Just when BP thought it was safe to go back to the Gulf of Mexico, the New York Times has learned the U.S. Government has ordered the oil company to prepare to open the valves on their most recently placed oil well cap. This is the 10th try BP has made to stop the spill, and it seemed to be working. However, reports began to surface that there may be oil and gas seep near the BP oil well, straight from the ocean floor.
Obama becomes a BP problem
BP continues to live through the PR and financial disaster of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and it appears that there’s more seep to come. The Jones Act has hurt the response from Obama and is going to hurt the Democrats in elections. Oil seeping out of the floor will make the public angry once again. Retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, who is overseeing the cleanup effort for the government, has given the green light for pressure testing to continue into Tuesday, as the seep is still being investigated, reports the Times.
Pressure tests had signaled no warnings as yet
When BP capped the well, pressure tests commenced so the potential danger of blowout and seep could be monitored. Considering that the BP oil well extends down three miles into the seabed, there is much area to monitor. Even if there is no blowout, there is still a potential for oil to seep into the ocean’s ground. At that point, little to nothing can be done to control its escape, wrote Allen in a recent press release.
Russia shows us what to do?
Although Obama has his own plans, an “independent set of eyes” just what we need to fix this thing, according to Andrew Revkin in the Times? Oil seeping to the floor might happen at any depth. The Obama administration had a suggestion given to them by James Cameron and his panel of experts. We would be able to monitor the spill better with Russian submarines that can go deeper into the water than ours. It would be easier to find a seep.
More info about this topic at these websites
Deepwater Horizon Response
deepwaterhorizonresponse.com/go/doc/2931/791891/
New York Times
dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/bp-pressed-to-assess-seep-near-its-well/
Voices from Russia
02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/07/12/russian-mir-submersibles-may-go-to-gulf-of-mexico-to-fix-oil-well-gusher/
CNN reports on seep near well head
youtube.com/watch?v=DPeoRnWV4vw
