Data here: http://www.bit.ly/InDeepWater
DESIGN: David McCandless
RESEARCH: David McCandless, James Key
ADDITIONAL DESIGN: Matt Hancock
SOURCES: International Energy Association, CIA Factbook, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited, Press Reports
DATA: Explore in this Google doc
RESEARCH: David McCandless, James Key
ADDITIONAL DESIGN: Matt Hancock
SOURCES: International Energy Association, CIA Factbook, International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited, Press Reports
DATA: Explore in this Google doc
55 Comments
I agree with Alycia that a graph of what other products are made from petroleum besides is gas. Worst case scenario now in June is that 200,000 gallons of oil a day, or more? are gushing into the Gulf of Mexico with the flow of oil growing with the different attempted repairs to the leak. Perhaps an updated graphic for June ? I wish by the time I write this its not needed, but sadly an update is called for already.
On the time to recover for the gulf. There are a couple of differences between the gulf spill and the Valdez. First as noted the kind of oil. Second because there are natural seeps in the gulf, albeit not in the volume of this spill, there exist native bacteria that will overtime have a feast. Third its much warmer in the gulf than Alaska so bacteria function much faster than in Ak. I have not seen a lot of documentation but it appears that Ixtoc did not produce damage that lasts till today. The temp means that the bacteria work faster. Despite the worries a major hurricane will break the oil into smaller and smaller particles and help more of it evaporate as the oil is in the spray. It will not be good for any land area it hits as the land will get an oil coating however.
“How can a device that has 260 failure modes be considered failsafe?”
Indeed, the system shutdown design of this so-called “Blowout Preventer” device is simply incredible. Were the designers of this subassembly impaired? A high school auto-shop class could have done a better job here.
Sick as it sounds, upcoming investigation efforts will likely result in no corrective action with respect to this glaring issue; and will simply focus on finger-pointing with respect to the installation, maintenance, and operation of the device as it was designed.
So take heart, Cameron company; you’ll be safe from having to “do the right thing” and change your design. BP and Transocean et al, don’t worry; they’ll never require you to correctively retrofit these electromechanical abominations which you have scattered about the seafloors of the world.
And everyone else, be at ease; the media and your governments will tell you “everything is under control.”
20 minutes into the future…
Really, It is well said. Special interests have too much influence. We need to at least take their money out of the electoral process to give politicians more leeway to do what is for the common good of the country.
I’m also going add my call for an update here. As of 07/21/10 the well is *almost* capped and still leaking at a diminished rate with some concern that the whole seafloor might be subsiding and the well could completely collapse now that enough pressure has leaked out.