BP Buys Kevin Costner’s Oil Spill Clean Up Machines

BP has given the green light for funding of a device that can separate oil from water.

Development of the machine, which uses a centrifuge to separate the fluids, has been backed by actor Kevin Costner to the tune of $25 million.

John Houghtaling, Costner’s chief partner in the project, told WWL First News that the oil company has ordered 32 of the devices for use in the Gulf of Mexico.

“In a matter of weeks, we can be manufacturing ten of these a week,” Houghtaling said. “So we’re hoping by the first of August to have all 32 of these things in the Gulf.”

According to Houtaling, the machines cost roughly half a million dollars to build, but also require the hiring of vessels to take them out onto the water.

more here: http://thespillsite.com/2010/06/bp-buys-kevin-costners-oil-spill-clean-up-machines/

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I hope it works is about all I can say.

:dem:

But by August...with the volume they can process...its not a panacea and so much damage will be done.

Theoretically you can centrifuge an oil/water mixture to separate it, but it's a matter of volume. You'd need thousands, maybe tens of thousands, of those machines to effect a true cleanup.

I was a little unsure due to a post here that claimed the devices did not work.

That's why you see thick chunks of orange crude in some of the TV shots. That's weathered oil, and it's now useless for pretty much anything.

After all, if they can't recoup the oil, well hell, what's in it for them? Time to call it a day and move on to the next well.

</viewpoint of a BP exec>

presume those are showing their worth.

Kevin Costner isn't affiliated they haven't considered them.

I'm not saying Costner is a crook (more likely he's a naive idealist) but, for all the good they're going to do, he might as well have thrown in some magic beans and snake oil with those centrifuges.

now, which appears to be little to nothing.

it is most certainly better than what we've seen - dirty booms and dead birds and lots of yucky oil!

:dem: :kick:

There are practical reasons why the oil will be difficult to filter out with these skimmers. They will help, but let's remember that there are currently skimmers out there processing millions of gallons of water and it's not helping all that much.

It's clear BP and all the experts are running short of new ideas, at least it's worth a try. Apparently the proto type machine he presented works, or they would not have purchased it. I don't see any harm at trying, can you?

It has been done in other oil "spills". BP is just fucking around hoping to get as much of their oil back as possible.

They should NEVER have cut that pipe to put that cap on...thereby releasing god knows how much more oil.

They should shove their PR campaign up their oily asses and put the money into CLEANING UP.

They should accept help from countries and corporations who have offered.

There are plenty of better (or at least additional) ideas.

I watched the demonstration, and they seemed to work as designed?

Pathetic.

Plaquemines Parish President Nungesser was on the TV last night talking about what are essentially Port-A-Potty trucks mounted on barges sucking up the oil and they appear to show some promise. Somebody has approved several more of those.

Given all the drilling that goes on in the gulf, hurricanes, and prior major spills, all this stuff should have been thought through, researched, developed, and positioned in key locations YEARS ago. Where did all the profits go instead?

I hope it works.

With all apologies to Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAd_Zdv85i0
about 7:27 into the clip