Mother of all gushers - BP Oil Disaster in Gulf of Mexico
- Thread starter jelyfish
- Start date
I'm not sure if it's been mentioned in the thread before but reading up on George Ure's UrbanSurvival page for today:
He brings up an interesting idea of possible earth movement, probably in the area where the oil originates from. Kinda reminds me of scene in the movie "There Will Be Blood", when the character played by Daniel Day Lewis uses the term "I drink your milkshake". In a nutshell, he says that he could buy the land adjacent to the oil find, dig his own well and dry up the oil reserve under his land, the land with the oil find and all the other adjacent lands that the particular oil pocket occupies.
He brings up an interesting idea of possible earth movement, probably in the area where the oil originates from. Kinda reminds me of scene in the movie "There Will Be Blood", when the character played by Daniel Day Lewis uses the term "I drink your milkshake". In a nutshell, he says that he could buy the land adjacent to the oil find, dig his own well and dry up the oil reserve under his land, the land with the oil find and all the other adjacent lands that the particular oil pocket occupies.
N
nwigal
Guest
This was a prophecy shared in the 80's- at the time I just listened and stored it away... in the end times, the oil and gas, which were really not for us to use, would begin to become out of control, due to human greed. All kinds of dark things, bound within the Earth, would be loosened and begin to appear on the surface, affecting the minds of men, invisible at first (sinkholes, 4D underground bases manifesting as underground volcanoes, and cosmic war?).
The redistribution of the oil and gas would begin a chaotic axial wobble, due to the excess shifts of mass, both material and etheric.
This would lead to all kinds of scenarios of magnetic pole shifts, cometary bombardment, tectonic plate shifts, mass hysteria, ect.
The reincarnation of Atlantis was involved with this (there are many teachings about the Great War), in a geological/human karma type of event.
Many life-forms would be "relocated" to the past, the ones who could survive the "time" between mass extinctions. Except, if this currently manifesting extinction event is not managed correctly, it will not matter- the windows of evolution could close, and life would cease to exist here on this planet, as it had never been here in the first place. By managing an extinction event, the closest analogy I can provide would be a networked FRV, through breathing, song, dance, ect., a choice to not completely merge with the illusion of separation from the One, so Life can Be, in a Free Will Universe, to maintain the Balance.
I'm not here to create noise or attempt to teach; at least, I'd like to think so. It's just that it feels like I need to share what I've been given while I can- FWIW.
The redistribution of the oil and gas would begin a chaotic axial wobble, due to the excess shifts of mass, both material and etheric.
This would lead to all kinds of scenarios of magnetic pole shifts, cometary bombardment, tectonic plate shifts, mass hysteria, ect.
The reincarnation of Atlantis was involved with this (there are many teachings about the Great War), in a geological/human karma type of event.
Many life-forms would be "relocated" to the past, the ones who could survive the "time" between mass extinctions. Except, if this currently manifesting extinction event is not managed correctly, it will not matter- the windows of evolution could close, and life would cease to exist here on this planet, as it had never been here in the first place. By managing an extinction event, the closest analogy I can provide would be a networked FRV, through breathing, song, dance, ect., a choice to not completely merge with the illusion of separation from the One, so Life can Be, in a Free Will Universe, to maintain the Balance.
I'm not here to create noise or attempt to teach; at least, I'd like to think so. It's just that it feels like I need to share what I've been given while I can- FWIW.
I
Infiniteness
Guest
Hi all,
Here is a video talking about a theory that Israel had a connection with the BP oil spill. I believe also Perceval made a comment about this theory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPtaMgqOwL4&feature=popular
Here is a video talking about a theory that Israel had a connection with the BP oil spill. I believe also Perceval made a comment about this theory.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPtaMgqOwL4&feature=popular
Guardian
The Cosmic Force
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293797
First BP suicide? Gulf boat captain shoots himself on boat's deck
By Laura Trowbridge.
+
A Gulf of Mexico charter boat captain from Alabama committed suicide yesterday after he allegedly became too upset over the BP oil spill ruining the charter boat business.
As reported by Daily Mail, William Allen 'Rookie' Kruse, 55, shot himself in the head yesterday while standing on the captain's bridge of his boat in Fort Morgan, Alabama.
Two weeks ago, BP hired Kruse to help in the clean-up efforts of the Gulf oil spill after that spill closed his fishing grounds and ruined his charter business of over 20 years.
He was due to launch his boat again yesterday for another day of skimming oil in his new clean-up job, but he first sent his deckhands off the boat on an errand.
Baldwin County Deputy Coroner Rod Steade said: "He was going to meet them at the fuel dock. They heard a pop and when the boat didn't come around, they went back and found him."
Coroner Stan Vinson said witnesses claimed that Kruse had been distraught over the oil spill. Kruse left no suicide note as to why he took his life though.
Vinson said: "Witnesses told investigators that Kruse had been upset about the loss of business caused by the closing of fishing grounds and public perceptions of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill."
The coroner added: "All the waters are closed. There's no charter business anymore. You go out on some of the beaches now, with the oil, you can't even get in the water. It's really crippled the tourism and fishing industry here."
Tom Ard, president of the Orange Beach Fishing Association and Kruse's fellow fisherman for the past 25 years, told AOL News: "There's not a doubt in my mind, the oil spill was the cause of this. It was just too much for him."
Ard said Kruse was in the prime of his life when he killed himself, and he had been taking his 13-year-old son out on his charter boat to teach him how to fish.
"He had everything going for him. He was at the top of his game," Ard said. "He was the kind of guy that made everyone smile, and he was one heck of a fisherman."
Kruse's co-captain Jason Bell said: "He didn't show any signs he was going to do this that would have thrown up any red flags where you'd think you better keep an eye on him.
"He wasn't any more aggravated with the whole situation than any of the rest of us. I hate to say it, but I'm surprised something like this hasn't already happened."
A 27-year-old deckhand who was working for Kruse spoke anonymously to The Washington Post: "We're helping cover up the lie. We're burying ourselves. We're helping them cover up the [expletive] that's putting us out of work.
"It's just setting in with 'em, you know; reality's kicking in. And there's a lot of people that aren't as happy as they used to be."
Social service providers are seeing a rise in mental health crises around the Gulf area.
"We're seeing already an increase in suspiciousness, arguing, domestic violence... We're already having reports of increased drinking, anxiety, anger and avoidance," reported Howard Osofsky of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans during a two-day hearing this week.
First BP suicide? Gulf boat captain shoots himself on boat's deck
By Laura Trowbridge.
+
A Gulf of Mexico charter boat captain from Alabama committed suicide yesterday after he allegedly became too upset over the BP oil spill ruining the charter boat business.
As reported by Daily Mail, William Allen 'Rookie' Kruse, 55, shot himself in the head yesterday while standing on the captain's bridge of his boat in Fort Morgan, Alabama.
Two weeks ago, BP hired Kruse to help in the clean-up efforts of the Gulf oil spill after that spill closed his fishing grounds and ruined his charter business of over 20 years.
He was due to launch his boat again yesterday for another day of skimming oil in his new clean-up job, but he first sent his deckhands off the boat on an errand.
Baldwin County Deputy Coroner Rod Steade said: "He was going to meet them at the fuel dock. They heard a pop and when the boat didn't come around, they went back and found him."
Coroner Stan Vinson said witnesses claimed that Kruse had been distraught over the oil spill. Kruse left no suicide note as to why he took his life though.
Vinson said: "Witnesses told investigators that Kruse had been upset about the loss of business caused by the closing of fishing grounds and public perceptions of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill."
The coroner added: "All the waters are closed. There's no charter business anymore. You go out on some of the beaches now, with the oil, you can't even get in the water. It's really crippled the tourism and fishing industry here."
Tom Ard, president of the Orange Beach Fishing Association and Kruse's fellow fisherman for the past 25 years, told AOL News: "There's not a doubt in my mind, the oil spill was the cause of this. It was just too much for him."
Ard said Kruse was in the prime of his life when he killed himself, and he had been taking his 13-year-old son out on his charter boat to teach him how to fish.
"He had everything going for him. He was at the top of his game," Ard said. "He was the kind of guy that made everyone smile, and he was one heck of a fisherman."
Kruse's co-captain Jason Bell said: "He didn't show any signs he was going to do this that would have thrown up any red flags where you'd think you better keep an eye on him.
"He wasn't any more aggravated with the whole situation than any of the rest of us. I hate to say it, but I'm surprised something like this hasn't already happened."
A 27-year-old deckhand who was working for Kruse spoke anonymously to The Washington Post: "We're helping cover up the lie. We're burying ourselves. We're helping them cover up the [expletive] that's putting us out of work.
"It's just setting in with 'em, you know; reality's kicking in. And there's a lot of people that aren't as happy as they used to be."
Social service providers are seeing a rise in mental health crises around the Gulf area.
"We're seeing already an increase in suspiciousness, arguing, domestic violence... We're already having reports of increased drinking, anxiety, anger and avoidance," reported Howard Osofsky of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans during a two-day hearing this week.
Guardian
The Cosmic Force
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/293561
Marine wildlife forced to shallow waters, seek safety from oil
By Lynn Herrmann.
+
As BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil disaster continues creating its legacy, marine wildlife has begun exhibiting unusual and extreme behavior, searching for oxygen in shallow coastal waters or heading to inland marshes for final resting grounds.
While current estimates show BP’s Gulf of Mexico debacle between 1.47 million and 2.52 million gallons of crude oil per day pouring into the Gulf waters, marine wildlife has begun seeking cleaner and more oxygen-rich water near coastal shorelines. Oil-covered birds are seen walking and crawling to inland marshes, lost in the tally of affected wildlife.
Dolphins, sharks, crabs, rays and a variety of saltwater marine life have begun crowding Alabama and Florida's coastal shorelines, according to an Associated Press report. Their unusual behavior, researchers believe, is the result of normal habitats becoming so tainted with high levels of oil that oxygen levels become depleted.
The death toll shows 783 birds, 353 turtles and 41 mammals having perished thus far from the oil spill nightmare and is good news for BP. The final death toll of marine wildlife will ultimately help determine BP’s fines. Tragically, those numbers will be far from accurate.
Most scientists agree on this: the large area affected by the oil disaster does not allow them to accurately track every creature impacted. Most of the dead marine wildlife has sunk to the bottom of the Gulf, never to be seen again.
Injured animals, such as birds, will head inland for safety as their natural sense of survival dictates they do so, much as land-based wildlife will do when fleeing a forest fire.
Larry Crowder, a marine biologist at Duke University said: “There will be a lot of fish, sharks, turtles trying to get out of this water they detect is not suitable.”
That behavior pattern could ultimately lead to more marine deaths. As more oil washes ashore, those animals seeking refuge will actually find themselves trapped between shoreline and an oil-saturated Gulf of Mexico.
"Their ability to avoid it may be limited in the long term, especially if in near-shore refuges they're crowding in close to shore, and oil continues to come in. At some point they'll get trapped. It could lead to die-offs,” Crowder added.
Sickening to watch, a live feed of the blown-out well shows the ongoing failure of BP at containing the catastrophe. Recent reports suggest the well is releasing unusually high amounts of methane gas into Gulf waters.
John Kessler, a Texas A&M oceanographer, says the Macondo well contains about 40 percent methane, compared to about 5 percent found in a typical oil deposit.
"This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history," Kessler said, according to the Associated Press.
Methane, colorless and odorless, is found with oil deposits and is typically burned off before oil is shipped to refineries.
The AP report adds BP is burning 30 million cubic feet of natural gas on a daily basis from the blown-out well, equating to 450 million cubic feet since the company began partial containment efforts 15 days ago. That amount of gas is the equivalent of heating 450,000 homes for four days.
Scientists have been unable to determine just how much methane is escaping into the Gulf, but a research team collecting data on a huge undersea plume said they found methane levels up to 10,000 times higher than normal
In early June, the University of Georgia’s Institute of Undersea Research and Technology, led by Dr. Samantha Joye, investigated a 15-mile long plume southwest of the leak site. They found oxygen levels depleted by 40 percent or more.
In an email, Joye noted her research team’s findings as being “the most bizarre looking oxygen profiles I have ever seen anywhere.”
Robert Haddad, chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) assessment and restoration division, cautions that research is ongoing and it is too early to determine methane’s exact role in the greatest environmental disaster in US history.
"We haven't seen any long-term changes or trends at this point," Haddad said. He noted that early research efforts were focused on the toxic components of the oil spill.
As the NOAA and other federal agencies continue compiling new data, a more accurate conclusion can be drawn on the Gulf’s methane contributions and the effect it has on marine wildlife.
"The question is what's going on in the deeper, colder parts of the ocean," Haddad said. "Are the (methane) concentrations going to overcome the amount of available oxygen? We want to make sure we're not overloading the system."
Meanwhile, BP spokesman Mark Proegler disputes Joye’s suggestion that the Gulf’s deep waters contain extreme amounts of methane. He notes that water samples taken by BP and some federal agencies show minimal underwater oil located outside the spill’s immediate vicinity.
"The gas that escapes, what we don't flare, goes up to the surface and is gone," he said.
Marine wildlife forced to shallow waters, seek safety from oil
By Lynn Herrmann.
+
As BP’s Gulf of Mexico oil disaster continues creating its legacy, marine wildlife has begun exhibiting unusual and extreme behavior, searching for oxygen in shallow coastal waters or heading to inland marshes for final resting grounds.
While current estimates show BP’s Gulf of Mexico debacle between 1.47 million and 2.52 million gallons of crude oil per day pouring into the Gulf waters, marine wildlife has begun seeking cleaner and more oxygen-rich water near coastal shorelines. Oil-covered birds are seen walking and crawling to inland marshes, lost in the tally of affected wildlife.
Dolphins, sharks, crabs, rays and a variety of saltwater marine life have begun crowding Alabama and Florida's coastal shorelines, according to an Associated Press report. Their unusual behavior, researchers believe, is the result of normal habitats becoming so tainted with high levels of oil that oxygen levels become depleted.
The death toll shows 783 birds, 353 turtles and 41 mammals having perished thus far from the oil spill nightmare and is good news for BP. The final death toll of marine wildlife will ultimately help determine BP’s fines. Tragically, those numbers will be far from accurate.
Most scientists agree on this: the large area affected by the oil disaster does not allow them to accurately track every creature impacted. Most of the dead marine wildlife has sunk to the bottom of the Gulf, never to be seen again.
Injured animals, such as birds, will head inland for safety as their natural sense of survival dictates they do so, much as land-based wildlife will do when fleeing a forest fire.
Larry Crowder, a marine biologist at Duke University said: “There will be a lot of fish, sharks, turtles trying to get out of this water they detect is not suitable.”
That behavior pattern could ultimately lead to more marine deaths. As more oil washes ashore, those animals seeking refuge will actually find themselves trapped between shoreline and an oil-saturated Gulf of Mexico.
"Their ability to avoid it may be limited in the long term, especially if in near-shore refuges they're crowding in close to shore, and oil continues to come in. At some point they'll get trapped. It could lead to die-offs,” Crowder added.
Sickening to watch, a live feed of the blown-out well shows the ongoing failure of BP at containing the catastrophe. Recent reports suggest the well is releasing unusually high amounts of methane gas into Gulf waters.
John Kessler, a Texas A&M oceanographer, says the Macondo well contains about 40 percent methane, compared to about 5 percent found in a typical oil deposit.
"This is the most vigorous methane eruption in modern human history," Kessler said, according to the Associated Press.
Methane, colorless and odorless, is found with oil deposits and is typically burned off before oil is shipped to refineries.
The AP report adds BP is burning 30 million cubic feet of natural gas on a daily basis from the blown-out well, equating to 450 million cubic feet since the company began partial containment efforts 15 days ago. That amount of gas is the equivalent of heating 450,000 homes for four days.
Scientists have been unable to determine just how much methane is escaping into the Gulf, but a research team collecting data on a huge undersea plume said they found methane levels up to 10,000 times higher than normal
In early June, the University of Georgia’s Institute of Undersea Research and Technology, led by Dr. Samantha Joye, investigated a 15-mile long plume southwest of the leak site. They found oxygen levels depleted by 40 percent or more.
In an email, Joye noted her research team’s findings as being “the most bizarre looking oxygen profiles I have ever seen anywhere.”
Robert Haddad, chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) assessment and restoration division, cautions that research is ongoing and it is too early to determine methane’s exact role in the greatest environmental disaster in US history.
"We haven't seen any long-term changes or trends at this point," Haddad said. He noted that early research efforts were focused on the toxic components of the oil spill.
As the NOAA and other federal agencies continue compiling new data, a more accurate conclusion can be drawn on the Gulf’s methane contributions and the effect it has on marine wildlife.
"The question is what's going on in the deeper, colder parts of the ocean," Haddad said. "Are the (methane) concentrations going to overcome the amount of available oxygen? We want to make sure we're not overloading the system."
Meanwhile, BP spokesman Mark Proegler disputes Joye’s suggestion that the Gulf’s deep waters contain extreme amounts of methane. He notes that water samples taken by BP and some federal agencies show minimal underwater oil located outside the spill’s immediate vicinity.
"The gas that escapes, what we don't flare, goes up to the surface and is gone," he said.
Mona
Jedi Master
Vectis said:
Thanks Vectis, you are really wise, do you realize that? You know what the funny thing about me is? That I have read all of Laura's books except the one that is no longer in print "with grace" (I think that's what it is called), and I am still struggleing as if I have never read anything. Now, that is pathetic. I have just watched this powerful video about this young mother in Louisiana who witnessed the reality of what is really going on with the disaster in Gulf of Mexico. And all I can do is just watch with frustration and with awe that there are still that kind of people in the world who truly care. I want to ship all of these people to a different planet where we will be able to build our own society void of any trace of psychopaths.
I realize that I carry a lot of baggage that goes back to when I was living in ex communist Czechoslovakia; we escaped from Czechoslovakia throught Yugoslavia to Austria in 1981, and I was the only one in the family, even though I was still only a kid, who just did not want to leave my homeland. I even planned my escape in Austria, which did not turn out OK. My parents said they were doing it for a better life, and I told them we were running to hell. I understand that life was not easy back home, and it sure is not easy here either. But, what really bothers me is the fact that these individuals in power keep on lying to us openly. When we lived in a communist country, we knew and expected to live through hardship. But when we ended up living in this democratic country we were told and still are that this is the best political system in the world. Communism was the root cause of all evil in this world, it had to be eliminated. Democracy will set everyone free, it is the answer to freedom for all, and everything in a capitalist country is done for the democratic freedom that people can enjoy only in democratic nations. And fortunately I never took that bull seriously, the words always radiated with these pathetic lies. I look at it this way, when I am stabbed in my back and I see the actual person that did the stabbing, I want that individual to acknowledge the fact that he did the stabbing. The lack of responsibility is just undigestable for me. I can handle being stabbed, but I cannot handle being lied to, because when one faces the criminal the discussion with him is completely useless and empty. At least in a communist country when we were stabbed in the heart, not too deep to make us die, we knew we were attacked and the governemet officials did not deny the fact that that is exactly what happened. For us it was simply expected. But here the people are constantly being lied to despite all the evidence presented to them that they are openly lying to us. Most do believe the officials, but fortunately some just cannot deny what they actually see, the inhumane feelings and actions of these psychopaths. That's why I love coming to this forum. I feel more free here and less suffocated, even if it's only for a short time, I still have to go to work and face the society everyday that could care less about what is really happening in Middle East or Gulf of Mexico.
I like what your mom has taught you.I hope I will always remember the three C's when I find myself in a depressing situation.We truly did not cause this calamity, we cannot control it or change it. The earth is undergoing huge changes, and that is one thing we really cannot deny. I have always been fascinated with Laura's books, but in my heart I was hoping she was wrong about the calamity part.I love this planet and everything in it. And yes I will weep when the earth will suffer the most pain, but again, we cannot deny the fact that human ignorance is responsible for this.There are few extreme psychopaths in power in this world, and there are way more people who deep in their hearts do not want to play theri game, but are tricked to do so.We have always outnumbered them, but still, to this day, there are so many, who fall for the trap. And that really sucks.
Mona
Jedi Master
I am not sure if anyone has read this article, but more and more people are becoming aware of the methane gas issue in Gulf of MExico. So here it is.
You can find it here: http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/frameset.php?pageid=http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/press/210610.php
Dear ATCA Open & Philanthropia Friends
[Please note that the views presented by individual contributors are not necessarily representative of the views of ATCA, which is neutral. ATCA conducts collective Socratic dialogue on global opportunities and threats.]
A new and less well known asymmetric threat has surfaced in the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher. Methane or CH4 gas is being released in vast quantities in the Gulf waters. Seismic data shows huge pools of methane gas at the location immediately below and around the damaged "Macondo" oil well. Methane is a colourless, odourless and highly flammable substance which forms a major component in natural gas. This is the same gas that blew the top off Deepwater Horizon and killed 11 people. The "flow team" of the US Geological Survey estimates that 2,900 cubic feet of natural gas, which primarily contains methane, is being released into the Gulf waters with every barrel of oil. The constant flow of over 50,000 barrels of crude oil places the total daily amount of natural gas at over 145 million cubic feet. So far, over 8 billion cubic feet may have been released, making it one of the most vigorous methane eruptions in modern human history. If the estimates of 100,000 barrels a day -- that have emerged from a BP internal document -- are true, then the estimates for methane gas release might have to be doubled.
Tsunami: Low Probability High Impact Event
Warnings
Older documents indicate that the subterranean geological formation below the "Macondo" well in the Gulf of Mexico may contain the presence of a huge methane deposit. It has been a well known fact that the methane in that oil deposit was problematic. As a result, there was a much higher risk of a blow out. Macondo shares its name with the cursed town in the novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by the Nobel-prize winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
By some geologists' estimates, the methane could be a massive bubble trapped for thousands of years under the Gulf of Mexico sea floor. More than a year ago, geologists expressed alarm in regard to BP and Transocean putting their exploratory rig directly over this massive underground reservoir of methane. Warnings were raised before the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe that the area of seabed chosen might be unstable and inherently dangerous.
Methane and Poison Gas Bubble
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found high concentrations of gases in the Gulf of Mexico area. The escape of other poisonous gases associated with an underground methane bubble -- such as hydrogen sulfide, benzene and methylene chloride -- have also been found. Recently, the EPA measured hydrogen sulfide at more than 1,000 parts per billion (ppb) -- well above the normal 5 to 10 ppb. Some benzene levels were measured near the Gulf of Mexico in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 ppb -- up from the normal 0 to 4 ppb. Benzene gas is water soluble and is a carcinogen at levels of 1,000 ppb according to the EPA. Upon using a GPS and depth finder system, experts have discovered a large gas bubble, 15 to 20 miles wide and tens of feet high, under the ocean floor. These bubbles are common. Some even believe that the rapid release of similar bubbles may have caused the sinking of ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle.
50,000 to 100,000 PSI
The intractable problem is that this methane, located deep in the bowels of the earth, is under tremendous pressure. Experts agree that the pressure that blows the oil into the Gulf waters is estimated to be between 30,000 and 70,000 pounds per square inch (psi). Some speculate that the pressure of the methane at the base of the well head, deep under the ocean floor, may be as high as 100,000 psi -- far too much for current technology to contain. The shutoff valves and safety measures were only built for thousands of psi at best. There is no known device to cap a well with such an ultra high pressure.
Oxygen Depletion
The crude oil from the "Macondo" well, which is damaging the Gulf of Mexico, contains around 40 percent methane, compared with about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits. Scientists warn that gases such as methane, hydrogen sulfide and benzene, along with oil, are now depleting the oxygen in the water and are beginning to suffocate marine life creating vast "dead zones". As small microbes living in the sea feed on oil and natural gas, they consume large amounts of oxygen which they require in order to digest food, ie, convert it into energy. There is an environmental ripple effect: when oxygen levels decrease, the breakdown of oil can't advance any further.
Fissures or Cracks
According to geologists, the first signs that the methane may burst its way through the bottom of the ocean would be manifest via fissures or cracks appearing on the ocean floor near the path of least resistance, ie, the damaged well head. Evidence of fissures opening up on the seabed have been captured by the robotic midget submarines working to repair and contain the ruptured well. Smaller, independent plumes have also appeared outside the nearby radius of the bore hole. When reviewing video tapes of the live BP feeds, one can see in the tapes of mid-June that there is oil spewing up from visible fissions. Geologists are pointing to new fissures and cracks that are appearing on the ocean floor.
Fault Areas
The stretching and compression of the earth's crust causes minor cracking, called faults, and the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico has many such fault areas. Fault areas run along the Gulf of Mexico and well inland in Mexico, South and East Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the extreme western Florida Panhandle. The close coupling of new fissures and cracks with natural fault areas could prove to be lethal.
Bubble Eruption
A methane bubble this large -- if able to escape from under the ocean floor through fissures, cracks and fault areas -- is likely to cause a gas explosion. With the emerging evidence of fissures, the tacit fear now is this: the methane bubble may rupture the seabed and may then erupt with an explosion within the Gulf of Mexico waters. The bubble is likely to explode upwards propelled by more than 50,000 psi of pressure, bursting through the cracks and fissures of the sea floor, fracturing and rupturing miles of ocean bottom with a single extreme explosion.
Cascading Catastrophe Scenarios
1. Loss of Buoyancy
Huge methane gas bubbles under a ship can cause a sudden buoyancy loss. This causes a ship to tilt adversely or worse. Every ship, drilling rig and structure within a ten mile radius of the escaping methane bubble would have to deal with a rapid change in buoyancy, causing many oil structures in its vicinity to become unstable and ships to sink. The lives of all the workers, engineers, coast guard personnel and marine biologists -- measuring and mitigating the oil plumes' advance and assisting with the clean up -- could be in some danger. Therefore, advanced safety measures should be put in place.
2. First Tsunami with Toxic Cloud
If the toxic gas bubble explodes, it might simultaneously set off a tsunami travelling at a high speed of hundreds of miles per hour. Florida might be most exposed to the fury of a tsunami wave. The entire Gulf coastline would be vulnerable, if the tsunami is manifest. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and southern region of Georgia might experience the effects of the tsunami according to some sources.
3. Second Tsunami via Vaporisation
After several billion barrels of oil and billions of cubic feet of gas have been released, the massive cavity beneath the ocean floor will begin to normalise, allowing freezing water to be forced naturally into the huge cavity where the oil and gas once were. The temperature in that cavity can be extremely hot at around 150 degrees celsius or more. The incoming water will be vaporised and turned into steam, creating an enormous force, which could actually lift the Gulf floor. According to computer models, a second massive tsunami wave might occur.
Conclusion
The danger of loss of buoyancy and cascading tsunamis in the Gulf of Mexico -- caused by the release of the massive methane and poisonous gas bubble -- has been a much lower probability in the early period of the crisis, which began on April 20th. However, as time goes by and the risk increases, this low probability high impact scenario ought not to be ignored, given that the safety and security of the personnel involved remains paramount. Could this be how nature eventually seals the hole created by the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher?
[ENDS]
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Best wishes
DK Matai, Chairman, Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance (ATCA) & The Philanthropia
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ATCA: The Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance is a philanthropic expert initiative founded in 2001 to resolve complex global challenges through collective Socratic dialogue and joint executive action to build a wisdom based global economy. Adhering to the doctrine of non-violence, ATCA addresses asymmetric threats and social opportunities arising from climate chaos and the environment; radical poverty and microfinance; geo-politics and energy; organised crime & extremism; advanced technologies -- bio, info, nano, robo & AI; demographic skews and resource shortages; pandemics; financial systems and systemic risk; as well as transhumanism and ethics. Present membership of ATCA is by invitation only and has over 5,000 distinguished members from over 120 countries: including 1,000 Parliamentarians; 1,500 Chairmen and CEOs of corporations; 1,000 Heads of NGOs; 750 Directors at Academic Centres of Excellence; 500 Inventors and Original thinkers; as well as 250 Editors-in-Chief of major media.
The Philanthropia, founded in 2005, brings together over 1,000 leading individual and private philanthropists, family offices, foundations, private banks, non-governmental organisations and specialist advisors to address complex global challenges such as countering climate chaos, reducing radical poverty and developing global leadership for the younger generation through the appliance of science and technology, leveraging acumen and finance, as well as encouraging collaboration with a strong commitment to ethics. Philanthropia emphasises multi-faith spiritual values: introspection, healthy living and ecology. Philanthropia Targets: Countering climate chaos and carbon neutrality; Eliminating radical poverty -- through micro-credit schemes, empowerment of women and more responsible capitalism; Leadership for the Younger Generation; and Corporate and social responsibility.
You can find it here: http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/frameset.php?pageid=http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/press/210610.php
Dear ATCA Open & Philanthropia Friends
[Please note that the views presented by individual contributors are not necessarily representative of the views of ATCA, which is neutral. ATCA conducts collective Socratic dialogue on global opportunities and threats.]
A new and less well known asymmetric threat has surfaced in the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher. Methane or CH4 gas is being released in vast quantities in the Gulf waters. Seismic data shows huge pools of methane gas at the location immediately below and around the damaged "Macondo" oil well. Methane is a colourless, odourless and highly flammable substance which forms a major component in natural gas. This is the same gas that blew the top off Deepwater Horizon and killed 11 people. The "flow team" of the US Geological Survey estimates that 2,900 cubic feet of natural gas, which primarily contains methane, is being released into the Gulf waters with every barrel of oil. The constant flow of over 50,000 barrels of crude oil places the total daily amount of natural gas at over 145 million cubic feet. So far, over 8 billion cubic feet may have been released, making it one of the most vigorous methane eruptions in modern human history. If the estimates of 100,000 barrels a day -- that have emerged from a BP internal document -- are true, then the estimates for methane gas release might have to be doubled.
Tsunami: Low Probability High Impact Event
Warnings
Older documents indicate that the subterranean geological formation below the "Macondo" well in the Gulf of Mexico may contain the presence of a huge methane deposit. It has been a well known fact that the methane in that oil deposit was problematic. As a result, there was a much higher risk of a blow out. Macondo shares its name with the cursed town in the novel "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by the Nobel-prize winning writer Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
By some geologists' estimates, the methane could be a massive bubble trapped for thousands of years under the Gulf of Mexico sea floor. More than a year ago, geologists expressed alarm in regard to BP and Transocean putting their exploratory rig directly over this massive underground reservoir of methane. Warnings were raised before the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe that the area of seabed chosen might be unstable and inherently dangerous.
Methane and Poison Gas Bubble
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found high concentrations of gases in the Gulf of Mexico area. The escape of other poisonous gases associated with an underground methane bubble -- such as hydrogen sulfide, benzene and methylene chloride -- have also been found. Recently, the EPA measured hydrogen sulfide at more than 1,000 parts per billion (ppb) -- well above the normal 5 to 10 ppb. Some benzene levels were measured near the Gulf of Mexico in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 ppb -- up from the normal 0 to 4 ppb. Benzene gas is water soluble and is a carcinogen at levels of 1,000 ppb according to the EPA. Upon using a GPS and depth finder system, experts have discovered a large gas bubble, 15 to 20 miles wide and tens of feet high, under the ocean floor. These bubbles are common. Some even believe that the rapid release of similar bubbles may have caused the sinking of ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle.
50,000 to 100,000 PSI
The intractable problem is that this methane, located deep in the bowels of the earth, is under tremendous pressure. Experts agree that the pressure that blows the oil into the Gulf waters is estimated to be between 30,000 and 70,000 pounds per square inch (psi). Some speculate that the pressure of the methane at the base of the well head, deep under the ocean floor, may be as high as 100,000 psi -- far too much for current technology to contain. The shutoff valves and safety measures were only built for thousands of psi at best. There is no known device to cap a well with such an ultra high pressure.
Oxygen Depletion
The crude oil from the "Macondo" well, which is damaging the Gulf of Mexico, contains around 40 percent methane, compared with about 5 percent found in typical oil deposits. Scientists warn that gases such as methane, hydrogen sulfide and benzene, along with oil, are now depleting the oxygen in the water and are beginning to suffocate marine life creating vast "dead zones". As small microbes living in the sea feed on oil and natural gas, they consume large amounts of oxygen which they require in order to digest food, ie, convert it into energy. There is an environmental ripple effect: when oxygen levels decrease, the breakdown of oil can't advance any further.
Fissures or Cracks
According to geologists, the first signs that the methane may burst its way through the bottom of the ocean would be manifest via fissures or cracks appearing on the ocean floor near the path of least resistance, ie, the damaged well head. Evidence of fissures opening up on the seabed have been captured by the robotic midget submarines working to repair and contain the ruptured well. Smaller, independent plumes have also appeared outside the nearby radius of the bore hole. When reviewing video tapes of the live BP feeds, one can see in the tapes of mid-June that there is oil spewing up from visible fissions. Geologists are pointing to new fissures and cracks that are appearing on the ocean floor.
Fault Areas
The stretching and compression of the earth's crust causes minor cracking, called faults, and the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico has many such fault areas. Fault areas run along the Gulf of Mexico and well inland in Mexico, South and East Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the extreme western Florida Panhandle. The close coupling of new fissures and cracks with natural fault areas could prove to be lethal.
Bubble Eruption
A methane bubble this large -- if able to escape from under the ocean floor through fissures, cracks and fault areas -- is likely to cause a gas explosion. With the emerging evidence of fissures, the tacit fear now is this: the methane bubble may rupture the seabed and may then erupt with an explosion within the Gulf of Mexico waters. The bubble is likely to explode upwards propelled by more than 50,000 psi of pressure, bursting through the cracks and fissures of the sea floor, fracturing and rupturing miles of ocean bottom with a single extreme explosion.
Cascading Catastrophe Scenarios
1. Loss of Buoyancy
Huge methane gas bubbles under a ship can cause a sudden buoyancy loss. This causes a ship to tilt adversely or worse. Every ship, drilling rig and structure within a ten mile radius of the escaping methane bubble would have to deal with a rapid change in buoyancy, causing many oil structures in its vicinity to become unstable and ships to sink. The lives of all the workers, engineers, coast guard personnel and marine biologists -- measuring and mitigating the oil plumes' advance and assisting with the clean up -- could be in some danger. Therefore, advanced safety measures should be put in place.
2. First Tsunami with Toxic Cloud
If the toxic gas bubble explodes, it might simultaneously set off a tsunami travelling at a high speed of hundreds of miles per hour. Florida might be most exposed to the fury of a tsunami wave. The entire Gulf coastline would be vulnerable, if the tsunami is manifest. Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and southern region of Georgia might experience the effects of the tsunami according to some sources.
3. Second Tsunami via Vaporisation
After several billion barrels of oil and billions of cubic feet of gas have been released, the massive cavity beneath the ocean floor will begin to normalise, allowing freezing water to be forced naturally into the huge cavity where the oil and gas once were. The temperature in that cavity can be extremely hot at around 150 degrees celsius or more. The incoming water will be vaporised and turned into steam, creating an enormous force, which could actually lift the Gulf floor. According to computer models, a second massive tsunami wave might occur.
Conclusion
The danger of loss of buoyancy and cascading tsunamis in the Gulf of Mexico -- caused by the release of the massive methane and poisonous gas bubble -- has been a much lower probability in the early period of the crisis, which began on April 20th. However, as time goes by and the risk increases, this low probability high impact scenario ought not to be ignored, given that the safety and security of the personnel involved remains paramount. Could this be how nature eventually seals the hole created by the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher?
[ENDS]
We welcome your thoughts, observations and views. To reflect further on this subject and others, please respond within Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn's ATCA Open and related discussion platform of HQR. Should you wish to connect directly with real time Twitter feeds, please click as appropriate:
. ATCA Open
. @G140
. mi2g Intelligence Unit
. Open HQR
. DK Matai
Best wishes
DK Matai, Chairman, Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance (ATCA) & The Philanthropia
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ATCA: The Asymmetric Threats Contingency Alliance is a philanthropic expert initiative founded in 2001 to resolve complex global challenges through collective Socratic dialogue and joint executive action to build a wisdom based global economy. Adhering to the doctrine of non-violence, ATCA addresses asymmetric threats and social opportunities arising from climate chaos and the environment; radical poverty and microfinance; geo-politics and energy; organised crime & extremism; advanced technologies -- bio, info, nano, robo & AI; demographic skews and resource shortages; pandemics; financial systems and systemic risk; as well as transhumanism and ethics. Present membership of ATCA is by invitation only and has over 5,000 distinguished members from over 120 countries: including 1,000 Parliamentarians; 1,500 Chairmen and CEOs of corporations; 1,000 Heads of NGOs; 750 Directors at Academic Centres of Excellence; 500 Inventors and Original thinkers; as well as 250 Editors-in-Chief of major media.
The Philanthropia, founded in 2005, brings together over 1,000 leading individual and private philanthropists, family offices, foundations, private banks, non-governmental organisations and specialist advisors to address complex global challenges such as countering climate chaos, reducing radical poverty and developing global leadership for the younger generation through the appliance of science and technology, leveraging acumen and finance, as well as encouraging collaboration with a strong commitment to ethics. Philanthropia emphasises multi-faith spiritual values: introspection, healthy living and ecology. Philanthropia Targets: Countering climate chaos and carbon neutrality; Eliminating radical poverty -- through micro-credit schemes, empowerment of women and more responsible capitalism; Leadership for the Younger Generation; and Corporate and social responsibility.
Guardian
The Cosmic Force
http://www.levinlaw.com/PracticeAreas/BP-Oil-Spill-Lawsuit.php
OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO
Update June 15, 2010 - Levin Papantonio files RICO case against BP
Levin Papantonio is currently investigating the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A class action complaint has been filed and the attorneys at Levin Papantonio are ready to address the concerns of the public. Please contact us toll free at 888-435-7001.
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. At the time of the explosion, British Petroleum attempted to allay peoples' concerns by publicly stating the well was not actively leaking. Within days, BP began to tell the public that the well was leaking 1,000 barrels of sweet crude oil per day. The public was also told that remote operated vehicles were in the water and would activate the blowout preventer thus sealing the well head and stopping the leak. Now that these efforts have failed, BP has been forced to acknowledge that 5,000 barrels of oil (210,000 gallons) per day are being released into the Gulf of Mexico.
The primary solutions offered now are to install a dome over the areas of the leaking pipeline and pump the oil into vessels on the surface and to drill a relief well that will remove some of the pressure from the leaking pipeline and will allow a heavy fluid and concrete mix to be injected into the well to cap it. The dome solution has never been tested at the depths of the present leak (~5,000 feet below the surface). The relief well solution will take months to complete.
In the meantime, residents of the Gulf Coast are forced to prepare for the impact of the oil plume onto our shores, bays, estuaries and other waterways. The residents of the Gulf Coast will be shouldering the load of the failures of BP and Transocean. The "fail-safe" devices put in place did not work, and it has become apparent that BP and Transocean did not have the appropriate contingency plans in place to prevent this type of a disaster. Our fisherman, shrimpers, oysterman, seafood marketers and distributors and all of the various businesses and residents who depend upon the tourism dollars coming to this area, are likely to be devastated.
Levin Papantonio and its attorneys have been working in the field of environmental law for decades. We are widely regarded as one of the top plaintiffs’ firms in the country as a result of our efforts on behalf of clients we have represented throughout the country. Specifically pertaining to the present catastrophe, we have handled numerous complex environmental cases on behalf of thousands of people and businesses throughout the country. Our environmental department was started and is still lead by Mike Papantonio. Mr. Papantonio has been recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in America and is a pioneer in the area of environmental law – particularly in the field of citizens and business affected by contamination. In the Pensacola area, we handled a large class action against Conoco dealing with massive groundwater contamination and successfully obtained a settlement of nearly $100 million for the residents. We also tried to verdict the class case of Perrine, et al. v. DuPont and obtained a nearly $400 million verdict on behalf of a class of 8,000 residents whose properties were contaminated with arsenic, cadmium and lead. As one more example, Levin Papantonio is currently lead class counsel in a class action against Raytheon for diminution in property value caused by groundwater contamination. In short, our firm has extensive experience with the types of claims for damages that will be required against British Petroleum, Transocean, Haliburton and others as a result of this catastrophe. We also have the financial wherewithal to stand toe to toe with these companies in order to best protect our clients’ rights.
OIL SPILL IN THE GULF OF MEXICO
Update June 15, 2010 - Levin Papantonio files RICO case against BP
Levin Papantonio is currently investigating the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. A class action complaint has been filed and the attorneys at Levin Papantonio are ready to address the concerns of the public. Please contact us toll free at 888-435-7001.
On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon rig exploded on the Outer Continental Shelf in the Gulf of Mexico. At the time of the explosion, British Petroleum attempted to allay peoples' concerns by publicly stating the well was not actively leaking. Within days, BP began to tell the public that the well was leaking 1,000 barrels of sweet crude oil per day. The public was also told that remote operated vehicles were in the water and would activate the blowout preventer thus sealing the well head and stopping the leak. Now that these efforts have failed, BP has been forced to acknowledge that 5,000 barrels of oil (210,000 gallons) per day are being released into the Gulf of Mexico.
The primary solutions offered now are to install a dome over the areas of the leaking pipeline and pump the oil into vessels on the surface and to drill a relief well that will remove some of the pressure from the leaking pipeline and will allow a heavy fluid and concrete mix to be injected into the well to cap it. The dome solution has never been tested at the depths of the present leak (~5,000 feet below the surface). The relief well solution will take months to complete.
In the meantime, residents of the Gulf Coast are forced to prepare for the impact of the oil plume onto our shores, bays, estuaries and other waterways. The residents of the Gulf Coast will be shouldering the load of the failures of BP and Transocean. The "fail-safe" devices put in place did not work, and it has become apparent that BP and Transocean did not have the appropriate contingency plans in place to prevent this type of a disaster. Our fisherman, shrimpers, oysterman, seafood marketers and distributors and all of the various businesses and residents who depend upon the tourism dollars coming to this area, are likely to be devastated.
Levin Papantonio and its attorneys have been working in the field of environmental law for decades. We are widely regarded as one of the top plaintiffs’ firms in the country as a result of our efforts on behalf of clients we have represented throughout the country. Specifically pertaining to the present catastrophe, we have handled numerous complex environmental cases on behalf of thousands of people and businesses throughout the country. Our environmental department was started and is still lead by Mike Papantonio. Mr. Papantonio has been recognized as one of the best trial lawyers in America and is a pioneer in the area of environmental law – particularly in the field of citizens and business affected by contamination. In the Pensacola area, we handled a large class action against Conoco dealing with massive groundwater contamination and successfully obtained a settlement of nearly $100 million for the residents. We also tried to verdict the class case of Perrine, et al. v. DuPont and obtained a nearly $400 million verdict on behalf of a class of 8,000 residents whose properties were contaminated with arsenic, cadmium and lead. As one more example, Levin Papantonio is currently lead class counsel in a class action against Raytheon for diminution in property value caused by groundwater contamination. In short, our firm has extensive experience with the types of claims for damages that will be required against British Petroleum, Transocean, Haliburton and others as a result of this catastrophe. We also have the financial wherewithal to stand toe to toe with these companies in order to best protect our clients’ rights.
