What exactly is going on with all the oil spewing into the Gulf, biologically speaking? MSNBC explains in a series of graphics:
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has released millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the most devastating oil spill in U.S. history. It is clear that the spilled oil will have a large impact on the Gulf coast for years to come, but what happens to the oil in the first hours, days and weeks as it interacts with the surrounding elements?
There are many physical and chemical processes, collectively known as weathering, that change the oil’s properties and behavior after it is spilled into the ocean.
It begins with the oil particles spreading, and over months and years, particles eventually sink to the ocean floor and micro-organisms feed on hydrocarbons in the spilled oil. After that, I like to think everyone refuses to buy anything BP-related and the company goes bye-bye.
[Thanks, Jonah]
Uh yeah, let’s hope BP goes bye bye. That way we’re left with only the really good oil companies like ExxonMobile to extract the oil that feeds the global economy. We certainly wouldn’t want to use less of the stuff.
Whilst I don’t want to seem as though I’m defending BP just because I’m British, you know that BP actually just contracted out the drilling and operations and weren’t directly involved in what happened, right?
They own the oil field, but got Transocean Ltd (listed on the NYSE) to own and operate the Deepwater Horizon rig, who in turn contracted an outfit called Haliburton to actually supply the parts in the seven different safety systems BP insisted on, all of which failed!
I appreciate it’s a huge disaster that we all want to shout and be angry about, but at some point, somebody in the US is going to have to ask Haliburton and Transocean exactly what they were doing and why they’re not shouldering some of the blame. As the owner of the oil field, BP is basically cleaning up somebody else’s gross incompetence (as they should), but wishing hundreds of thousands of people out of work by BP going bust because they’re doing something their US partners refuse to, seem a little callous.
Nice graphic by the way.
Q: How do you try to win a contest for growing the largest tomato?
A: Paint a melon red.
I am British too – I work in Health/Safety and have done work in oil field (and other industries). Currently the tap root investigation is not in, but some understanding of the well construction process helps eliminate some. Also there is a lot of factual errors flying about.
Halliburton pumped cement
Schlumberger provided wireline
MI – Swaco(Schlumberger) sold the drilling fluids that prevent well influx.
Weatherford sold the completion tubular
Cameron provided / modified BOP
Trasnocean provided the rig and the drill crew / floor hands / OIM ect.
Hyundi made the rig.
http://reframeit.com/pages?comment_id=9EV5kFp6W71&uri=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lawyersandsettlements.com%2Farticles%2F14336%2Fbp-oil-spill-gulf-of-mexico-british-petroleum-5.html
So it is incorrect to say that Halliburton supplied 7 different systems that failed (please re-read the BP statement). Halliburton pumped the cement that may have failed.
Interestingly 2 US politicians sitting on the committee (and seeing the date first hand) wrote this letter to BP today.
http://energycommerce.house.gov/documents/20100614/Hayward.BP.2010.6.14.pdf
Lets see how the final ENGINEERING (not the political) investigation pans out.
Pingback: Sites and Soundbytes » Gulf Oil Spill Links
Paul, as a representative of the traditional enemies of the British, wink wink, nudge, nuge, with all the bias inherent in that, let me say that I don’t really buy that. No matter who does what, BP was ultimately responsible for the supervision and control of their fields, even if they contracted out the work. The bucket stops at the owner’s table, and whatever issues BP has with the contractors, that’s their outlook.
That said, I wish any American consumers who want to wean themselves off BP:s product the very best of luck – I suppose you lot are picking up bicycles for your daily commutes now, eh?
Enough politics. The graphic itself is pointless – what, exactly, does it show that the printed words don’t already convey adequately?
bicycle… actually yeah, that’s what i plan to do. i need the exercise.
yeah, some of us will bike. others still sit by themselves in rush hour traffic surrounded by others sitting alone in their SUVs.
and it doesn’t even stop there. buying locally produced food (less trucking miles), taking fewer airplane trips, reusing products you’d normally throw away (coffee cups, plastic water bottles, etc) have an enormous impact on the amount of fossil fuels consumed at all points in the american economy.
a few really simple and easy to implement lifestyle choices go a long way towards weaning us off oil. but are we motivated to do something, or more concerned about the new iphone?
Pingback: Infographic of the Day: The Physics of Oil Spills | Web Design Cool
Pingback: Utah Oil Spill (PHOTOS): 500 Barrels Spill Into Red Butte Creek … | World Politics
Pingback: Dumb and Dumber, First Obama Compares BP Oil Spill to 911, Then … | World Politics
Pingback: The Physics of Oil Spills | The Big Picture
Pingback: The Physics of Oil Spills | Aktiebloggar.se
Pingback: Infographic of the Day: The Physics of Oil Spills
Pingback: Daily Links for June 14th | Akkam's Razor
Pingback: Gulf Oil Spill Damage Reaches South Africa | World Politics
Pingback: The Physics of Oil Spills : Invest My Money
Pingback: Link(s): Mon, Jun 14th, 1pm | Your Revolution (The Blog!)
Pingback: The Physics of Oil Spills « So It's Come To This:
BP won’t go bye bye. But – if we buy enough gas from BP we could save the planet: http://buycottbp.tumblr.com/
Pingback: Kill the Ocean and we all die « Ezkool
I doubt BP is going to make it after this one. Exxon had to merge with Mobile after Valdez, and as horrible as Valdez was, it doesn’t even come close to the impact/costs of the mess in the Golf. BP will have to pay billions upon billions of dollars to the affected population, as well as the costs to clean up the oil.
They simply won’t have enough money to not be taken over or sold, especially since 40% of the stocks belong to Americans who won’t want anything to do with BP anymore.
Pingback: Oil Spill report + TEDxOilSpill + Design proposal „Protei“ – TED Fellows « matthiasdaues