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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.

5 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Speaking of the BP gulf spill by maotx · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The problem with Florida isn't BP, but more likely ships illegally dumping.

    "We've done a number of tarballs from Florida, Key West, Miami and so forth, none of which so far have matched the Deepwater Horizon," Gronlund said. "The tarballs that have been found on the beach in Florida are fuel oil."

    --
    I'm a virgo and on Slashdot. Coincidence? Yes.
  2. Re:Speaking of the BP gulf spill by Knara · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Not all coastline is beach environment, numbnuts.

  3. Re:Why is nobody talking about blowing it up? by sexconker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Pick one:

    The RUSSIANS did that sort of thing. The RUSSIANS. RUSSIANS.

    There's a one-in-a-billion chance it could make things SLIGHTLY WORSE by making the oil come up at SEVERAL spots in the area instead of the one shitstream we hope to maybe have under better control in a few months.

    If we blew it up, we couldn't reuse that well.

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

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

  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.