What About The Methane Gas Being Released With The Oil?

[Son Of Wendigo]

Methane gas is being released with the oil. You've seen the latest video, the one that BP sat on for three weeks, presumably with Obama's consent. At the beginning, the pipe is blowing what looks like steam into the water. That's methane. After a few seconds, mostly oil is coming out, but some methane is visible just below it. The "ice crystals" which clogged the first containment structure were methane hydrate, which forms when methane dissolves in cold water. But a lot of methane is making it to the surface. I have looked and haven't found any estimates. They are having enough trouble figuring out how much oil is coming out of that tube.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas. According to the EPA it is about 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

http://www.epa.gov/methane/

The Cambridge University Press Blog "This Side Of The Pond" has an alarming post about methane as a greenhouse gas.

"Molecule for molecule, methane is about 25 times more potent a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Today, the amount of methane in our atmosphere is spiking at an alarming rate. Arctic research vessels are discovering “methane chimneys” where CH4 bubbles-up and foams on the ocean’s surface. Scientists call this situation “a ticking time bomb.” They fear that, as the climate warms, vast stores of methane could be released from thawing tundra and melting deposits of methane ice beneath the ocean. If this process gains momentum, it could initiate a self-reinforcing feedback loop that would spiral out of control even if we cut our greenhouse emissions to zero."

http://www.cambridgeblog.org/2010/05/oil-coal-methane-and-climate-change/

[flamingdem]

1. Cow farts x 1,000 just great, thanks BP nt

[Webster Green]

2. They're burning it off like they do at refineries.

You've probably seen the flames coming out of a stack at oil refineries. I think they're doing the same thing here. The end product of the burn is CO2 and water vapor.

[Son Of Wendigo]

4. Haven't Seen Evidence Of That In The Gulf

I read somewhere on the Internet, on someone's blog, I think, but no place official, that the Coast Guard is being very careful and taking precautions to prevent sparking in the general area of the spill. Methane is lighter than air and spreads out rapidly, and at about 10 parts methane to 90 parts air is enormously explosive

[Webster Green]

6. I read it somewhere today.

I assume the stack would be elevated to get it above dangerously high concentrations of methane.

[Son Of Wendigo]

7. Where Would They Put Such A Stack...

and how high would it have to be? High concentrations of methane merely burn, witness your stove. Low concentrations are explosive. Every winter two or three houses develop a gas leak, something causes a spark, and the house explodes showering pieces all over the neighborhood.

The Coast Guard has tried once or twice to burn some of the oil floating on the water, but I do not see how it is possible to safely burn the methane. Allegedly, BP's latest effort, which involves sticking a smaller pipe into the riser pipe which is spewing the oil and gas, will capture some of it, but no one knows for sure how this will work and for how long. There is sand and grit mixed in with the oil which will abrade whatever pipes they use and make new holes.

[Webster Green]

8. I don't know.

I read an article. It wasn't that detailed, but that was the procedure they described. I'm sure no expert on this stuff.

It may have come from the BP spill response site. I've read so much that I can't remember where I saw it.

[Strelnikov_]

3. ..

fuck it

[TampaAnimus2010]

5. Those are coming up from just about all the oil rigs...

This one isn't special. I'm not saying it's good... only that this isn't a special case, so dont act surprised over it.