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DoE Posts Raw Data From Oil Spill, Coast Guard Asks For Tech Help

Posted by Soulskill on from the glad-to-know-you-guys-are-on-top-of-things dept.

coondoggie writes "The US Department of Energy this week opened an online portal where the public can get all the technical details it can stomach about the BP oil disaster in the Gulf. The DoE site offers online access to schematics, pressure tests, diagnostic results and other data about the malfunctioning blowout preventer and other problems in the ongoing mess. This comes alongside news that the US Coast Guard has issued a call for better specialized technology to help it respond to the ever-widening spill. The Coast Guard is looking for all manner of technology, such as advanced wireless sensors to help it track the movement and amount of oil in the Gulf, or devices that could help to contain and control the underwater leak." Reader freddled points out a story at the Guardian that illustrates how the location of an oil leak is frequently the primary factor in its perceived importance.

8 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Because it might not work by Overzeetop · · Score: 3, Informative

    Because it isn't going through rock, it's going through mud. If you think it's hard to stop a gusher from a 2' diameter pipe, imagine how hard it would be to stop a 40,000 BBL/dy, methane propelled ooze from a 500 foot radius area with no containment.

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
  2. One thing we can do right now... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2, Informative

    ...is let the president know of our support for Clean Energy:

    http://my.barackobama.com/CleanEnergy-auto

    1. Re:One thing we can do right now... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      I like how completely ambiguous this page is. It would be substantially more effective to vote in favor of a one child policy. At least that has a transparent metric for success.

      Ethanol and traditional photo-voltaics are as dirty, if not dirtier than oil respectively because of inefficiency and heavy metals.

      I am in support of clean energy if we are talking about building some gigantic nuclear power plants next to major population centers to decrease transmission inefficiencies.

      Unfortunately, as the BO website stands, I would not be in support of a carbon tax while also giving subsidies to turn natural gas and corn into ethanol that is then mixed with gasoline for some reason.

    2. Re:One thing we can do right now... by Jawnn · · Score: 3, Informative

      I like the picture of all the eyesore windmills standing above the tree - because that's what it would take, everywhere, in order to adopt wind power as our primary generation method.

      You say that like it's a bad thing. "Eyesore"? Come down here to the Gulf and have a look, pal.

  3. Forget Bruce Willis by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Let's call Chuck Norris, he'll roundhouse-kick the oil back into its hole.

  4. Re:Thank dog for the groaniad by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 2, Informative

    The good thing about this is that it's less likely BP will be able to shirk their compensation committments or drag out the legal proceedings for eternity without massive public outrage like Exxon did.

    Prince William Sound is apparently a beautiful, natural pristine area, but Exxon was lucky - it was not highly populated and not many people visited there so they could get away with dragging out the compensation lawsuits for decades.

    The GOM is a whole different story.

    --
    retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
  5. Re:Speaking of the oil spill... by psbrogna · · Score: 4, Informative

    20 kpsi is not that big a deal. Equipment happens to be manufactured right here on Earth with ratings in that ball park (c.f. http://www.highpressure.com/valves_fittings.asp?ID=10&ptype=v&section=2). Your allegation about 20 kpsi destroying anything man can make is an inaccurate and overly-dramatic one.

  6. WTF?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    "You do remember that the flaming oil fields in Iraq were successfully put out by explosives, right?"

    Talk about a non sequitur. Explosives were used in Iraq to terminate combustion. Is that what we're dealing with in the Gulf?