Why did BP not cap the oil well in the first place. Why did it take them so long?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

what did they do different this time?

are we making sure that all wells and rigs are properly equipped so that a potential leak can be contained right away?

are we going to stop drilling in the Gulf forever?

[napi21]

1. My guess is the pressure was way too high coming out of the well hole

and the cap they built was too small.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. it worries me

the fact that they couldn't do it right in the first place. I hope the court is going to pursue prosection for negligence?

[napi21]

6. Couldn't isn't a crime. Wouldn't IS! I may be just dumb, but

I believe they did want to get that thing stopped. There was absolutely no reason that would be in THEIR interest not to. Now, I can believe they wanted to cap it instead of completel seal it so they could come back at a future date and pump all that oil o of that hugh pool, but I don't know that for sure either. This mess has cost them dearly in real $$ along with image around the world and no Co. wants that.

I think the JD is looking into their replies to questions on their equest for the permit to drill. Apparently they very sloppily filled it out and there were things coied into that questionaire that aren't even applicable to the Gulf, like some animals they insured wouldn't be harmed but there aren't any of that species in the Gulf region, and the exper who signed off on their promises was already dead at the time. They still have a lot of very serious probems ahead.

[Yupster]

8. The well was an exploration well

not a production well.

It was never going to have production come out of that hole.

BP drilled an exploration well. Turns out there was a lot of oil there. It was then to be sealed and at some later date, the field could be exploited by drilling production wells into the deposit.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

10. yes I guess they did have plans for it

[TexasProgresive]

19. How come what you post is ignored?

It's amazing how people who are ignorant of the procedures of oil and gas exploration can spout so much bull shit that has no basis in fact. You are right that it was an exploration well and never intended for production.

Wait there is more! No oil production company would let a well run wild since uncontrolled flow diminish the total production of the field.

Wait there is more! Huge amounts of oil was wasted and could not be recovered for refining.

Wait there is more! BP is liable to huge fines and law suits.

Wait there is more! This is a PR disaster for BP who had been promoting themselves as a "Green" company.

BP and others are responsible for this massive oil spill but when it came to trying to stop it they were doing the best they could. What I write will not convince people who posit the idea that BP did not cap the well immediately because BP would somehow profit from a run away well (what a run on sentence!).

Robert Heinlein wrote: You can sway a thousand men by appealing to their emotions quicker than you can convince one man by logic. It doesn't have to be a prejudice about an important matter either. Zebadiah Jones from If This Goes On AKA Revolt in 2100

[Rosa Luxemburg]

9. maybe they didn't want to shut it off altogether as

the well is a big one with lots of potential oil.

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. That's the question, isn't it.

I think it's less a problem with the people than with a mindset - and this was the same mindset that built the Titanic with 1/4 the necessary lifeboats because it would never sink anyway.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

4. I wonder did BP just unrec my post?

[whistler162]

20. No but that car outside of your residence

has BP thugs in it. They are waiting for the helicopters to arrive!:sarcasm:

[Rosa Luxemburg]

25. I expect it isn't an electric car

[sandnsea]

5. They didn't have the technology

They created a new type of cap. I'm surprised you missed that.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

7. they should have had the correct one before they started drilling?

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Clearly, they should have had remedies for all contigencies before they were permitted to drill

That, however, is not an answer to your question. You asked why it took so long, and why they didn't cap it in the first place. And sandnsea correctly answered you that they had to create the kind of cap that could cap it. That's the answer to your question.

[vaberella]

14. To be honest and not do defend BP----how would you expect that to be possible.

What you're suggesting then is that they never drill for off shore oil---because it's not as though they would ever be sure that they would ever have the correct equipment or instruments or even knowledge before drilling. And to be honest---nothing we've ever done in life has ever been 100% fool proof. I personally think they should NEVER have drilled offshore with the right knowledge or not.

[sandnsea]

15. Well no kidding

They did have safety strategies in place before they started drilling. Clearly it wasn't enough.

Just like people should put on their thinking caps before they speak, but clearly that doesn't always happen either.

[Aramchek]

11. the cap that finally worked was dreamed up in direct response to this leak

The technology didn't exist before.

It should be able to be applied again if this were ever to happen again.

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. Kind of like inventing the parachute after jumping out of the plane.

They KNEW that they didn't have the technology to deal with this before they started drilling. That's why they kept saying, from day one, that the ONLY way to stop it was with drilling a relief well and then plugging the well from below, which is how they've done it for 30 years, and it has always taken 3 months to shut it down.

So why didn't they 'suddenly' dream up this technology 30 years ago when they first discovered they might need it?

Nope, they went into this knowing that if something went wrong it would spew for three months, minimum. THAT is unconscionable.

[sandnsea]

17. More like the parachute and back-up fail

And you have to safe yourself while you're falling through the air.

The question is whether there was just poor planning in the construction and packing of these particular parachutes, or whether all the parachutes were of a shoddy design due to costs.

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=92765

[Aramchek]

21. they didn't ever come up with this before because there was nothing to test it on

This has been the proof of concept.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

24. it's unforgiveable

[thelordofhell]

16. Answers

Why did BP not cap the oil well in the first place?
----They didn't have the right cap.

Why did it take them so long?
----They had to make the right cap from scratch.

What did they do different this time?
----They didn't take the necessary precautions with the well drilling and didn't anticipate the possibility of the platform blowing up and sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

Are we making sure that all wells and rigs are properly equipped so that a potential leak can be contained right away?
----No. We should require the same safety precautions that are standard in European drilling, but we haven't....yet.

Are we going to stop drilling in the Gulf forever?
----No.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

22. Thanks for that - it is curious that Europe has stricter regulations

is someone doing something to rectify the situation. Has Congress forgotten about it?

[emsimon33]

18. I recommended & you are still at zero

Why are so many people against your post?????

[Rosa Luxemburg]

23. There must be an awful lot of 'oil lovers' here?

or friends of BP or Dick Cheney