Core77

"Corking" the leak will not work, that pressure will just exert itself sideways and cause many small to medium leaks in all directions through the rock in the sea floor. Let's be thankful that the oil is now coming out through ONE hole, and not dozens or hundreds if they plugged it. This is a great read about the mechanics of what's going on in the leak itself: http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6593/648967

Mr. Henderson has severely underestimated the water pressure at the sea bed level.

Engineers actually do know how to cap the spill for good, but BP is trying to save the reserve. They will not roll out any option that will prevent them from drawing oil from that spot in the future.

It is a legislative problem. There should be a level of spillage in which the government will come in and say, "party's over" and cap it for good. But then, our oil-hungry nations hesitate to do so.

STEP 5:
Create sit down meeting with Obama Administration and BP Execs to strategize on how large the bail out will be for BP to not go bankrupt. Then after handing BP 60+ billion dollars, coordinate another meeting with BP Execs to decide on bonuses.
Wall Street in the ocean.......

What Matt said. It's not as simple as it appears.

Why should US bail out a British based company?

The long flexible spiral tube idea will shred in seconds. Undersea currents are strong and the drag forces on a large tube immense. That's why the drilling platforms often float (tethered to enormous anchors), or sit on foundations the size of skyscrapers.

I agree with Matt; that the structure of the well is compromised and is perhaps in the process of failing completely.

Congress actually came up with a good list of how BP was cutting corners:
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6604

These compromises allowed them to overreach so far that they could not recover as they had not constructed a robust well system with redundancies and fall-back positions.

If the wellhead casing is compromised this is why a second level of BOP can't be employed and why the topkill had to be stopped - the well in it's current state can't take the pressure must leak to prevent it from completely blowing out. It is possible that some oil is leaking laterally from the casing or around the casing and is coming up through and escaping from the seabed. The hole they have is much preferred to any other leaks that might form:
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6593#comment-648967

It looks like BP may be in a position they cannot do anything else with the existing well other than try to capture what leaks out. The relief wells accessing the bore above the oil bearing formation and below any failed casing is probably the only hope for stopping the leak.

Possible lessons; don't do sloppy work, don't cut corners, industry standards might be there for a reason, technology doesn't always rescue folly.

Step 6: Realize that off shore windmills are not as ugly as black tar and goop up and down the coast ruining people's lives, businesses and the environment.

I thought of the top idea too. It's a simple no-brainer and why aren't they using it? Why aren't they using hay (proven in the past) to clean up the spill? Because they WANT THE ACCIDENT in order for Obama to push through the Bilderburger's publicized plan of $7.00 a gallon gas and destroy the U.S. Economy. Obama is a traitor. He hasn't even followed the actions that are REQUIRED by the government and were put in place years ago. He should be impeached immediately.

Why doesn't Bill Gates or one of the other millionaires hire a team of scientists, and Engineers and put together one of those great ideas people keep coming up with? Anyone want to start an email chain and see if Old Bill Will come to our rescue? After all, we've made him very rich.
Personally I like the mile long steel wire reinforced huge tube that extends all the way down to the bottom and catches it all for eventual sale.
If you really want it stopped, I have a great idea. Its just a smaller pipe with a disk almost 21 inches in diameter full of holes welded around its outer circumference. You stick that pipe down the leaking pipe and then pump in small steel balls followed by wire, hair, and concrete. All this junk will go down the smaller pipe and out into the larger one and the pressure will take it up to the disk where it will lodge and eventually stop the leak. the concrete will be the final coup de gras. This uses the pressure of the leak to stop itself and no worries bout the crystals freezing up and preventing it.

Sounds like you've got all the answers, Ken. Good the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy (VRWC) has got you to uncover the Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy (VLWC).

Stopping is hard I think.
Prepare many of large floating oil tanks near the site to isolate the contaminated sea water to minimize the damages.
Create a unified board to take over the control of the well under a constant public monitoring system and discuss further steps.
BP has to pay for all the cost!
Yea! take down the rotten powers controlling the government!

Would freezing the entire length of oil pipe that is lying across the ocean floor stop the flow, or is the pressure to great? Seems to me that simple science might be the answer. At sub-zero tempatures the oil viscocity increases and at a certain temperature oil will solidify. Hmmmm, could it be that simple?

Dennis,

A few questions/points about freezing: 1. how does one freeze the entire length of the oil pipe? 2. Crude oil is a mixture of organic compounds and doesn't have a definite freezing or boiling point, depending on the fractional ratios of its constituents. 3. Also, the bottom of the ocean is not a stable environment. Are there are other kinds of gases escaping (that may remain gases at sub zero temperatures? Does increased pressure raise the temperature of the trapped liquid? And, what about geothermal forces? Or changes in current and water temp?

Hi Lisa. I am not a Scientist, Geologist, Engineer, Chemist or Physicist. I leave the science up to the experts. I am just attempting to expand the thinking outside the box. Most of the solutions I have heard seem to be pretty grandiose. Here is an idea I think worth exploring. They use freezing rods to permanently freeze ground (The Boston Big Dig Project comes to mind). Of course that is at ground level. Can this technique be adapted for undersea use? Can the scientists develop a method of dispersing liquid nitrogen along the seafloor pipeline? This does not have to be long term, just long enough the slow the flow to the point were cement or some other containment agent/system can be put in place to permanently stop the leak.

ok I have an idea hope someone can pass it along for stopping the oil leak ,make a needle type tube like the ones used in the body with a hole in the center run it down into the hole and use an umbrella type device to pop open once it passes threw the bottom of the hole this would be made of metal much like what is used for heart valve repair and opening the clogged arteries once its spread open it would stop enough of the leak to then put a balloon type device and blow this up with air to stop it and allow for them to work on the leak to top it off..

Actually a cone really is the best way to stop the leak.
Insert a flexible, inverted, cone into the pipe. The cone could be expanded mechanically or rely on the pressure of the oil to make it expand.
I envision a cone rolled into a tube the same way you would make one out of paper. Make it out of a spring steel. Insert it into the pipe and then release it. It would expand against the sides of the pipe and the leak would be stopped. Oil pressure would hold it in place. You could then pump in what ever type of permanent mixture of concrete you desired.

Are there smaller veins of oil surrounding the main gusher?
If so, wouldn't it be more manageable to work on tapping those to reduce the all-over pressure ? Just a thought.

The argument that allowed BP to drill in the gulf was that The Company would act in its own best interest according to its own profit motive. They then pointed out that they have some of the best scientists, engineers and oil rig experts in world, Therefore they would be able to drill safely at depths that far exceeded any than had been attempted before. This argument proved to be false. As a country we need responsible government regulation. Companies rise and fall and their only constant function is to make as much money as they can. By design companies have no responsibility to humanity, society , loyalty or the future any more than it serves its own interest. In order for this country to prosper in the future and pay off the national dept, we need to audit our relationship with every huge cooperation and make sure those relationships are responsible and fair.
http://www.sunflowerpipes.com