Federal scientists estimate that 126 million to 218 million gallons have spilled into the Gulf since the start of the spill. About 80 million gallons of that has been skimmed, burned off or captured in containment efforts — leaving at least 40 million gallons of crude unaccounted for.
Filed under bp oil spill, environmental disaster, gulf of mexico, oil spill
A wellhead in southeastern Louisiana was spewing a mist of oil and gas up to 100 feet into the air after being hit by a tug boat early Tuesday morning, officials said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/us/28leak.html
Filed under gulf of mexico, oil spill
Tests had detected a seep — usually a flow of hydrocarbons from the seafloor — “a distance from the well.”
The positive data shows that the well’s interior was likely undamaged after the April 20 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig in which 11 platform workers died. The rig sank on April 22. While exact figures are not confirmed, the spill has become the largest oil spill in U.S. history, according to estimates of the flow rate, which would total hundreds of millions of gallons.
An oil soaked bird struggles against the oil slicked side of the HOS Iron Horse supply vessel at the site of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana on Sunday, May 9, 2010.
Over two days in Louisiana, crews have collected almost 1,700 pounds of tar balls. Texas has tar balls. Alabama has oil-smeared hermit crabs. To critics, all danger signs: too much oil’s still getting past BP’s defenses, reports CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann.
“They understate or overestimate what they are doing depending on the case,” said John Young with the Jefferson Parish council. “The skimming is just woefully inadequate.”
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/07/06/eveningnews/main6652191.shtml?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea
A spill there, even one significantly smaller than the continuing BP spill, could turn into an economic and environmental nightmare for Florida. Some oceanographers say the oil would likely be carried up Florida’s Atlantic Coast, the heart of its tourism industry.
“We have one of the world’s largest coral reefs and a protected marine sanctuary there,” said Dan McLaughlin, a spokesman for Sen. Bill Nelson (D., Fla.) “We should not be drilling there.”
Filed under bp oil spill, coral reefs, Deepwater Horizon, florida, marine sanctuary, oil spill
The answer to the flow question turns out to be a lot.
Natural seeps turned out to account for 600 kilotons annually, or 47 percent of the total. Consumption — from such activities as boating, urban runoff and industrial wastes — came in second at 480 kilotons, or 38 percent of the total. In third place were releases from such transportation-related activities as leaky pipes, tanker spills and cargo-hold washings. They amounted to 160 kilotons annually, or 12 percent of the total.
In last place were releases to the sea that tend to make headlines — those associated with oil extraction, like the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20. Globally, that kind of release amounted to 38 kilotons annually, or 3 percent of the total.
For now, Tropical Storm Alex, which is hitting the western Caribbean with rain and high winds, is not expected to pass close to BP Plc.’s blown-out well off the Louisiana coast.
But even a miss that only generates large waves could greatly complicate clean-up efforts from Louisiana to Florida
Current official estimates suggest between 35,000 to 60,000 barrels a day are leaking from the rogue well. BP collected over 24,000 barrels on Friday and about 11,640 barrels in the first half of Saturday, the company estimated.
Filed under bp oil spill, Deepwater Horizon, gulf disaster, gulf of mexico, Hurricane
Captain Mike Ellis of Venice, Louisana describes how BP is incinerating endangered sea turtles in its attempt to burn off spilled oil floating in the Gulf of Mexico near the wreck of the Deepwater Horizon. The turtles are getting trapped by boats towing huge flame-resistant booms.
http://bigthink.com/ideas/20654
Filed under bp oil spill, environmental disaster, oil covered birds, oil spill
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