BP confident latest try to capture oil will work
ROBERT, LA
Engineers hit a snag when they tried to connect two pieces of
equipment a mile below the water's surface. BP PLC chief operating
officer Doug Suttles said one piece of equipment, called the
framework, had to be brought to the water's surface so that
adjustments could be made to where it fits with the long tube that
connects to a tanker above.
The framework holds a pipe and stopper, and engineers piloting
submarine robots will try to use it to plug the massive leak and
send the crude through the lengthy pipe to the surface.
"The frame shifted, so they were unable to make that
connection," said Suttles, who believes the adjustments will make
the device work.
At least 210,000 gallons of oil has been gushing into the Gulf
of Mexico since an oil rig exploded April 20 and sank two days
later. Eleven people were killed in the blast.
BP's latest idea seems to have the best chance for success so
far, said Ed Overton, a LSU professor of environmental studies. At
the surface this would be easy, Overton said, but using robots in
5,000 feet of water with oil gushing out of the pipe makes things
much more difficult.
"It's something like threading the eye of a needle. But that
can be tough to do up here. And you can imagine how hard it would
be to do it down there with a robot," Overton said.
The tube could capture more than three-quarters of the leak; BP
also must contend with a smaller leak that's farther away. If the
tube works, it would be the first time the company has been able to
capture any of the oil before it fouls the Gulf waters.
A week ago, the company tried to put a massive box over the
leak, but icelike crystals formed and BP scrapped that plan.
BP is also drilling a relief well that is considered the
permanent solution to stopping the leak. It's about halfway done
and still months away from being completed. The company also is
still considering using a smaller containment dome known as a "top
hat," as well as a "junk shot," in which golf balls and rubber
would be inserted to try to clog the leak.
Meanwhile, BP began spraying undersea dispersants at that leak
site and said the chemicals appear to have reduced the amount of
surface oil.
Federal regulators on Friday approved the underwater use of the
chemicals, which act like a detergent to break the oil into small
globules and allow it to disperse more quickly into the water or
air before it comes ashore.
The decision by the Environmental Protection Agency angered
state officials and fishermen, who complained that regulators
ignored their concerns about the effects on the environment and
fish.
"The EPA is conducting a giant experiment with our most
productive fisheries by approving the use of these powerful
chemicals on a massive, unprecedented scale," John Williams,
executive director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance, said in a news
release.
Louisiana Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine sent a
letter to BP outlining similar concerns, but the company and the
Coast Guard said several tests were done before approval was given.
"We didn't cross this threshold lightly," Coast Guard Rear
Adm. Mary Landry said. "This is a tool that will be analyzed and
monitored."
As crews worked to limit the environmental hazards, Secretary of
Homeland Security Janet Napolitano pressured BP to make clear
whether the company would limit how much it will pay for clean up
and compensation to those hurt by the spill.
In a letter to chief executive Tony Hayward, she noted that he
and other executives have said they are taking full responsibility
for cleaning up the spill and will pay what they call
"legitimate" claims. Napolitano said the government believes this
means BP will not limit its payments to a $75 million cap set by
law for liability in some cases.
"The public has a right to a clear understanding of BP's
commitment to redress all of the damage that has occurred or that
will occur in the future as a result of the oil spill," Napolitano
wrote.
On Friday, President Barack Obama assailed oil drillers and his
own administration as he ordered extra scrutiny of drilling
permits. He condemned the shifting of blame by oil executives and
denounced a "cozy relationship" between the companies and the
federal government.