This is a Google Earth picture I clipped showing the location of the BP oil well that is leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Google has the location indicated by the red flame icon .
If this location is accurate, you can see how they chose a deepwater location that was just past the edge of the shelf, at the bottom of a canyon wall, at a reported 5000 ft depth. One wonders if they could have drilled in shallower water near where I have drawn the red 'x', and angled the shaft out towards the current location if necessary...but I guess that drilling through water is a lot easier than the sea bed.
I'm no expert on these things, but I have to think that the wellhead pressure would have to be alot less at a point that was 5000 ft. higher like where I have drawn the 'x'. In a catastrophic type situation like they have experienced, that may result in less oil that would escape into the environment. Also at this higher elevation at maybe a wellhead depth of several hundred feet, it would seem it would be easier to work there and cap the well if necessary.
By the way, if you have youngsters in your life studying geography or earth sciences, the free version of Google Earth that you can install is a great way for them to see the earth and all of its features including as I have shown here, the underwater topography of the earths oceans and seas.
2 comments:
Sharing a link to a short clip on how the surfing industry might have the answer to cleaning up the Gulf
http://bit.ly/bhJYFo
Hi Matt
Probability :
5% : Russians orchestrated the spill because they control BP as well as all the ski resorts in Switzerland.
45% : UK Financial mafia did this since their carbon credit default swap machinations would become more important since they are going down the toilet since the sun is going into cooling cycle ( vis a vis sunspot cycle ) and deflation is occuring
50% - BP is a really pathetic
However there exists the possibility that the oil is reflecting light back into outerspace thereby cooling the Gulf of Mexico.
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