A week of strong winds and high waves have interfered with a number of efforts to contain and clean up the BP oil spill. But the main activities have continued with little interruption from bad weather. Beginning in June 1927 with the approach of a hurricane storm that would be Alex, is particularly bad weather hampered skimming activities of approximately 500 and 3000 skimmers “vessels of opportunity” to remove oily water before it washes ashore. Projections call for the waves to stay high through the coming week.
But the wind and wave action has not stopped all activities reaction introduced since April 20 when an explosion on the rig Deepwater Horizon approximately 40 miles off the coast of Louisiana delivered a blowout at the well. Since then, between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of oil per day (1.47 to 2.52 million liters per day) are flowing into the Gulf, according to official estimates.
Here is a list of activities that the answer is still, despite the heavy seas – followed by a list of those who have stopped or hindered.
What still works
Drilling of relief wells. “The drilling of wells continues and relief is not disrupted by increased sea States,” said a briefing from the Deepwater Horizon Joint Incident Information Center late on 3.7, the latest report available.
Relief wells provide the best hope for permanently capping the blown-out well Macondo. Two are drilled simultaneously – a backup in case the first is not successful in stopping the flow of crude into the Gulf. Drilling is expected to still complete in the early to mid August.
The ingestion of oil by a containment system at the wellhead. Using a containment dome placed on top of the wellhead, BP has been able to siphon some oil on the surface, where it is collected in a vessel or burned. Although the amount collected in this way reduced to a few days as Alex walked past, as of July 4, the system re-establishment of about 25,000 barrels per day.
Shoreline cleanup. Cleanup teams continue to be deployed as needed when the oil washes up on shore. Indeed, the high waves pounded beaches in recent days showed that the infection had been buried by sand, as in Grand Isle, LA, over the weekend 4.07. In other locations, heavy waves brought a new onslaught of tarballs – and sent cleanup workers in full force.
Modelling of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show oil moves west in the coming days, with possible onshore deposits extends from Pensacola Beach, Florida, westward to Louisiana Caillou Bay.
source:csmonitor
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