Question: How to handle an oil spill?

[uafan4life]

Ok, I'm admittedly uninformed when it comes to oil spills.

So, what is the standard procedure for dealing with oil spills?

This may be a stupid question, but why not just throw a match on it and let the oil take care of itself?

 

[Bama Reb]

Oil mixes in the water, not just on top. For that reason, a fire wouldn't burn all of it. Next, the territory covered by the drifting oil is so vast that an oil fire on top of the water would move in the same way as the tide is carrying it, so it would be completely uncontrollable. Next is the pollution from the fires, which would be carried by the air currents. You might have a smoke screen from Mexico all the way up to New England and beyond. What's worse, is once you light it, the fire itself would be so intense and so broad that you could not extinguish it. It would largely then be uncontrollable for as long as the oil spill persists. It would be such a complete nightmare because it could conceivable shut down air transportation over a large portion of North America for weeks or even months. Can you imagine having to fly from London thru Tokyo, San Francisco and Chicago just to get to New York? That's to say nothing of the health risks such a tremendous smoke screen would pose on the general public.
IMO the best thing to do is to concentrate deep water resources to cap the well and stop the spillage, and then deal with cleaning up the remnants later.

 

[Crimson Speed]

Being realistic, if this thing spills over 200,000 gallons of oil per day for three months it will be impossible to keep the oil off the beaches at Gulfport, Mobile, and the pan handle of Florida. Nothing wrong with trying, but the only way to save the beaches is to stop the source of the spillage (cap the well). BP is saying it will take 90 days to cross drill into the well and cap it. The beaches will be covered in the next two weeks.

The Coast Guard has already attempted to set the spill on fire, but the oil is dispersed and, being heavy and unrefined, it would not burn. If this was gasolene or other light weight fuel, it would readily float on the water and easily burn. Unrefined crude produces very low vapor, which is necessary to ignite and sustain such a fire. However, it is possible to burn petroleum distillates on the surface of water. Some may recall, several years ago, a river in Cleveland, Ohio was so polluted that it actually caught on fire. I believe it actually caught part of Lake Erie on fire.

 

[2003TIDE]

The Coast Guard has already attempted to set the spill on fire, but the oil is dispersed and, being heavy and unrefined, it would not burn.

I thought their test burn went well and they burned 100 barrels. They were saying they were waiting for the weather to cooperate and they could scale up to 1000 barrels a burn. Unfortunately it's leaking 5000 barrels a day.

 

[TexasBama]

Ok, I'm admittedly uninformed when it comes to oil spills.

So, what is the standard procedure for dealing with oil spills?

This may be a stupid question, but why not just throw a match on it and let the oil take care of itself?

SOP - Put out booms (the chains of floating diapers that are in a lot of pictures on this event) and pump what you catch into barges.

I'm curious on what they're doing to actually stop the flow. SOP would be to stab some pipe into the top and start pumping cement. Either something is in the casing that would prevent this or there's too much debris. Next would be to put a cone over it but again debris from the rig may be a problem (this is what they're working on now).

 

[TexasBama]

Oil mixes in the water, not just on top.

The oil doesn't actually mix - its basically insoluble in water. It will separate some and heavies (heavier than water) will settle out. The oil there is fairly heavy, so there would tend to be less lighter components.

The Amoco Cadiz broke up near France around 1980 or so. It was a lot bigger spill than Valdez but there wasn't near the problems because it was light crude and warmer waters than Alaska.

 

[Bama Reb]

The oil doesn't actually mix - its basically insoluble in water. It will separate some and heavies (heavier than water) will settle out. The oil there is fairly heavy, so there would tend to be less lighter components.

The Amoco Cadiz broke up near France around 1980 or so. It was a lot bigger spill than Valdez but there wasn't near the problems because it was light crude and warmer waters than Alaska.

I realize that, I just misspoke. What I meant is that crude oil doesn't just float on top of the water. It is slightly lighter than water, but somewhat heavier than gasoline or other fuels such as diesel. Therefore it has a tendency to float lower in the water than just on the surface.

 

[2003TIDE]

I realize that, I just misspoke. What I meant is that crude oil doesn't just float on top of the water. It is slightly lighter than water, but somewhat heavier than gasoline or other fuels such as diesel. Therefore it has a tendency to float lower in the water than just on the surface.

:conf2:

 

[SavannahDare]

It's just going to be a complete Charlie Foxtrot (you military types know what I mean). Those of us here along the Gulf Coast are just sick about the whole thing. The fishing, shrimping and oyster industries here had really only just started recovering in the past couple of seasons from Katrina's devastation. Those poor guys can't catch a break.

My husband and I were just saying tonight how we better enjoy our fresh catch and what we buy off the boats in the next couple of days because there won't be anything fresh out of the Gulf worth eating for quite some time to come. We're going to have a shrimp boil this weekend to "say goodbye" for a while. :frown:

 

[2003TIDE]

My husband and I were just saying tonight how we better enjoy our fresh catch and what we buy off the boats in the next couple of days because there won't be anything fresh out of the Gulf worth eating for quite some time to come. We're going to have a shrimp boil this weekend to "say goodbye" for a while. :frown:

I've got a beach trip planned at the end of may. Guess we'll stay buy the pool now. I'm going to miss not having fresh raw oysters :frown:

 

[Crimson Speed]

I thought their test burn went well and they burned 100 barrels. They were saying they were waiting for the weather to cooperate and they could scale up to 1000 barrels a burn. Unfortunately it's leaking 5000 barrels a day.

Sorry, I'm not saying it is impossible to burn oil that floats on water. The lighter stuff might meet limited success, but the heavier stuff forms globs that tends to float beneath the water. It is this heavier stuff that ends up on the bottom, endangering the shrimp and other bottom dwellers, eventually washing up on shore with the tide. It is a slimmy mess.

Again, with the well still spilling such large volumes of crude, any effort will fall short of preventing the stuff from washing up on the shorelines, especially with heavy winds from the south. When storms roll in with five or six foot waves, those floating barricades will not contain the oil. I'm guessing, but photos from space indicate this spill has now covered fifty to sixty square miles. It is next to impossible to contain that large an area.

The Air Force is planning to drop some chemical agent on the surface in hopes of helping the situation. Not sure if the compound is an emulsifier, a surfactant, or a compound with active bacteria that supposedly would break down the oil. The latter material is proven to break down oil, but I can't imagine much success when dealing with such a large unconfined area. Maybe some chemists on here can explain.

 

[Bama Reb]

Believe it or not, every single person can contribute to the cleanup. I'm sure everyone is aware that human hair is a great attractor to oil. The hair could be gathered by barber shops, beauty parlors, etc., collected and taken to a central staging area. It could then be dropped in loose bundles into the masses of floating oil. The hair will absorb the oil rather quickly. Then, when the oily hair washes up onto the shoreline, it will be much easier to collect and dispose of.

Yeah, I know I'm getting a lot of laughs right about now. You folks are spitting your coffee all over your monitors and keyboards. Yeah, this is so funny... But here's the thing.
So many of us talk about reducing the size and scope of government. OK, that's great, as long as it's only talk. But when something like this happens, what do we do? We sit around waiting for BIG GOVERNMENT to solve the problem. This is a huge issue that's going to effect almost everyone of us in some fashion, whether it's the coming summer vacations, the seafood that's caught in the gulf or whatever. We can't continue to wait for the government to solve our everyday problems. We've been in that frame of mind for much too long, and we need to get out of that frame of mind. What we need in this instance is for every single person to get involved and help solve the problem.
We can do this. All we need is the proper motivation.
OK, here's your motivation.

Haircut, anyone?? :cool2:

 

[92tide]

It's just going to be a complete Charlie Foxtrot (you military types know what I mean). Those of us here along the Gulf Coast are just sick about the whole thing. The fishing, shrimping and oyster industries here had really only just started recovering in the past couple of seasons from Katrina's devastation. Those poor guys can't catch a break.

My husband and I were just saying tonight how we better enjoy our fresh catch and what we buy off the boats in the next couple of days because there won't be anything fresh out of the Gulf worth eating for quite some time to come. We're going to have a shrimp boil this weekend to "say goodbye" for a while. :frown:

NPR yesterday morning had an interview with an guy who ran a large oyster operation and he choked up a few times. it was hard to listen to. you could tell he was one of those tough, handle just about anything types, but it sounded like he was having a really hard time.

sorry y'all are having to deal with this

 

[Bama Reb]

It's just going to be a complete Charlie Foxtrot (you military types know what I mean). Those of us here along the Gulf Coast are just sick about the whole thing. The fishing, shrimping and oyster industries here had really only just started recovering in the past couple of seasons from Katrina's devastation. Those poor guys can't catch a break.

My husband and I were just saying tonight how we better enjoy our fresh catch and what we buy off the boats in the next couple of days because there won't be anything fresh out of the Gulf worth eating for quite some time to come. We're going to have a shrimp boil this weekend to "say goodbye" for a while. :frown:

Even throughout Alabama, it's been increasingly difficult to find any 'gulf' seafood in the stores. Everything is imported from Thailand, Vietnam or other Asian countries. I've read many articles and watched numerous videos about banned chemicals being found in imported seafood.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aRTNXIGwPyOc&refer=home


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0F8x4i5GYE&feature=related]YouTube - TOXIC SEAFOOD WARNING[/ame]
So lately I've been a lot more careful about the seafood I buy. In fact, I don't buy imported seafood at all.
So I guess I'm going to have to eliminate fresh seafood from my diet or go to the east coast of Florida and catch it myself. I guess I'll just have to go visit my sister in Daytona Beach...

 

[TiderB]

Even throughout Alabama, it's been increasingly difficult to find any 'gulf' seafood in the stores. Everything is imported from Thailand, Vietnam or other Asian countries. I've read many articles and watched numerous videos about banned chemicals being found in imported seafood.

Drug-Tainted Asian Fish Slip Into U.S., States Find (Update1) - Bloomberg.com


YouTube - TOXIC SEAFOOD WARNING
So lately I've been a lot more careful about the seafood I buy. In fact, I don't buy imported seafood at all.
So I guess I'm going to have to eliminate fresh seafood from my diet or go to the east coast of Florida and catch it myself. I guess I'll just have to go visit my sister in Daytona Beach...

The east coast of Florida may not be a viable option either:

West Coast of Florida could be spared; East Coast could get the brunt of oil spill | Gainesville.com

 

[TexasBama]

Sorry, I'm not saying it is impossible to burn oil that floats on water. The lighter stuff might meet limited success, but the heavier stuff forms globs that tends to float beneath the water. It is this heavier stuff that ends up on the bottom, endangering the shrimp and other bottom dwellers, eventually washing up on shore with the tide. It is a slimmy mess.

Again, with the well still spilling such large volumes of crude, any effort will fall short of preventing the stuff from washing up on the shorelines, especially with heavy winds from the south. When storms roll in with five or six foot waves, those floating barricades will not contain the oil. I'm guessing, but photos from space indicate this spill has now covered fifty to sixty square miles. It is next to impossible to contain that large an area.

The Air Force is planning to drop some chemical agent on the surface in hopes of helping the situation. Not sure if the compound is an emulsifier, a surfactant, or a compound with active bacteria that supposedly would break down the oil. The latter material is proven to break down oil, but I can't imagine much success when dealing with such a large unconfined area. Maybe some chemists on here can explain.

The stuff they're dropping is probably similar to detergent. I would think bugs would take to long to make a difference.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[Crimson Speed]

Sorry, I'm not saying it is impossible to burn oil that floats on water. The lighter stuff might meet limited success, but the heavier stuff forms globs that tends to float beneath the water. It is this heavier stuff that ends up on the bottom, endangering the shrimp and other bottom dwellers, eventually washing up on shore with the tide. It is a slimmy mess.

Again, with the well still spilling such large volumes of crude, any effort will fall short of preventing the stuff from washing up on the shorelines, especially with heavy winds from the south. When storms roll in with five or six foot waves, those floating barricades will not contain the oil. I'm guessing, but photos from space indicate this spill has now covered fifty to sixty square miles. It is next to impossible to contain that large an area.

The Air Force is planning to drop some chemical agent on the surface in hopes of helping the situation. Not sure if the compound is an emulsifier, a surfactant, or a compound with active bacteria that supposedly would break down the oil. The latter material is proven to break down oil, but I can't imagine much success when dealing with such a large unconfined area. Maybe some chemists on here can explain.

I really messed up the size of the spill area. Latest reports indicate this thing now covers over 3,800 square miles. Obviously, the spill is now beyond any hope of containment.

 

[CrimsonProf]

Even throughout Alabama, it's been increasingly difficult to find any 'gulf' seafood in the stores. Everything is imported from Thailand, Vietnam or other Asian countries. I've read many articles and watched numerous videos about banned chemicals being found in imported seafood.

Drug-Tainted Asian Fish Slip Into U.S., States Find (Update1) - Bloomberg.com


YouTube - TOXIC SEAFOOD WARNING
So lately I've been a lot more careful about the seafood I buy. In fact, I don't buy imported seafood at all.
So I guess I'm going to have to eliminate fresh seafood from my diet or go to the east coast of Florida and catch it myself. I guess I'll just have to go visit my sister in Daytona Beach...

Not sure where you are located in Alabama, but you can get Gulf seafood from Whole Foods, V. Richard's, Fresh Market, Publix and the high end Western and Piggly Wiggly Stores. Then of course there's plenty of markets like Sexton's Seafood in Cahaba Heights. Does it cost more? Yep, but you avoid the hidden costs to be found in lots of imported seafood.

 

[Crimson Speed]

I did not realize that imported seafood was so dangerous. Seafood is one of my favorites when eating out, but it is time to rethink that habit.

At least Salmon from Alaska is still readily available, although it usually is frozen when sold at local stores.

Sounds as if it is time to dust off the rod and reel and catch my own.

 

[Bama Reb]

The stuff they're dropping is probably similar to detergent. I would think bugs would take to long to make a difference.
Posted via Mobile Device

They could always pour thousands of gallons of Dawn into the Gulf. Sure, that would break up a lot of the oil but then how would you drain the water? :eek2: :conf3:

Better idea: Line up dozens of oil tankers. Pump the leaking oil directly into the tankers, and have them deliver it to the refineries. Keep them going 24/7 until the flow is stopped. :biggrin2: