News On Seepage Detected 'Some Distance From Well'

There is no reason to panic as of yet.  There is some indications that there is "seepage" but what exactly is coming out is unknown as of yet, the exact location is unknown as of yet and just how bad the seepage might be is also unknown.  These factors will not be known right away, so better not to panic as of yet. It will be today (Monday) at the earliest that we could find out what this is all about.

The concern does grow when it is found that the President is prepared to order BP to open the top of the well again.  This would be done in order to relieve pressure on the well which could be causing the problems in seepage.  BP is going to fight this no doubt as if they open the well again and the 'seepage' stops then that is the indication that would show this 'seepage' is being caused by the capped wellhead.  We don't know that this is the case, as a matter of fact we don't know much at all.  Due to that lack of knowledge it is better to have a wait and see approach rather than a panic attack until we know more.

There are normal and known leaks that occur on the seabed, so that is why there is no need to panic just yet as we do not know the location of these "anomalies" as of yet.  Thad Allen sending the letter to BP is a precautionary one and is intended to make it known to BP that the government is aware of the possibility of problems, as well as wanting constant monitoring of said anomalies, and is prepared to demand immediate action should the anomalies be found to be related to the well & capping procedure. It is again, not surprising that BP will do what they can to protect themselves in this matter, and hopefully the government via Incident Command is doing all they can to get accurate and timely information to ensure that any and all precautions are taken and that the correct information is obtained.


Incident Commander Thad Allen sent a letter to BP which states:

Bob Dudley 

Chief Managing Director

BP Group

501 West Lake Park Boulevard

Houston, Texas 77070

Dear Mr. Dudley,

My letter to you on July 16, 2010 extended the Well Integrity Test period contingent upon the completion of seismic surveys, robust monitoring for indications of leakage, and acoustic testing by the NOAA vessel PISCES in the immediate vicinity of the well head. Given the current observations from the test, including the detected seep a distance from the well and undetermined anomalies at the well head, monitoring of the seabed is of paramount importance during the test period. As a continued condition of the test, you are required to provide as a top priority access and coordination for the monitoring systems, which include seismic and sonar surface ships and subsea ROV and acoustic systems. When seeps are detected, you are directed to marshal resources, quickly investigate, and report findings to the government in no more than four hours. I direct you to provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the well head be confirmed.

As the National Incident Commander, I must remain abreast of the status of your source control efforts. Now that source control has evolved into a period beyond the expected 48 hour interval of the Well Integrity Test, I am requiring that you provide me a written update within 24 hours of your intentions going forward. I remain concerned that all potential options to eliminate the discharge of oil be pursued with utmost speed until I can be assured that no additional oil will spill from the Macondo Well.

You may use your letter of 9 July as a basis for your update. Specifically, you must provide me your latest containment plan and schedule in the event that the Well Integrity Test is suspended, the status and completion timelines for all containment options currently under development, and details of any other viable source control options including hydraulic control that you are considering. You should highlight any points at which progress along one option will be impacted by resource trade-offs to achieve progress along another option. Include options for and impacts of continued twice-a day seismic testing versus once a day testing.

As you develop the plans above, note that the primary method of securing the source is the relief well and this effort takes precedence. Therefore, I direct you to provide a detailed plan for the final stages of the relief well that specifically addresses the interaction of this schedule and any other activity that may potentially delay relief well completion.

Have your representative provide results on the monitoring efforts and source control requirements described above during today’s BP and Government Science Team call at 8:00 PM CDT.

Sincerely,

THAD W. ALLEN

Letter from Thad Allen To Bob Dudley of BP

As is noted in the letter, Incident Command is now knowledgable about the situation and is going to do everything in their power to make sure that BP knows it, and responds to it.

Now it is understandable that people are concerned.  We've seen the problems with transparency from both BP as well as the government with nearly everything regarding this disaster.  It is normal to be fearful due to the amount of misinformation that has been put out there as well, and sometimes it is hard to know what is truth vs what is fabrication.

As I was reading the discussion about this on The Oil Drum, there were a few who were expressing concern about whether this news was cause for panic or not.  Each person stated they lived somewhere on the gulf coast and were truly fearful.   This is understandable, again as I said, due to the lack of clear and concise information.  We are left to try and figure this out on our own which should never be the case in times of a disaster.

The response to these concerns were varied with some people laughing, and others being very understanding of the concern.  The two most informative & compassionate answers given were:

No, don't panic. The scare stories about methane tsunamis etc. are meant to scare you. What the motivation is, I have no idea. There's a seep 1000+ feet from a troublesome well three days after they capped it and prevented lots of oil from escaping into the water. The Gulf seeps anyway. People who have a lot more competence than you and I are watching things and there's a plan to kill it.

And this one:

Stay, fill the car with gas, pack a bag, get $300 cash and watch the news. Do everything else normal. It is not time to hit the OH CRAP button yet. Relax and call a relative. You will be fine.

Edit: And go see professional & get some help tomorrow. Perfectly normal what you are going through. Drink two beers if it might make you feel better. You will be good to go no matter the outcome if you prepare your mind. In this case, we are talking very low chance that events will directly impact you. Smile, I am and I live in Gulf Shores.

The Oil Drum Thread Talking About the "Seepage" Part I
The Oil Drum Thread Talking About the "Seepage" Part II

Both hold a lot of truth to them.  Don't panic because there are experts in the field who are working on this matter, and they will be giving it their full attention to try and determine what is going on.  It is too soon to have all the information that is needed released to the public as of yet, but I trust that we will get the information one way or another, even if it is revealed to us by an 'anonymous source' who is going to get the truth out.  We also know that people who are experts in various fields are watching this closely, like the guys at the Oil Drum, who know when bullshit information is being offered and when it isn't.  They have had ongoing discussions regarding the information being offered vs what is able to be seen simply by virtue of watching the ROV camera's and understanding the information being relayed through them.  They are  not perfect and will ask questions of each other as well, but for the most part they usually debunk information pretty quickly and will happily answer questions or explain things to make it easier for the average joe to understand.

If you are concerned, do as the second comment suggested, and prepare to leave.  Pack a bag, get some cash and then go ahead and live like you would if this was not happening, but be ready to go if you think you need to.  Much like anyone living on the gulf coast would do for hurricane season.  I have this done already, bags packed, hurricane kit at the ready, cash stashed in my "go bag", car filled with gas and a couple of gas cans filled & stored, and am ready to evacuate due to a hurricane should the need arise, but having lived on the coast for close to 10 years, I can say that I have never needed to implement my evacuation plans, and have lived through numerous hurricanes.  I did not prepare for anything with regards to this disaster, I did mine for the normal hurricane preparation that I do every year in April.

I'm not going to suggest that people need to go talk to a professional unless you are feeling overwhelmed and unable to cope with this situation.  I would suggest that you try and calm down, have a drink if that is your prerogative  and not worry to the point that it is overwhelming to think about.


Now this next comment from the Oil Drum (From the Part II section) is a perfect example of what I am talking about. This was posted by a commenter who goes by the name of Rovman.

As I have stated before,I work with ROVs and have done for many years. I have spent many many hours looking at footage from ROV cameras as part of my work and am very familiar with how ROVs work, what they do, and what you see in the monitors and what it is that is causing what you see. I have also spent many hours over the past few weeks watching the feeds from the Gulf. In that time, I have seen many interesting things but at no point have I seen anything which I can say is definitively, or even slightly likely to be, an oil or gas leak from the ocean floor. What all of the above videos show without exception is almost certainly silt kicked up from either thruster wash or the ROV itself contacting the ocean floor. There may be some small natural seeps, but I've not seen footage of any so far. There may even be some leaks that are to be worried about, but I haven't seen any evidence of this at all yet.

The ROVs involved in this task are very powerful. The Oceaneering Millenium, which is the commonest vehicle there produces 220hp and weighs 8,800lbs in air. They are trimmed to be 'heavy' and so will naturally settle to the bottom if power is lost. It is quite usual to have the ROV sitting on the bottom with a small amount of upward vertical thrust still applied. This sends a continuous wash of water down to the sea bed and kicks up silt, even though the vehicle is sat stationary on the sea floor. It really takes very little to disturb this very fine silt and create a sh*t storm. One the ROV takes off from the bottom, it trails with it a fair amount of silt and this creates a continuing sh*t storm for several tens of seconds as well. A classic sign that what you are seeing is silt kicked up is what appears to be black lumps with a trail of 'smoke'. These are what the commentator in the above video refers to as rocks thrown up by the erupting sea floor. They are no such thing, they are small lumps of mud trailing a plume of silt behind them.

Another thing to be aware of is the apparent scale of what you are seeing. When you see the stack it is easy to forget that it is about 5 or 6 stories high, and that the ROVs are the size of a minivan. They look a lot smaller. On the other hand, when a 'rock' flies past the camera it is easy to think it is a foot across. It isn't. It's probably about the size of a small coin.

I'd also caution people about trying to interpret the sonar images. There were comments a few threads ago which were wildly off. If you want to know what you are looking at, post a picture or a video clip and I or someone else with experience will take a look. These things are much harder to interpret than the video images.

I do get tired saying the same things over and over again, but I'm happy to continue to do so in an effort to educate people and counteract the rising tide of nonsense out there.

This comment was posted in response to someone linking to some Youtube videos they claimed showed "explosions on the seafloor".   You can see that this is detailed and reasonable explanation for many of the things that are seen but may or may not be misunderstood or mis-characterized by people who are unfamiliar with what they are seeing, or don't have an understanding of this type of work.

This goes to show that panic infused scenario's can easily become the norm just as much as "everything is fine don't worry".   We must not be complacent.  Be concerned, but don't panic at each and every story that comes along.  The more information we can obtain the better to determine the situation.

I'll keep a watch on the situation like everyone else and update as I get newly confirmed information.

Updated Information on Oil Spill & Rumor Patrol

First of all let me say that I had to take a bit of time off, as the story was really getting to me and I was struggling with the depression that comes hand in hand with spending so much time looking at all the information that is out there about this situation.   When that happens I feel guilty for feeling that way, as for the moment, I am the "outsider looking in" on the story.  While I do live along the gulf coast, I have fortunately have not had to deal with the oil on my own beaches as of yet, so I do not understand personally what it is that those who have dealt with it are going through.

I can imagine what it is like, as I worry about how this is going to change the way of life in the gulf coast.  So many will lose out on a way of life, so many creatures have died, and others will die because of the oil spill.  Sometimes there are just not the words to describe it.   Sometimes you just have to walk away from it all, if even for a short time, to save your sanity.


Okay, so what is going on?


So, based on what Unified Command is stating here is how things look as far as what is going on:

Thursday, July 1 Statistics

RESPONSE VESSELS
Vessels of Opportunity: 3,200
Barges: more than 600
Skimmers: more than 550
Other Vessels: more than 2,600
Total active response vessels: more than 6,950

Aircraft: 115

BOOM DATA
Boom deployed: more than 2.79 million feet
Boom available: more than 811,000 feet
Total boom: more than 3.6 million feet

OIL RECOVERED 
Oily water recovered: nearly 28.17 million gallons
Amount estimated burned: nearly 9.99 million gallons

Oil captured (CAP) over last 24hrs: more than 1.05 million gallons

DISPERSANTS
Surface dispersant used: more than 1.05 million gallons
Subsea dispersant used: more than 600,000 gallons
Total dispersant used: more than 1,650,000 gallons

PERSONNEL INVOLVED
Overall personnel responding: more than 43,000 personnel responding


Here is your Day 73 daily tally on the animals:

dead birds : 881
oiled but alive : 1,248
cleaned and released : 322


dead sea turtles: 441
oiled but alive: 102 
cleaned and released: 3


dead mammals: 52         
oiled but alive: 2
cleaned and released: 1


http://dailydeadbirds.com/

Rep. Edward Markey says BP's disaster response plan for an oil spill doesn't mention hurricanes or tropical storms.      Markey says the omission is yet another example of what the oil giant was not prepared to handle.

Big Surprise there right?  Obviously BP (nor any of the other oil companies) have shown themselves to be prepared for a spill nor the consequences that follow, so why expect them to have any kind of real time plan on what they should do in the event of a  hurricane.   You do have to wonder if they considered anything at all besides rushing a job done in order to claim as many profits as possible.


Okay Now Onto Rumor Patrol~


I've heard rumors that the Unified Command is threatening arrest of a class D felony and or a $40,000.00 fine of anyone including press who is caught within 20 meters of a "safe zone".
Of course there have been no links or verified proof to those claims so I went looking to see what I could find.

I did find something sorta similar but not really.

Coast Guard establishes 20-meter safety zone around all Deepwater Horizon protective boom; operations

NEW ORLEANS - The Captains of the Port for Morgan City, La., New Orleans, La., and Mobile, Ala. , under the authority of the Ports and Waterways Safety Act, has established a 20- meter safety zone surrounding all Deepwater Horizon booming operations and oil response efforts taking place in Southeast Louisiana.

Vessels must not come within 20 meters of booming operations, boom, or oil spill response operations under penalty of law.
The safety zone has been put in place to protect members of the response effort, the installation and maintenance of oil containment boom, the operation of response equipment and protection of the environment by limiting access to and through deployed protective boom.
In areas where vessels operators cannot avoid the 20-meter rule, they are required to be cautious of boom and boom operations by transiting at a safe speed and distance.
Violation of a safety zone can result in up to a $40,000 civil penalty. Willful violations may result in a class D felony.
Permission to enter any safety zone must be granted by the Coast Guard Captain of the Port of New Orleans by calling 504-846-5923.

Unified Command Deepwater Horizon Response


So that sounds a bit different from what I have seen reported on some of the conspiracy websites.


I was also reading Huffington Post and came across this story by Allison Kilkenny who says she spoke to a friend of hers named C.S. Muncy, who is a photojournalist and had taken a very, very brief video that shows some potentially disturbing images.
Video claiming that sand has been dumped over oil in attempt to cover it up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaHJf1GLD1E

After watching the video, I cannot confirm or deny the claims made in this video, but I have say I remain skeptical simply because  there was no attempt to remove the sand from the top to show what was underneath, and the description of it as seeming to be like "asphalt" under the sand seems unrealistic.  I cannot imagine that it would become that hard and unyielding.   We've seen the images of the tarballs, and the oil that is washing ashore, and it is gooey and sticky not hard like a rock.
I could be wrong, but I think before I call this one confirmed, I'll wait for more information, and more independent verification.



Now another rumor I've heard is that there is a giant methane gas bubble forming beneath the surface of the sea floor which is going to explode out and possibly cause a giant Tsunami.

Now this is patently ridiculous.  First and foremost, I cannot imagine that if this was indeed happening that BP or the Coast Guard would allow themselves to be sitting atop a potential danger like that that could kill all of them should such a thing happen.   Take into account that methane is coming up with the oil as that is what is being burned off on the rig/ship on the surface.   Methane bubbling up is not unusual and it is being studied, but it has been naturally occurring instances.   Now am I prepared to say that this would never happen? No, because I know better than to say "never", but in all likelihood it is not happening and won't happen.  As with the gushing itself, we would have independent scientists who are knowledgeable on this issue who would be stepping to the forefront to state this was indeed not only possible but probable.  So far, I have not see a rush rush from the scientific community to make any such claims.

The bigger concern is the amount of methane which is escaping (and not building up) which could cause more dead zones as it depletes the oxygen in the ocean.

For anyone who has never heard of it before, a dead zone in the ocean is an area where the oxygen in the water has depleted to the point where it cannot sustain life.  

The Gulf of Mexico is already home to one the the largest dead zones in the world, so this would be just another deadly blow to the gulf.

Palin Fan Fail

Palin Supporters Showcase Their Desire to Make Sarah Palin Look Like She Is Knowledgeable About Something, Anything, and Fail Yet Again!

Sarah Palin was recently a guest on the Bill O'Reilly show, and she once again allowed her ignorance to shine bright on national television due to her inescapably obvious jealousy of the President of the United States.  Her anger at him has been obvious, and while her supporters like to portray it as being something that is expected due to his inexperience, it is really an emotion she has a hard time controlling due to her inability to accept she did not succeed in the last presidential election.  She pit herself not against Joe Biden with whom she was actually running against, but against the top spot on the presidential ticket because that is the title she covets.

So, onto the Bill O'Reilly show.  Bill did a marvelous job of showing her to be the ignorant and ranting fool that she is, and all he had to do was ask her questions.  The fact is he didn't even ask tough questions, instead questions like, "what would you do", and she couldn't even answer that.  She ranted about stopping the leaking well in the gulf and yet when Bill pointed out that no one knew how to stop the well, she did not let that deter her from continuing her anger filled diatribe against President Obama.   She claimed that the Dutch were never called back and that both they and the Norwegian had offered to help but "couldn't even get the proverbial call back".

You can watch the entertaining exchange if you'd like.




Now as expected many started immediately laughing at Sarah for her Dutch Dike image and why not, as she is known for not being accurate in her claims. In fact more than a few people were willing to show how easily Sarah stretches the truth to embellish her own record.
Palingates did a story about part of this interview: Sarah Palin, still lying about her record regarding the oil industry in Alaska; Sarah Palin, in her attempts to undermine President Obama, continues to make wild claims about her tough stance when she dealt with the oil companies in Alaska before she quit the office of governor. They did quite a good job showing just how far Sarah tends to go in order to try and smear President Obama and make herself seem important.


Now Palin Supporters are doing some serious twisting of the facts in order to attempt to make Sarah's claims seem accurate and it truly is a sight to behold, especially in light of the actual facts.

The blog "Conservatives4Palin" posted this commentary yesterday:

FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2010

Guess What? The Dutch Want to Build a Sand Dike to Help with the Obama Oil Spill

By Ian Lazaran 

....................
The left should probably ask themselves why nobody in the mainstream media in America has criticized Palin for her comments about the Dutch. They haven't done so probably because they know that Governor Palin is absolutely correct. Barack Obama rejected assistance from the Dutch untilvery recently and he has failed to accept all the help that the Dutch have offered. What help from the Dutch has Barack Obama failed to accept?

The government is also making it difficult for the Dutch to provide assistance in creating sand barriers to prevent the spilled oil from reaching the gulf shores. Van Oord, a Dutch company and Deltares, a Dutch research institute provided plans to build 60 mile sand dikes and the government rebuffed their offer of assistance. The government has now changed it’s tune and has accepted the plan, but the Jones Act prevents the Dutch from operating in America’s coastal waters.

This article tells us that Barack Obama's failure to waive the Jones Act has prevented the Dutch from implementing its plan to build a.....sand dike, which is exactly the type of expertise that Governor Palin claimed the Dutch would bring. The article also tells us that Governor Palin is correct that Obama has only accepted some, but not all, of the help that the Dutch has offered due to his failure to waive the Jones Act.

It's pretty telling that Yglesias is the only liberal willing to come forward and concede that Governor Palin was "right" (his characterization of what Palin said, not mine). And liberals have the gall to claim that the right is suffering from epistemic closure?

**********************************************************************************
(I did not copy the entire article, only the truly relevant portions when taken into consideration what Sarah Palin was stating in her interview with Bill O'Reilly. )

Let's tackle the main points and go from there shall we?   Sarah claimed "The Dutch could not even get a proverbial call back" and that they have expertise in Dikes.

Now The Dutch did get a call back. Even they admitted as such:

Three days after BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, the Netherlands offered to help. Ships could have set about clearing the oil using Dutch sweeping arms, but the US government didn’t take up the offer. Dutch Consul General Geert Visser in Houston told Radio Netherlands Worldwide he was disappointed.

The article also went on to state:

Not only capricious US decision-making has made life difficult for the Dutch companies, but also protective US legislation. Consul General Geert Visser’s pet hate is the Jones Act: “It means that Dutch ships, or whatever other ships not under a US flag, can’t operate in US waters.” According to the Jones Act, all goods in US waters have to be transported by US ships.

Dutch Counsel Slams Foot Dragging by U.S. In Oil Spill

Now clearly the Dutch got a call back as they are complaining that their offer was not accepted on the 3rd day after the rig explosion. It also sounds like the Dutch have a bit of a problem with the Jones Act itself so perhaps they are more than willing to show their displeasure with that "thanks but no thanks" by taking a bit of a pot shot at the U.S. with regards to the oil spill simply because of their anger with the Jones Act?

So Sarah lied about that, and her supporters even prove it by linking to the article that shows they did indeed get a call back. They are obviously unwilling to admit to that part though. Why point out the obvious when it is much easier to just go with her lie and pretend like her claims are truthful.


Now, as to the response to the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and collapse, the Dutch claim that they offered to send help 3 days after the rig explosion, but it wasn't until the 4th day that the oil started showing up as leaking out of the riser pipe below the surface, prior to that there was simply oil from the platform, and based on those on scene, additional help was not really needed.  Now lets just give them the benefit of the doubt and say that they are talking about 3 days after the initial explosion took place, that puts the date at the 24th, which is when the first signs of oil was leaking out of the riser pipe, but it was not known at that point that it was going to be the huge or long lasting gusher that it has become.  BP was still the ones calling the shots at that point as they were "the responsible party" and therefore the ones  who were responsible for all efforts.  So, instead of being angry at President Obama, the anger should be directed at BP for their refusal of aide, but the Palin crowd can't let a chance to screech at the President go to waste.

April 20, 2010: 9:45 p.m. CDT - Deepwater Horizon catches fire.
April 21, 2010  Coast Guard rear admiral Mary Landry named Federal On Scene Coordinator
April 22, 2010  10:21 am - Rig sinks.
April 23, 2010  Coast Guard rear adm. Mary Landry tells CBS "At this time, there is no crude emanating from that wellhead at the ocean surface, er, at the ocean floor...There is not oil emanating from the riser either
April 24 - BP reports a leak 1,000 barrels (42,000 US gallons; 160 cubic metres) a day.


Here is the Response Timeline:
Deepwater Horizon Response

Here is the Timeline of events:
Wiki: Timeline of the Deepwater Horizon Events

So, despite the anger by the Dutch at the fact that the response team didn't need their help on the 3rd day as there was no noticeable leaking at that point, it was the correct response to make at the time.  It should also be mentioned that since that time, the Dutch have again offered their help by way of skimmers and that help has been accepted, and with no waiver of the Jones Act needed.   Now if you want to argue that the Unified Command was late in accepting that help, I will have no problem admitting that fact.  The Coast Guard was simply stupid to allow BP to make the final call on these decisions for as long as they have.  When it was obvious that BP was not putting the needed effort into the clean up of the spill, the Coast Guard should have taken total control of the clean up effort, but it didn't and still hasn't.

You will also notice that there is a constant reference to the Jones Act. The Jones Act was set up to protect the American worker.

The Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (P.L. 66-261) is a United States Federal statute that regulates maritime commerce in U.S. waters and between U.S. ports.

Section 27, also known as the Jones Act, deals with cabotage (i.e., coastal shipping) and requires that all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried in U.S.-flag ships, constructed in the United States, owned by U.S. citizens, and crewed by U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. The purpose of the law is to support the U.S. merchant marine industry, but agricultural interests generally oppose it because, they contend, it raises the cost of shipping their goods, making them less competitive with foreign sources.

In addition, amendments to the Jones Act, known as the Cargo Preference Act (P.L. 83-644), provide permanent legislation for the transportation of waterborne cargoes in U.S.-flag vessels.

(The cabotage provisions restrict the carriage of goods or passengers between United States ports to U.S. built and flagged vessels. In addition, at least 75 percent of the crewmembers must be U.S. citizens. Moreover foreign repair work of U.S.-flagged vessels' hull and superstructure is limited to 10 percent foreign-built steel weight.[2] This restriction largely prevents American shipowners from refurbishing their ships at overseas shipyards.)

Merchant Marine Act of 1920


Now there has been constant complaints that we are not able to get help due to the fact that the Jones Act has not been officially waived, and yet that rates as a 'true but barely" on the Truth O'Meter scale.

Thad Allen sets up accelerated Jones Act waiver process

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen today announced the development of specific guidance to ensure accelerated processing of requests for Jones Act waivers should they be received as a part of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response.

Currently, though 15 foreign-flagged vessels are involved in the response, but no Jones Act waivers have been granted nor required for the operations in which they are engaged.

However, in order to prepare for any potential need, Admiral Allen has provided guidance to the Coast Guard Federal On-Scene Coordinator, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the U.S. Maritime Administration to ensure any Jones Act waiver requests receive urgent attention and processing.

"While we have not seen any need to waive the Jones Act as part of this historic response, we continue to prepare for all possible scenarios," said Admiral Allen. "Should any waivers be needed, we are prepared to process them as quickly as possible to allow vital spill response activities being undertaken by foreign-flagged vessels to continue without delay."

To date, the administration has leveraged assets and skills from numerous foreign countries and international organizations as part of this historic, all-hands-on-deck response, including Canada, Germany, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, the United Nations' International Maritime Organization and the European Union's Monitoring and Information Centre. In some cases, offers of international assistance have been turned down because the offer didn't fit the needs of the response.

Generally, federal law prohibits a foreign-flagged vessel from transporting merchandise between points in the United States encompassed by the Coastwise laws. CBP makes determinations as to whether or not the Jones Act applies to the activities of a foreign-flagged vessel operating within U.S. waters.

Even if the Jones Act applies, a foreign flagged vessel can still conduct certain planned operations as part of the BP oil spill response if the vessel is an oil spill response vessel and meets the requirements of 46 USC section 55113.

The guidance provided by Admiral Allen would route waivers related to the BP oil spill response through the Federal On-Scene Coordinator, who will forward requests immediately through the National Incident Commander for expedited clearance.

A Jones Act waiver can be submitted by any interested party, either inside or outside the U.S. government.

Marine Log

So as has been reported repeatedly and more often ignored, there has been no need to waive the Jones Act, and by not doing so it has not stopped any help from being offered or accepted in the Gulf Of Mexico Oil Spill Containment & Clean Up.   Color me surprised that this is ignored by those who are desperate to find anything they can to complain about when it comes to the current administration, even if it means making things up which seems to be about all they have nowadays, when as I see it there are plenty of legitimate things you can complain about.

Now lets move onto these claims that the Dutch want to build 60 mile Sand Dikes to help protect the wetland.

What about these Sand Berm's or Dike's?

Are they the best option? Will they work?

The U.S. Army Corps had objected to parts of the plan, saying too many berms would alter tidal movements and send oil spilling onto neighboring Mississippi.The approved berms make up about half of an 86-mile network considered a last-ditch attempt to keep oil out of the state's fragile marshes.

"Rather than just say 'No way' the prudent thing to do was start a pilot project and keep asking questions," Allen said Thursday during a news conference in Venice.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said BP PLC, which is responsible for the spill's cleanup, would pay for the first section to be built, at Scofield Island. He said the oil company would pay for the other five if the Army Corps deems the Scofield berm successful.

Shreveport Times

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is desperate: millions of gallons of BP’s crude are launching an amphibious assault on his beaches and wetlands. So let’s do the math: desperation + a pol’s “do something” mentality = a loony decision to build 14-foot sand berms to protect the state’s coastline—a decision that bodes ill for the many others the state will face as BP’s oil gushes at least until August.

Before this, Jindal was known to scientists as the governor who in 2008 signed a law allowing the state’s public schools to teach creationism (excuse me! “intelligent design”) in their classrooms. The difficulty he has distinguishing science from faith reared its ugly head again when he cast about for a way to hold back BP’s oil. Emissaries from Jindal’s office have made regular pilgrimages to the Netherlands to consult with engineers about protecting the state’s coasts from the next Katrina. Van Oord, a marine engineering and dredging company that is constructing the artificial Palm Islands for Dubai, proposed building what amounts to artificial sandbars. “If you ask a Dutch company that builds artificial islands in Dubai how to protect marshlands and barrier islands,” says coastal geologist Rob Young of Western Carolina University, “of course they’ll say, ‘Let’s make an offshore island!—and shall we put a palm tree on it for you?’

Nothing like this has ever been tried, and the potential problems are legion. For starters, the 45 miles of berms the Army Corps of Engineers has OK’d will take six months to build, and “is going to start to erode and disappear immediately,” says Young. “I wouldn’t be surprised if by the time they get to the end the beginning is gone—and that’s without a storm.” (Scientists predict this hurricane season will be one of the worst in years.)

But heck, it’s BP’s money ($360 million for the berms alone, to be constructed by The Shaw Group Inc. of Baton Rouge, though the feds and state would have to front it and hope to be repaid), so who cares if the berms have to be rebuilt over and over? The real problem could be if they last long enough to block inlets that carry water to the wetlands on shore. If that happens, notes Young, “organisms that need to move in and out with tidal flushing won’t. You could kill the wetlands without the oil ever reaching them.” If they don’t block the inlets, then oil will reach the wetlands, and they’ll be toast. (If you think it’s tough to clean oil from a bird or beach, try cleaning it from the roots and stems of a wetland’s grass and reeds.) Altering tidal currents could also cause erosion of the natural barrier islands that protect the coast from hurricanes. “This could do more environmental harm than good,” says Young.

Newsweek: Don't Just Do Something



Dallon Weathers, noted coastal geologist at the University of New Orleans. Dr. Weathers compiled his concerns about the concept, perhaps in response to my May 10 post. His thoughts are summarized as follow:
• The planned area of dredging 1 mile from the shoreline will provide very little usable sediment.
• The proposed location and geometry of the designed berm ensures a rapid erosion timetable.
• The trench left at dredge site will modify wave patterns and rob sediment from the coastal system for years to come.
• Closing inlets would wreak havoc on the natural functioning of estuaries and inlets which make up our coastal ecosystem.
• Dredging along our coast could sever oil and gas pipelines.
• Precious offshore sand resources will be spread diffusely and haphazardly.
• Plugging inlets will cause channel scouring and potential inlet relocation.
• Waste of money and sentiment for others to give to future restoration.
• The (proposed sand) berm won’t be ready to help with this oil spill, or last for another.

LA Coast Post

There seems to be a general consensus that these berms or dikes are a bad idea.  Why invest so much into a project that is doomed to not only fail, but in all likelihood make matters worse?  Is it really just a desire to do anything over doing something right?    Bobby Jindal has wanted these berms put in place long before the oil spill and now he has an even better excuse to use to attempt to get them put up, and what's worse is that BP will be paying for them.   I have no qualms about the fact that BP should pay for doing everything they can to not only clean up the mess, but to help find ways to prevent the disaster from becoming worse, but it seems really ignorant to have them spend that money on something that isn't going to work, when the money could go towards some other idea that will work, or someone who has lost everything due to this disaster.

When we demand that they just throw away money, then we become as reckless as they have been, and that makes us no better than they are.


So the basis for this whole article that Sarah Palins' fans have written is false.  She was not right about the fact that the Dutch did not get the proverbial phone call back, because they did.  The Jones Act is not something that is a concern, as that has been taken care of already, it has not stopped or prevented help from coming into the Gulf of Mexico to help with the oil spill.   She lied about her record, unless of course she wants to come forward and admit that she did not do what she claimed instead she simply renamed an organization that was set up by the previous administration, and then admit that despite her claims of making sure that the Oil & Gas companies were working safer, they weren't and there is documented evidence of that fact.

Director James Cameron Produces More than Movies ~ Gulf Oil Well Solutions

James Cameron,  noted director of such films as recent blockbuster "Avatar", as well as "Titanic", The Terminator Series, and producer of many other films, is not just a famous director and producer, but he is also  a screenwriter, an editor and an inventor as well.
In mid-May, Cameron offered BP use of his private fleet of submarines, currently moored in Lake Baikal in the Russian federation. is considered an expert in the technology of deep-sea diving, having used submersibles in a succession of his films.

His 1989 film The Abyss is set underwater around an oil rig where a US nuclear submarine has crashed. The film was shot in a deep-sea canyon in the Caribbean known as the Cayman Trough. The make-believe oil company that owns the rig in Cameron's underwater thriller is called BP, standing for Benthic Petroleum.

In preparation for his 1997 blockbuster, Titanic, he created a new generation of mini remotely operated vessels (ROVs) that were small enough to enter the inside of the sunken ship.

He later returned to the site of the shipwreck to make a 3D documentary of the Titanic remains, Ghosts of the Abyss (2003).

In addition to his own submersible creations, Cameron has worked with the Russian-made Mir submarines on lease from the Russian Academy of Sciences.

He has filmed at depths of as much as two miles – twice the depth of the Deepwater Horizon well.

He once told the public radio network NPR: "There are four submersibles in the world right now that can go to 20,000 feet and, you know, that's like trying to explore an area the size of all the continents of the world put together with four Jeeps."

Cameron also works closely with fellow-Canadian Phil Nuytten, a designer of remotely- and human-controlled deep-sea vessels.

BP turned down the offer, but that didn't stop Cameron from plugging forward with his decision to help in some manner, and so he gathered together 28 experts to see what they could come up with.  The following is part of the report that his group issued:

On June 1, 2010 twenty-eight experts in marine engineering and science, as well as government and oil industry technical advisors, met at the EPA building in Washington to consider possible alternative solutions to capping or controlling the runaway well in the Gulf of Mexico.


The group included leading experts in deep ocean engineering, marine science, remotely operated vehicles, piloted submersibles, offshore oil operations and well control. Also attending were representatives of NOAA, EPA, and the Coast Guard.


Executive Summary
On June 1, 2010, at the invitation of James Cameron, a group of twenty-eight experts in deep ocean engineering and exploration met in Washington, DC. This group included representatives from marine industry, oceanography, government agencies, and ocean advocacy and represented a unique and powerful talent base focused on one purpose: to identify possible solutions to capping and ultimately controlling the runaway Deepwater Horizon well in the Gulf of Mexico.
At meetings end it was recognized that the situation was much more complicated than portrayed through the media and that the potential for making matters dramatically worse was significant. With that in mind this group recommended three near-term solutions.




1. Tap into the 8 additional 3” ports that currently exist
on the BOP to draw off more oil through the second
riser (2nd riser was established for the two 3” lines used
for the kill shot). Using this technique should allow the
capture of significantly more oil than is currently being
recovered. These lines will function in parallel with the
existing LMRP Cap while the new valve/cap is being
fabricated. These additional lines could also be used to
pump heavy mud, and then cement, in a repeat of the top
kill procedure should one be attempted.


2. Replace the existing LMRP Cap with a new cap
that produces a solid seal, and has a valve that can be
controlled from the surface to produce the necessary back
pressure for a more effective top kill procedure. The cap
would be mechanically locked over the existing flange at
the top of the BOP, using hydraulically actuated clamps,
then filled with cement, epoxy or ferrofluid to generate
a permanent seal. A rubber tube or skirt inside the cap
would keep a channel clear for the oil to flow through
while the sealant is injected. Variants on this cap/valve
concept include a temporary or permanent expanding
bladder inserted into the bore of the BOP if the bore is
unrestricted with drill pipe.


3. As an alternative to top kill, it may be possible to
engage the existing drill pipe with an overshot, using
high frequency sonar to image within the venting oil. If
sufficient unobstructed internal clearance exists through
that pipe it could have a tube inserted through it. The
object is to pump heavy mud into the well deep in the
hole. A version of this concept that incorporates an
expanding bladder cap (pipe through the middle of the
bladder) would combine the best of both concepts... back
pressure and deep injection of mud.


The optimal outcome is that some combination of these techniques could be used to kill the well, which is vastly superior to the current situation in which the cap system is estimated to be capturing only about half the oil, and the whole thing is vulnerable to work stoppage in the event of a hurricane. Killing the well is a 100% solution. In addition to consideration of the Deepwater Horizon well itself, the group discussed steps that should be taken to more efficiently manage similar environmental threats in the future.


These included encouragement for the deployment of long term undersea environmental monitoring systems, the establishment of environmental baselines, and the design and development of a rapid response capability consisting of an assortment of platforms and sensors.



(Subsequent to the meeting of the task force BP revealed there are three 16” rupture/burst disks in the well, the condition of which is not known. If their integrity has been compromised any effort at a top-kill has a very low probability of success and may further damage the integrity of the well.)


Conclusions and Recommendations

Regarding BP’s post-accident response, our general conclusion is that BP have assets on scene sufficient to deal with the problem. BP’s expertise is excellent at the engineering level, and the post-incident decisions made to date are, for the most part, correct, at least regarding well control, however we believe that more needs to be done.
Although the media have given the impression of sequential processing of the problem as each new procedure is attempted, it is clear that sufficient parallel processing has been applied to solve the problem on several fronts.  However, external advisory support and analysis from the deep ocean community should have been sought out, both by BP and government, at an early stage
The transparent flow of information from BP to responding agencies and from the marine science/engineering community to the government would have helped enormously. Obtaining critical information on flows, pressures and status of the well was beyond arduous and thus much of it was estimated or inferred.  Going forward, BP should avail itself of the analytical and engineering support offered by the deep ocean community, which is highly expert in deep vehicle design and operation, and in deep ocean operations at depths greater

than the well site.


BP should consider restricting BOP internal pressure at the top flange and then repeating the top-kill, because the LMRP cap is subject to leakage and forced removal in a hurricane. This would involve creating a new cap or plug containing a surface controlled valve. The valve would be used to meter the flow, maintain enough back pressure in the BOP and give the top-kill a greater chance to work. The new cap/plug would make a high pressure seal to the upper flange, as opposed to the LMRP cap’s “loose seal.”


A variant on this idea is using the existing drill pipe, already in the well, or an additional pipe or tube inserted through it (or replacing it) to inject heavy mud all the way to the bottom of the well and attempt a kill that way. BP should be asked if they have analyzed this. The opaque flow of the oil will require the use of high frequency multi-beam sonar to image the pipe’s position inside the BOP. To increase capture of oil, BP should add more 3” lines (same as the choke and kill lines) to take advantage of the multiple valve ports on the stack. This would require significant work with ROVs, but could happen after the LMRP cap is in place. Two and possibly as many as eight 3” lines could be added. These lines would pump more volume of oil to the surface without relying on the LMRP cap. They will also relieve the flow at the LMRP cap and provide backup if it fails or needs maintenance. In addition, they could be used to pump mud into the well bore at high volume in a second attempt at a topkill.


Combined with higher back pressure and fine control of BOP internal pressures from the proposed valve/cap, this could insure success months in advance of the relief well.



A major flaw in the current LMRP cap strategy is that it depends on the ship holding station without interruption. If a hurricane forces the ship to move, the well will vent without restriction into the sea. We predicted during the meeting that the flow would increase significantly when the riser was cut off, and it has more than the predicted 20%. This rate is the new normal any time the LMRP cap is removed because of weather or loss of function. With a minimum of two months required to complete the relief wells, we recommend that another attempt to kill the well be made soon.



BP has assets on scene sufficient to deal with the control of the well. The deep ocean community has vehicles that could assist, but they are unnecessary for work directly at the well, and integrating working styles with the offshore ROV operators already on the scene would be counter productive.


However, assets like ROV’s, 3D cameras, and manned submersibles from the deep ocean community should be employed by government agencies immediately to independently image and monitor the site and the midwater and benthic communities. Quantitative optical imaging in 3D and from uncompressed sources could be used to monitor flow rates. Acoustic volumetric monitoring similar to what has been accomplished at deep sea hydrothermal vent sites could be utilized. Right now the government is relying on the perpetrator’s poor-quality surveillance video of the crime scene.



Commander Greene of Coast Guard assured us that all command decisions were being made jointly between BP and USCG. But this can only truly happen if Incident Command has an independent flow of data and imaging, to make informed decisions. Currently it does not. We recommend independent imaging and data acquisition in situ within visual range of the work as it proceeds. This would allow the government to monitor progress, leakage, and scan for additional leaks and hazards, as well as have a data set for accident investigation, independent analysis of well control efforts, and flow measurement.





Coordination of all vehicles on the bottom is critical so as not to impede the critical work at the well site, but can be done. This group has extensive experience in operating multiple vehicles, both piloted and ROV, within a small theater of operations. Piloted vehicles and fiber-spooling vehicles could approach the well by traversing across the bottom from a deployment point outside the cluster of ships directly over the work site, so as to not interact with BP’s ROVs, tethers, and risers.



In addition to independent imaging and monitoring of the site, the responsible agencies should look to our group to assist with incident investigation. Phoenix has performed search and recovery operations for the US Navy under Sup/Salv. Lightstorm, working with the Russian Academy of Sciences Mir research subs, has carried out exterior and interior forensics studies at Titanic and Bismarck. (Both wrecks are at much greater depths than the blown out well.) Woods Hole has decades of experience with deep-sea surveys, bottom mosaics and marine archeology including the Titanic wreck site and Challenger debris field.


There is no better capability anywhere in the world.



Creating a definitive seafloor survey of the site, including the wreck of the Deepwater Horizon, will be a critical part of the accident investigation. Members of this group have extensive experience operating small fiberspooling ROVs inside shipwrecks hundreds of feet and several decks away from the entry point. It may be possible to recover valuable data from the Deepwater Horizon that could assist in understanding the accident. A comprehensive interior and exterior survey of the wreck should be performed as a basic part of the investigation. Our experience with wrecks is that “the steel does not lie.” Deepwater Horizon holds many answers to urgent questions.


Many of the people in the room will be involved in studies to determine the damage to the environment below the ocean’s surface. There was a strong level of commitment and desire to work cooperatively in an unprecedented way.  Typically these institutions organize vertically under their funding agencies (Navy, NOAA, NSF and others) and work in an uncoordinated fashion.


Dealing with the aftermath of the biggest environmental disaster in US history will require unprecedented coordination; all present were eager to work within this framework. Craig McLean of NOAA offered to function as a pro-tem hub for that effort, specifically in creating a master list of assets and capabilities.



One example of this kind of coordination is the need to establish a centralized database for existing Gulf samples, imaging, and research currently residing within many institutions and researchers. What the conditions were before the spill and how much good data exists is critical generating a baseline for the
upcoming studies. It will also be important to standardize the instrumentation, regardless of the vehicular platform, so that the same types of data are coming in from all measurement sites.


Different institutions have different ships, ROV’s, AUV’s, manned subs, and deep-sea capabilities, so it will be important to cast each one in its right role. We also concluded that this group represented an excellent nucleus for a Rapid Response Team to deal with deep ocean incidents environmental or otherwise.
(Such as the search still underway for the Air France black box.) There are precedents for this in earthquakes, submarine rescue, and aircraft disasters
.
The team would be international and have a webbased inventory of private-public sector deep-sea scientists, technical systems and scientific packages. It would have a central command structure. It would be an independent body that governments could call on for high-resolution imaging and scientific accuracy. It was agreed to follow up on this idea; one of our members offered to host a meeting on the subject at his institution.



We are finished with regard to our recommendations on the well control and oil capture task (unless specific recommendations are adopted and create ongoing engineering or execution roles for some of the members), but we believe that this is just the start of the conversation for the coordinated research, site survey, independent site monitoring, and rapid response concepts.

http://www.whoi.edu/fileserver.do?id=64023&pt=10&p=43992

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Oil Spill Page:
http://www.whoi.edu/topic/oilspills/

Despite the lampooning David Cameron took in the media for his offers to help, this report shows how important his help could be to the U.S. in their independent investigation into the Deepwater Horizon Explosion that resulted in the rig's sinking and creating the worst environmental disaster this country has ever faced.  His group is willing to work with helping BP to stop or reduce the flow of oil into the gulf, in assisting the U.S. in gathering evidence for the investigation, and to help create a group that would be capable of responding to disasters around the globe.

I am impressed with the report and am doubly impressed with Mr. Cameron's desire to help not just in this situation, but others that might arise.