue reading →

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Let’s Hope This Works

Posted on July 29, 2010 by zerbe
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Oil Spewing from Well Near Louisiana Marsh

Posted on July 27, 2010 by zerbe

Reports out that a tug boat hit an oil well off the coast of Louisiana shooting oil twenty feet into the air. The tug boat hit the well before dawn. The tug boat captain immediately notified officials, and another boat … Continue reading →

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Sealing Cap and the Latest Well Update

Posted on July 26, 2010 by zerbe

The latest well integrity tests on the sealing cap show the Macondo well has been successfully closed. BP continues to monitor the pressure, temperature, seafloor, seismic, sonar, and acoustics activity in the area to confirm that the well doesn’t continue … Continue reading →

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New Oil Spill in China

Posted on July 22, 2010 by zerbe

The cost of increasingly risky means of obtaining oil is epitomized by the BP oil spill. We risk destroying our planet’s eco-system by not seriously embracing alternative forms of energy. China recently experienced its largest oil spill ever reported along … Continue reading →

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Relief Well Progress

Posted on July 22, 2010 by zerbe

Here is the latest on the two relief wells’ progress. Image courtesy of BP. © BP p.l.c.

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Condition of the Macondo Well Before the Explosion

Posted on July 22, 2010 by zerbe

The condition of the Macondo well before the explosion continues to be a concern as the latest attempt to seal the well (Collar, Cap, and Collector) has not reached the desired PSI of 7,000. Rather the PSI has reached just … Continue reading →

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Subsidizing Renewables: Why this is important

Posted on July 16, 2010 by zerbe

The truth exposed by the BP oil spill is how damaging oil use can be for our environment and planet. It’s tough to see the impact of climate change because of its small, subtle changes over many years. Seeing wildlife … Continue reading →

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Relief Wells

Posted on July 14, 2010 by zerbe

Will the relief wells work? The problem is that there is another 2,000 foot well branching off from the current well. Will the new relief wells intersect the well below the first attempt and the second attempt? Or is it … Continue reading →

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BP Well Casing

Posted on July 14, 2010 by zerbe

Details on the well casing program used by BP. Reference: Macondo History Before the Blowout

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BP Response

Posted on July 14, 2010 by zerbe

It would be great if BP’s response was a little more tech/web 2.0 friendly. Why aren’t they fostering the creative ideas from so many people with talented minds. Instead, submitters to the response form are sent to the following site … Continue reading →

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BP Pipe Into Reservoir: long string

Posted on July 14, 2010 by zerbe

What was BP thinking when they chose the unconventional single long pipe design into the reservoir? From the WSJ article The cement job was especially important on this well because of a BP design choice that some petroleum engineers call … Continue reading →

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BP Intended To Plug and Abandon Well Before Explosion

Posted on July 14, 2010 by zerbe

Prior to the BP oil well explosion on April 20, 2010, BP hired Halliburton (the cementing contractor) to plug the well and temporarily abandon it, a standard practice in the industry. Still, by mid-April, the well seemed a qualified success. … Continue reading →

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Latest Attempt: Collar, Cap, and Collector

Posted on July 14, 2010 by zerbe

Let’s hope that the new cap proves the well is solid and intact. If it proves that the well when capped is forcing the oil out of other parts of the broken BOP or into the seabed (below the seafloor) … Continue reading →

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New BP Cap Procedure

Posted on July 13, 2010 by zerbe

Here is the latest attempt to stop the flow of oil from the leaking well. Let’s hope it works. Once the new cap is installed tests will be performed to calculate the pressure of the oil flowing from the pipe. … Continue reading →

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