I have two questions about the BP gusher:

[intheflow]

1. Does anyone have any estimates of how much oil is down there and/or how long it might gush? Some BP geologist must know, they wouldn't have drilled if it wasn't worth their while.

2. Any estimates on how long before evaporating oil gets into the rain cycle? I'm not a scientist, but how big does the slick need to be before it starts poisoning inland water via the rain cycle?

[givemebackmycountry]

1. Two Answers

1. A fucking shitload. More than you can imagine.
2. Evaporation? I'm more worried about hurricane season which is, right around the corner. We get a BIG one? Game over.

[NYC_SKP]

2. 500 to 700 million bbls or more, and I wouldn't worry so much about evaporating oil...

I'm pretty sure about these things, but others here may have better answers:

What few components of crude are able to evaporate and join the rain cycle aren't going to make a significant impact on terrestrial flora and fauna compared to what's already in the mix for inland species.

Further, I think most of the air will not make landfall, at least not here, and what heads East may be back in the water before seeing land again.

OTOH, light gases like all the methane that's been released are a problem.

Methane is more than 20 times more harmful as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide.

:patriot:

[PSPS]

3. Question #1 was brought up tonight in a conversation

I'm beginning to think that this is the way this "spill" will end -- when the volcano of oil simply runs out. In other words, the entire deposit will be spewed into the sea. By this time next year, it will have destroyed every ocean.

[RandomThoughts]

4. Well I can say there is some BS about the oil story.

They are talking about a junk shot using golf balls.

That makes no sense in reality, quite simply, why would they say golf balls, why use them, what reason. It does not make sense, except as game playing metaphor.

In otherwords it is some tounge and cheek code speak from either the media or BP.

If you check posts, golf is the symbol for elite sport of PR and spin. When a person is BSing it is often called golfing.

So if they are using code speak in articles about the spill, what else are they BS'ing about.


I can only see the oil spill is being spoken about as a larger metaphor for the problem of the corruption that has been happening.

[Skink]

5. THe question BP is asking is how much oil can be recovered.

[flamingdem]

6. What led you to think that (other than their obvious greed)

would they try another technique if not after recovering oil?