BP says huge U.S. drilling platform is tilting (Dennis Damage)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8550990/

Oil major BP Plc said Tuesday it was surveying any damage to its Thunder Horse platform — the largest new oil facility planned in the Americas through 2007 — after it began listing 20 to 30 degrees following the passing of Hurricane Dennis.

The platform was scheduled for initial production later this year of 250,000 barrels per day of oil and 200 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Thunder Horse is the biggest hope for a small recovery in crude production in the United States where oil output has been falling since the 1970s.

<snip>

BP was surveying Thunder Horse on Tuesday with remote operated vehicles operated from a mother ship.

On Monday, Chappell said the listing could be due to excess water in the platform’s ballast tanks from Hurricane Dennis and not the result of major structural damage.

[AX10]

1. $3.00+

[CottonBear]

2. Holy cow! How will they fix that?

:scared: I hope that no one was hurt? Can you imagine being on board that platform?

[RamboLiberal]

5. No one on board so no one hurt

But another excuse to rip off our wallets.

[CottonBear]

15. I wonder if there be another price increase because of this?

Gas prices have skyrocketed here in Georgia in the last week. Regular unleaded is now 2.23/gallon. :(
Gas was $1.85/gallon in Northwest Georgia about 5 weeks ago.

[acmejack]

6. If it is flooded ballast tanks they will pump them out and it will be OK.

If the tanks are taking on water still, the thing is in real risk of capsizing. They didn't say if the list was increasing or was static.

[CottonBear]

14. Thanks for the explanation. n/t

[malmapus]

3. THAT doesn't look too promising in the picture

Wow, seems to be tilting a little more than 20 to 30 degrees to me.

[Kagemusha]

11. 30 degrees means 1/3rd of the way before being on its left side.

From the pic, it's 30 degrees.

[malmapus]

12. ahhh thanks for clearin that up =)

man that looks bad everytime I look at it

[Boomer]

4. If it can't survive Dennis...

...what shape will it be in if Tropical Storm Emily turns into a hurricane, not to mention the two tropical depressions already lined up behind her.

Early indications are that this hurricane season is going to be one long line of storms marching through the Atlantic. Gonna make repairs a "challenge" indeed.

[htuttle]

7. Technical questions -- anyone know?

1) Do these things sit on the bottom, or do they 'float' except for the drilling pipe? The 'excess water in the ballast tanks' possibility makes me think they float.

2) Speaking of the drilling pipe, wouldn't a tilt of this magnitude bend the pipe leading to the bottom all to hell? If it IS all bent up, would they even be able to replace it somehow? It seems that they would need to replace everything starting with a section that wasn't bent which is certainly well under water (maybe have to replace the pipe from the sea floor on up?).

[Oreo]

9. See my post below

I think the pipes are sectioned enough that they can bend. I'm pretty sure that now they can drill under the ocean floor and direct the pipes in various directions. They're built to move

[htuttle]

10. Thanks!

[mbperrin]

16. Those sections are called whipstocks

and they're also used for horizontal drilling zones on land.

[Oreo]

8. If it is just water in the ballast tank....

they'd be able to pump it out and get it back to level. Most platforms aren't planted in the bottom of the sea. They float on the sea and are anchored.

Here's a good graphic showing how it floats.

[insane_cratic_gal]

13. here comes your $ 3.00 a gallon

Sooner then anticipated.

Shit if someone sneezes on a barrel of oil they raise the prices.

[BrotherBuzz]

17. Heck, it's ready to slant drill all the way to Cuba

Didn't Cuba just discover an oilfield? Hmmm, maybe Dennis was just a cover for a larger diabolical plan. :evilgrin:

[n2doc]

18. Latest rumor is that it has nearly sunk

I have a few more pics from yesterday if anyone is interested in posting them. I saw this going out from Corpus Christi- it is huge.