Oil Spill

[spudcon]

The platform blew up! Would some government required document have done any good after it burned?

[xoxoxoBruce]

That wasn't a platform, that was a drill rig.

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by spudcon

The platform blew up! Would some government required document have done any good after it burned?

First answer: Posssibly, yes. Accurate drawings of the apparatus as-built (rather than as-planned, which may not be the same) certainly seem like they could be useful in a post-disaster scenario.

Second answer: Despite that, the primary purpose of such documentation is to prevent a disaster, not to deal with one. "Some government required document" should exist, be up to date, and in use, before and during production. It may be able to do good "after it burned", but it can do more good before.

On the one hand, it may not be too late, as Atlantis isn't the one that burned, but on the other hand it may be too late. If any equipment went to the bottom with ad-hoc modifications that weren't documented, attempts to reconstruct such documents would have to rely on fallible human memory.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Second answer: Despite that, the primary purpose of such documentation is to prevent a disaster, not to deal with one. "Some government required document" should exist, be up to date, and in use, before and during production.

BOP (blow out preventer) piping and rubber were replaced (standard maintenance) by Transocean. What verified the electronics? Transocean said Cameron (BOP manufacturer) did that. Cameron does not say so. And no documents - ie a checklist - were provided to say who ultimately makes sure the BOP works before going down. That is 100% on BP's head - the prime contractor.

No problem. MMS regulators were bought and paid for.

What did George Jr MMS political appointees do when those documents, checklists, and procedures were being developed? Having free booze, sexting parties, and a good time at the expensve of oil industry 'entertainment budgets'.

BOP's must be tested every 14 days. Testing a BOP is a time consuming process that takes a day or two to complete. During that time, no drilling. Immediately you can see panic in every BP executive's eyes when they screwed up the first well (lost two weeks) and were at least a month behind schedule. How to achieve a schedule? Do what any MBA would do. Cut costs. "We don't need for fricking testing." Just do not test the BOP. And then give MMS people still working under George Jr's "attitude and knowledge" another sexting party.

If the BOP fails any test, it must be fixed and tested all over again before resuming drilling. But that assumes government regulators (MMS with a history of sexting parties and other oil company perks) are requiring safety and the advancement of mankind.

We know at least one critical high pressure pipe was not properly connected. A failure that was undetected by testing? Doubtful. We know batteries for both electronic control units were dead. A failure undetected by testing? Doubtful.

Clearly this is all Obama's fault because those who loved George Jr and recite Limbaugh said so. After all, anyone who voted for George Jr must be honest. "Misssion Accomplished".

[classicman]

Originally Posted by tw

BOP (blow out preventer) piping and rubber were replaced (standard maintenance) by Transocean. What verified the electronics? Transocean said Cameron (BOP manufacturer) did that. Cameron does not say so. And no documents - ie a checklist - were provided to say who ultimately makes sure the BOP works before going down. That is 100% on BP's head - the prime contractor.

Wasn't there an employee, a manager I believe, who gave an interview early on saying that pieces of rubber or some such were coming out that morning? Said that he notified BP & Transcon execs whil in a meeting.... BP made the decision to continue drilling. (something like that?)

Clearly this is all Obama's fault because those who loved George Jr and recite Limbaugh said so. After all, anyone who voted for George Jr must be honest. "Mission Accomplished".

Seriously? Where did that come from? This is BP's fault - Period.

[jinx]

Want to help?

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

Wasn't there an employee, a manager I believe, who gave an interview early on saying that pieces of rubber or some such were coming out that morning?

Testimony was from the joint Coast Guard / MMS investigation in Kenner LA. Numerous employees who were there (and still alive) testified that rubber was found in the mud pits - where mud coming up from the well was collected.

In that same testimony, the BOP failed its test when pressure was at the required numbers. It only passed when pressure was increased (to 1600 psi?). And then the tech said he restored regulators back to the required pressures after that test.

We will be learning (in Congressional testimony starting today) that subverting and ignoring routine safety procedures in the name of cost reductions was routine especially in the past decade. Was all but encouraged when government pressured the oil industry to seek domestic oil sources in deeper water in the name of a mythical 'energy independence'. Attitude that encouraged failures came from the highest levels of corporation management where 85% of all problems originate.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by tw

Testimony was from the joint Coast Guard / MMS investigation in Kenner LA. Numerous employees who were there (and still alive) testified that rubber was found in the mud pits - where mud coming up from the well was collected.

That was it - There was youtube video of the one man I referred to that I cannot seem to locate. Very telling indeed.

Was all but encouraged when government pressured the oil industry to seek domestic oil sources in deeper water in the name of a mythical 'energy independence'. Attitude that encouraged failures came from the highest levels of corporation management where 85% of all problems originate.

It was not just 'energy independence', it was also the environmentalists and the NIMB crowd. They were more concerned with the view from their private beaches.

[tw]

Originally Posted by classicman

It was not just 'energy independence', it was also the environmentalists and the NIMB crowd. They were more concerned with the view from their private beaches.

Nonsense. Any oil obtained off the beaches - IMBackyard - was already tapped. Those oil platforms were already there. Any oil IMBackyard had been already tapped.

It was 100% about getting domestic oil in 1000 feet oceans. Otherwise oil must come from overseas. Or else America might have to innovate. It was all about building more V-8 GM cars using lies rather than innovating - ie hybrids. It was all about "drill baby drill" rather than 'work smarter'. The policy throughout the 2000s was to do anything to 'protect our oil'. Same philosophy that justified a massacre of 4000 American soldiers in "Mission Accomplished". A philosophy deeply imbedded in the minds of people such as Cheney.

The mythical energy independence meant doing anything to get more oil - rather than address the rediculous reasons for that oil.

Ten gallons of gasoline is burned in a car. How many of those ten gallons actually move the car? Between one and two. More than 8 out of every 10 gallons is completely wasted as heat, noise, etc. Because energy is so rediculously cheap according to those who then say we need to take these risks rather than innovate.