The mighty shears are on camera!!

[HughMoran]

http://globalwarming.house.gov/spillcam

[Adsos Letter]

1. What are they up to now?

[HughMoran]

4. Just hanging there for now - like a sword of Damocles

lol

[NYC_SKP]

5. They're going to clip off most of the collapsed riser. They'll use a diamond wire saw for the final

...cut above the BOP.

These shears weigh 46,000 pounds and will clip right through the 22" O.D. riser pipe.

Snip!

[HughMoran]

9. Not designed for trimming one's nails

yikes!

:hide:

[Buns_of_Fire]

16. ...or circumcisions

Unless maybe you're the Jolly Green Cheney.

[Adsos Letter]

10. Wow. I wonder if they would come do some of these trees leaning over my fence

the City maintainance guys sure don't seem to care.

[Webster Green]

2. Serious shears.

I'll be up half the night watching robots again.

[HughMoran]

3. lol

it's friggin' addicting

[Webster Green]

6. It really is. It's fascinating to watch.

I so hope that they can get a handle on this fucking thing.

[The Wielding Truth]

7. Is that krill swimming about?

[texanwitch]

8. I have been watching since early afternoon.

No going to bed for me.

[gateley]

11. Come join us here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8459534&mesg_id=8459534

[gateley]

12. Those shears weigh 46,000 pounds! (Not a typo) and measure 18' x 9'ft!!!!

[HughMoran]

13. The shears are almost around the pipe

They are just above and being lowered the last bit now.

[HughMoran]

14. Shearing the pipe now!!

watch!

[HughMoran]

15. Did they cut it while I was driving to work

looks like oil is leaking near the shears, but camera is too far away.

never-mind they-re trimming the side pipes that are in the way.

[Buns_of_Fire]

17. It looks like they're cutting the pipe with the circular blade.

(On Edit again: Okay, the SIDE pipes. At least they're doing SOMETHING.)

Apparently, the shears are just holding it still.

On Edit: This is on the BP camera http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/homepage/STAGING/local_assets/bp_homepage/html/rov_stream.html

[HughMoran]

18. I think they're putting the final death-squeeze on the pipe now - jaws appear to be closing

!!

[SidDithers]

19. It's the world's slowest pair of scissors...

:)

Sid

[Born_A_Truman]

20. Those are some serious clippers!

They ought to try clumping cat litter. It sure stopped up my septic pipes a few years ago until I discovered my mistake!

[Dont TS Me Brah]

21. good to see them on the job...

nothing like a good verbal lashing from the POTUS to get a fire lit under them!!!

[Canuckistanian]

22. Those ain't toenail clippers

I wonder how they're powered. Hydraulic lines from the surface?