Times-Picayune: Link to animation of the Deepwater Horizon oil well spill in the Gulf

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

Track the Gulf of Mexico oil spill movement in animated graphic

By Dan Swenson, The Times-Picayune

May 02, 2010, 11:49AM

This animation of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill was created using actual overflight information and forecast models from the NOAA and Unified Command.

The red dot is the location of the Deepwater Horizon oil well, which exploded on April 20, releasing oil into the Gulf near the Louisiana coast that has yet to be contained. Eleven rig workers died in the explosion.

The animation begins Aprill 22, the day the first image of the spill via flyover was released.

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

Has anyone noticed that the "relief well" that BP plans to drill (2 -3 months) to stop the spill is quite far away from the bad wellbore and casing string? (See graphic at right).

It appears that BP has ulterior motives in that they are drilling back to the oil reservoir formation (and then cementing the bad wellbore). It would only take a matter of weeks to drill below the BOP and cement it off there. BP wants the oil! They are willing to pollute the entire Gulf (remember 2-3 months with this oil spewing) so that once the leak is finally stopped, they can continue with production of the formation.

I would hope that the FED (MMS, Coast Guard) re-directs their plan. If they want the oil later, make them drill again at their expense. Their (BP's) only mission in life is to stop the oil spill as expeditiously as possible. NOW!

(snipping out some back and forth)

The problem I have is that BP is drilling this FAKE releif well. They want to still produce this formation. There are other (more expeditous) methods to stopping this release. The pollution dome (74 ton box) to drop over the existing BOP, may or may not be effective. To say they "shoulda" had them built before drilling is preposterous. The main problem in this scheme, is that the sub-sea BOP SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED in any instance (but I'll get to that).

Secondly, there should have been "break-away valves/joints" in the riser, especially over 5,000' in length.

Thirdly, now here it comes...the BOP was already de-activated, hence, it was inoperable. The drilling phase was completed, casing was set and the well was completed. The next phase is to perform a T&A (Temporary well abandonment) setting a cement plug in the well until piplelines, risers, production facilities are in place to handle the oil and send it on to the beach (to be refined so that you can drive your SUV and stuff). The Mud-Engineer (cement guy) didn't quite factor the hydrostatic head of 5,000' water depth correctly for the amount and type of cement needed to hold the BHP (Bottom hole pressure) or SITP (Shut-in tubing pressure). The end result is that they lost total control of the well, which blew back up to the rig, which ignited and the rest is on the news. There should have also been a SURFACE BOP at the rig to prevent this also. BP is thinking like Jim Mora..."coulda, shoulda, woulda"