It’s possible that the pipe may be structurally compromised, or there may be frozen crystals built up, etc. which would affect oil flow. Also, as the oil rises through the pipe, methane gas comes out of suspension as pressure lessens (like the carbonation in soda), so it’s tough to know how much is gas and how much is oil.

That said, the pipe into the well is 9 inches.

If they shut it off today, all that oil that’s now leaking off would remain in the wellbore and could be recoverable later. The oil that has leaked off is worthless. At a range of 5,000 to 20,000 barrels per day, that’s 120,000 to 480,000 barrels lost. At $80/barrel that’s $10 to $40 million they’ve lost in oil revenues by not shutting it off immediately. In addition, all the lawsuits and cleanup costs…

Force some people to think for more than two minutes and you’d see a lot fewer silly comments like this.

“I also find it odd that after so many off-shore well drillings (sic) that this happened in the first place.”

Do you also find it odd that after so many safe flights, a plane crashed last week? Offshore drilling is a very high tech proposition in a dangerous environment, and you find human error to be evidence of a conspiracy? :-) Oh boy.

“There are huge platforms in the North Sea that have been there for decades.”

The first platform in the Gulf of Mexico was built in 1947, long before any wells were drilled in the North Sea. There are far more rigs in the Gulf than in the North Sea.

The misinformation out there is amazing. All of the sudden, everyone’s an oil industry expert.

You make an interesting point. BPs new name is Beyond Petroleum. And they are aligned with money in the global warming agenda. As another example, Aetna asked for a 35% increase in rates, just when the Health Care Bill was really hot. Another coincidence? There have been quite a few coincidences during this administration.

I find it ludicrous that this thing has not been fixed. I also find it odd that after so many off-shore well drillings that this happened in the first place. There are huge platforms in the North Sea that have been there for decades. That area makes the Gulf look like a swimming pool.

high_al: all fine, except that the diameter of the well pipe is actually 9 inches.

The pipe is 21 inches wide.

Where did 3 and 9 inches come from?

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/ index.ssf/2010/05/insertion-tube_strateg y_for_co.html

This is just another one of those non-issues that the media comes up with, each journalist trying to trump the other with a “new angle.”

I agree with lucid. It’s not so easy to just go get the number. To accurately measure the rate, you need to isolate the flow such that none of it is leaking. You need to know how much natural gas and water are mixed with the oil. People who say these kinds of things, or who insist on a risk free world, have probably never taken a science course.

nnniiiceee.. why don’t you just admit you have no clue what you’re talking about.

Why? Can’t you at least explain why this is so critical that it warrants your article? Isn’t such an explanation a reasonable expectation of someone attempting, even poorly, to make a point?

What is critical is containing the spill as soon as possible. Whatever is flowing now will continue to flow regardless of how accurately it’s captured in some entertainment article you wish to write. Or perhaps you’re seeking data for a future lawsuit. I don’t know. Is there any benefit to the environment of capturing an accurate flow rate for an impact that will not be understood for years? For an impact that is clearly beyond mankind’s control at any depth and on any coastline, short of engineering an ocean floor containment solution?

How much are you willing to spend on getting this critical data point at the expense of containment efforts? How do you propose doing it? Where’s the rocket scientist?

Please stop making stupid points. And keep that “why” business in mind next time.

Do you know anything about chemistry and physics? Its not so easy, to just go down there and measure. First, the oil density changes at the point of release as it moves upward. Second, the oil is mixed with methane, water and there are reactions going on within the plume. While flow can be theoretically calculated, it must assume these variables. Also, its a mile deep, only robotic submersibles can go down there, and precisely measuring it as you envision, is secondary to stopping the oil flow.

I think you really need to research the IXTOC I blowout. It is analogous to this incident, except it was far worse, with much higher flow rates, and final oil spill totals. Interestingly enough, compared to the total spill, very little oil washed up on beaches. Most settled to the sea floor, or dispersed. This appears to be similar, in that very little of the spill has actually washed ashore. So, the numbers dont really matter, only that the flow can be halted.

If it is 9 in, multiply the flow rate by 9 ((9/3)^2).

So instead of 5,000 barrels/day, the estimate goes to 45,000 barrels/day.