Watch the BP ROV Under Sea Cams...Thread #23

[jaxx]

Thread # 22: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8491393&mesg_id=8491393




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HALT! GO NO FARTHER! DO NOT PROCEED if you have not viewed this video. It is an excellent explanation of the process,
the stage it's in now, and answers many questions.

>>> Latest Kent Wells explanation of Top Hat and Oil Extraction (June 3 posting): http://bp.concerts.com/gom/lmrp6_060310.htm

>>> May 31 video by Kent Wells http://bp.concerts.com/gom/kentwellstechupdatelong053110.htm

OTHER INFO LINKS:

The latest TheOilDrum thread: http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6566#more

Great forum with lots of pics and video if you need to catch up: (although the DUUSBPROVC is giving them a run for the money!)
http://www.doomers.us/forum2/index.php/topic,68178.4545

Subsea Response Links (great to view when there's downtime): https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AYETicASkH8SZGZmN3ptcXpfN2M2cmR3c2M5&hl=en


LIVE CAM LINKS:

Multi-view ROV page: http://bp.isevil.org

Great site w/multi-screens: http://blog.alexanderhiggins.com/bp-live-oil-spill-cam.html

All cams (BP site): http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9033572&contentId=7062605

WKRG Video Stream:http://www.livestream.com/wkrg_oil_spill

Akamai Link: http://mfile.akamai.com/97892/live/reflector:46245.asx

Fox Feed: http://interactive.foxnews.com/livestream/live.html?cha

CNN Feed: http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=str

ABC Feed: http://abcnews.go.com/video/video?id=6105570


A couple of helpful graphics to explain what you're looking at, oil plume permitting:







And, finally, proof that
DU is on this project:



THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY FOR YOUR HELP AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF PICS AND LINKS! :yourock:

[flamingdem]

1. yaaawn.. what's up with the gusher? nt

[time_has_come]

2. still a gusher. nt

[jaxx]

5. Not much.

But it's still there. :-(

[AmericaIsGreat]

3. Thing looks like it's gushin' mad amounts still

Is all of that oil?

[jaxx]

6. Oil and dispersants I think.

[NYC_SKP]

63. Oil, natural gas, dispersants, methanol.

Quite the chemical cocktail...

[jaxx]

4. Good morning to the DU Under Sea BP ROV C-L-U-B

2:15am and all is quiet....except above where we are seeing some activity by the fellas working on the boats, and not much of that. The oil still flows, the hat is still on, and they are monitoring the floor.

[jaxx]

7. Lots of interesting comments over at the Oil Drum tonight.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6566#more

edited to add this comment from TOD:

Yes - they are restricting the flow at the top of the riser. They NEED to put at least a little restriction on it in order to have enough pressure to vent the gas away to the flare boom.

You can be certain that they will be opening the valve on top of this riser
S-L-O-W-L-Y to be sure that they can handle what's coming out of that pipe. Failure to do this could VERY EASILY result in another explosion, fire, and/or sinking of the processing ship.

edit #2 for this video: Successful Installation of LMRP Cap - 5 June 2010
http://bp.concerts.com/gom/successful_install_lmrp_cap_060510.htm

[lamp_shade]

9. You said it. I'm in the middle of reading arguments for not forcing BP off the job. They start with

Dimitry at 10:08 pm (node 6566). I'm totally engrossed.

[gateley]

26. Thanks, jaxx - interesting stuff! nt

[NYC_SKP]

58. I missed this!

going to repost at bottom of thread.

[lamp_shade]

8. prezzent

[lamp_shade]

10. On TheOilDrum's current node#6526, Aardvark made this comment at 8:08 am >

"I've been looking at the feed on http://mfile.akamai.com/97892/live/reflector:46245.asx. There's been a huge improvement in the amount of oil being captured over the last 24 hours. Yesterday the lower fins of the dome were mostly obscured by billowing oil. Now they remain clearly visible."

It appears to me that aardvark is right. Of course, that depends on which side this ROV cam is looking at.

Oh... here... help yourself.

[jaxx]

12. I thought the feet were more exposed too a minute ago.

Plus this is up...and noooo I don't know what it's for, but it's new.

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAGING/local_assets/html/Enterprise_ROV_2.html

mmmmm breakfast yummies....thanks!


edited to add>> Found this at TOD:
That's one of the information/diagnostic screen displays from the ROV control room. The pilot can toggle through a variety of screens to look at things like hydraulic performance, adjustments, limits and alarms, etc. Their setup is such that that screen is getting broadcast at the moment. Somebody needs to switch the selected video channel to get the right one streaming out. But they may be on deck right now and it's a moot point.

Thanks Grumpy @ TOD

[NYC_SKP]

13. There's a marked differerence, but as you indicate it is unclear which angle this is from...

...compared to earlier views, like this one I screen capped a couple days ago:



If we could find a screen cap that we know is from the same side, we could make some ballpark estimates.

Currents and camera angles aside, I'd guess that the difference in how much of the fins are visible suggests something like a 30% reduction...

Plus or minus a LOT.

:hi:

[jaxx]

15. Here are a couple

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAGING/local_assets/html/Enterprise_ROV_1.html shows the longer feet sticking out

And this one also shows more feet, plus the level......
http://mfile.akamai.com/97892/live/reflector:45685.asx?bkup=49182

[Statistical]

21. 30% with margin of error of 29.5% at 50% confidence interval?

No seriously it does look "better". Simply hard to quantify.

The cap is now pulling 10K bpd to the ship. So hopefully it is more than 30% reduction otherwise the total flow is more like 30K bpd.

[NYC_SKP]

54. Well, the relief valves and all not inclusive in the intuitive estimate.

Some significant former pressure/outflow is now absent, and the size of the plume and force needed to blow it in the downward direction suggests to me that to see that much more of the fins there might be 30-50 less product coming out around the BOP than when the Top was first placed there.

Very fuzzy, just intuitive...

Like my earlier guesstimate that right after the second riser snip, when the flow was unabated and probably at it's max, that we had about a 30"/second velocity for the column of product leaving the opening.

And, if true, that would have been about a barrel/second.

Yikes, 151,200 gallons/hour.

But I'm an architect, not a petroleum or fluid engineer.

:hi:

[gateley]

27. Aw, I missed breakfast! I'll have to go find my carbs somewhere else.

You are quite the gracious hostess, Miss Lamp_Shade! :)

[NYC_SKP]

11. Present!

I'm trying to figure out the legs for my new yellow bubble level coffee table.

And I'm trying to estimate the diameter of that thing.

Thankfully we have the pic in your sigline.

Now, all there is for scale is Grovelbot, who stands about 22" high.

Unless he's grown...

:hi:

[jaxx]

14. Legs with a nice rubbed oil stain would go well with the level.

:donut: lamp_shade has donuts just FYI

[NYC_SKP]

16. Subsea Bullseye Level and Slope Indicator:

YAY! (oh, and donuts are delicious!)

I'll need the big one, 300mm O.D.

http://www.leveldevelopments.com/subsea-bullseye-slope-indicator.htm



Subsea Bullseye Level and Slope Indicator

These subsea bullseye level and slope indicators are used to level or measure the angle of subsea structures and equipment. They are designed to be easily readable by ROV’s and subsea cameras, and have been used successfully on subsea projects down to 6000m (20,000ft). Our experience in designing and building circular bullseye type levels and inclinometers has resulted in a range of products whose performance and price cannot be matched. To place an order or for more information, please contact us with your requirements.

Part# 5886/1 300mm± 7° 1° 4.2Kg

Construction

* Body made entirely from cast acrylic for optical clarity and to reduce overall weight
* Precision machined and then annealed prior to assembly to maintain strength
* Top and bottom section chemically welded to form a perfect hermetic seal, keeping manufacturing costs low.
* 316 Stainless Steel or black ceramic ball resists corrosion
* Backing disc underside printed with graduations to eliminate parallax error
* Liquid filled with Glycol to damp ball movement and equalise pressure



Features

* Background colour eliminates glare for improved visibility from ROV
* ±3°, ±5°, ±7°, ±10° or ±15° measurement range
* Simple mounting arrangement with 3 holes in flange
* Custom sizes, ranges and graduations can be made to order
* Pressure tested to 6,000m (20,000ft)
* Precision radius gives accurate and repeatable ball movement
* Scale printed on ball surface to eliminate parallax error
* Custom built handles and bases to suit customers application. Please click here to see an example.
* STANDARD SIZES AVAILABLE FROM STOCK

Applications

These indicators are used on a variety of subsea equipment to set level and measure angle:

* Blowout preventer (BOP) stacks
* Lower marine riser package
* Pipelines
* Manifolds
* Christmas trees
* Suction Piles
* Habitats

:bounce:

[gateley]

28. Geek! (oops, did I say that out loud?) nt

[NYC_SKP]

52. I'm confident I'm the only person who owns, just for kicks, one of these:

So yeah, geek here!

:silly:



Actually, I just have the prism.

Three inches in diameter, it's designed to take an incoming beam of light and reflect it back precisely to the light source.

If you close one eye and look into it, you see a mirror image and the pupil of your open eye is dead center in the reflection in the optic.

In this image, you can make out the digital camera and fingers holding it, and the center of camera lens reflected dead center.



http://www.budgetcom.nl/components-optical/reflector-mirror-prisma/prod_24.html

:hi:

[NYC_SKP]

17. Relief Well Description Video:

Posted June 2, about how they actually intercept the original well with accuracy.

http://bp.concerts.com/gom/reliefwell060210.htm

:hi:

[gateley]

30. This is GREAT! BP is doing an outstanding job of explaining the processes. nt

[drm604]

18. I can only find one live feed right now.

Poseidon – ROV 1: http://mfile.akamai.com/97892/live/reflector:46566.asx?bkup=54013

It looks like a basket containing a piece of equipment labeled with a 3.

[drm604]

19. Now it's showing something different. n/t

[drm604]

20. Back to number 3.

Looks like the ROV is manipulating the basket. "3" looks like it might be another cap of some kind.

[BeFree]

23. Questions for the BP-ROV fan club

Does anyone know if BP put tons of dispersants in the 'Top Kill' mud?

How much Corexit is going into the flow right now as in GPH?

How many GPH is the flow??

Why are there so many unanswered questions?

[jaxx]

29. I am a novice,

but you can go here http://www.theoildrum.com/ and look back through the threads to find answers to your questions. Some on here may be able to help you too if they are online.

[BeFree]

32. You don't have a clue?

Why do I have to oil drum anything? Why isn't BP telling us the facts?

Do they figure the pretty pictures will make it all seem ok?

[gateley]

33. BP has posted some great explanatory videos at their site that

show us, the lay people, what it is they are doing, how they take the steps to accomplish it, and the expected outcome.

I agree, they should be on TV 24/7 with a play by play so we don't have to go looking, but the videos they do provide are VERY good and helpful.

That makes me think, I bet this is the first time they've dealt with a 'spill' where the world was watching every move they make. Good. :evilgrin:

[BeFree]

36. So... you don't know the answers?

Doesn't that piss you off? I'm pissed off about the BP lies and withholding of facts.

Who isn't?

[gateley]

41. Oh, I see your point. Actually they ARE giving some info and

explanations, but always neutral ("this is what a well looks like") or spun to their benefit. But yes, they need to COMMUNICATE and we need to have someone there to make sure they're communicating the truth. Don't know if that will happen, they seem to blow off our directives (and that pisses me off, too), but some truth is seeping out from the likes of Anderson Cooper, Rachel, the mayors in that area. Probably much more truthful than we would ever hope to get from BP.

I am shocked daily by the hubris and CYA efforts of BP. And VERY pissed off.

[BeFree]

43. Yeah

You are not being conned by BP, are you?

My problem goes deeper than BP. NOAA is not looking good. EPA, either.

I see Admiral Allen is starting to revolt against BP. We need to keep up the pressure, we can make them change.

[gateley]

48. No - not being conned at all. I still think they're evil and behaving

despicably - all they care about is profit. I understand that's their business, but a situation like this calls for people of the planet to come together, not trying to PR their way out of it and continuing to try to cover up.

I DO appreciate the 'educational' videos. They are, as I said, neutral, but really help to make sense of what's transpiring so instead of my wringing my hands saying "why don't they DO something?" I see what they ARE doing.

And I give kudos to the techs, they're the guys on whose shoulders the responsibility falls to make this 'work' and they are giving it their all.

I've been :wtf: about some of the EPA calls and actions (or lack thereof), but I wasn't aware that NOAA is being kind of iffy - what's up with them?

SO glad to hear Admiral Allen is beginning to revolt - maybe Obama's latest statements freed him up somewhat, or opened his eyes. He is so focused on the repair/recovery aspect, and as I said I do believe they're working hard on it ($$$ is their motivation, but whatever it takes), so he may have been unaware of all the crap BP is pulling outside of the control effort.

[BeFree]

49. NOAA's Chief

She told all the research vessels that were out in the gulf tracking the plumes that they should back off. No shit. They were going too fast.

NOAA, all in good time, dearies, will tell everyone what NOAA wants them to know, I'm sure.

But one renegade outfit, at USF in Florida, has claimed once again that great plumes of oil have been found. BP, of course denies it.

NOAA chief is also claimed to be disputing the USF findings. BP and NOAA.

[jaxx]

37. Nice of you to drop by.

[BeFree]

46. And look who followed me. Hi Sid

Answers? We don't need no stinking answers? Like, whatever, dude. Bwahaha

[SidDithers]

44. ...

Sid

[Parker CA]

38. CNN had a ticker with a calculation of gallons flowing, and it was increasing at 9/second. nt.

[jaxx]

40. Thank you for that info.

Also from CNN: NEW: BP said on Sunday that it had increased the amount of oil it funneled to the surface to about 420,000 gallons on Saturday. They have to measure 24 hours in advance. This was an increase from about 250,000 gallons the day before.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/category/latest-news/gulf-coast-oil-spill/

[gateley]

42. Oops - just tried to rec this since I like that the capture amount has increased. nt

[jaxx]

45. Yep, me too.

It's going forward and that ain't bad.

[Parker CA]

47. Interesting numbers. If the 420k is correct, that puts their capture above 50% of the flow CNN was

using as the estimate on their ticker. The problem is, and this is just from viewing cameras, that the flow does not appear to have been decreased by more than 50%.

The issue I foresee is the real gush number becoming clear, causing BP to be stuck with the reality of their inaccurate facts very soon. If they continue to increase the number of barrels they are claiming to be capturing while the camera is depicting a flow rate near what it's currently at, they're going to reach a point where they're initial and revised estimates of leakage are blown out of the water.

They'll have to either own up to the fact that the numbers were depressed from the start, which is a virtual certainty, or they will shut off access to the cameras when they reach a number they think is sufficient to portray their reality of the capture rate when weighed against their original estimates, maybe somewhere around 85-95%. I have a very hard time believing they will allow their estimates to be proven wrong, as their financial exposure will multiply by enormous magnitudes. They're going to pigeon hole themselves and be forced to admit their miscalculation or to create a visual diversion to support their BS numbers.

[NYC_SKP]

50. I don't think anyone on this board knows any of these things. And...

It's highly unlikely that anyone knows within a 25% MOE the GPH rate.

I proffered a guess of one barrel/second.

Or 151,200 GPH, at it's worst after the second snip of the riser and without any Top.

Gallons, not barrels. That would be 3,600 Barrels/Hour.

That's high for even the worst case scenarios, but that's my gut.

:patriot:

[Feron]

60. There's no reason to put dispersants in drilling mud.

The point of the mud in top kill is to slow down the upward flow of oil in the well and eventually stop it. There was a dispersant setup at the end of the riser pipe and dispersants would've been applied there. Putting dispersants downwell would simply be wasteful. It would be like wanting your house to smell nice so you pour the air freshener liquid down the drain.

(B)I don't think that BP releases the GPH figure and that likely changes depending on the need. Of course the dispersant is also sprayed on the surface as well. If you do some poking around you might find a daily number in total. If all else fails, you can get figures from news stories and use that to calculate a rough daily average used.

(C)The lower end of the oil flow by the USGS is estimated to be between 12k-25k barrels a day. An upper limit, if higher, is unknown. From what I've read and understand, a typical good GOM well produces between 30k-50k barrels a day. If the information given is to be trusted, there is an obstruction 1k feet down in the well and the BOP partially deployed.

Another variable is erosion. Sand from the oil producing formation erodes the materials it comes into contact with over time. How much sand is going upwell and how much erosion is unknown at least to us. Drilling mud in the top kill attempt is also an eroding agent.

It's also highly likely that the flow rate of the oilcano has changed over time. It could be more or less than before.

1 barrel = 43 gallons.

(D)It's hard to get answers when you have an idiot media along with a gov't and company that seem to be in cahoots with each other. At the very least, the gov't is incompetent when handling disasters.

The oil drum site really is excellent. Perhaps someone over there can help you with the dispersant question. I'm just an amateur analyst. :)

[Feron]

22. ROV control room pictures...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpamerica/4668469499/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpamerica/4669093492/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpamerica/4669093132/

And here's a picture of an ROV training setup:

[jaxx]

25. Good find!

Also on page 2 of the site there are a lot of the diagrams used to explain what is/has been going on.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpamerica/page2/

[gateley]

34. Wow - so it IS a joystick. I was wondering if it was the technology

where their actual hands made the movements that translated the info to the ROV (I don't know what that's called). Thanks!

[NYC_SKP]

51. Curiosly empty of operators, others...

Coffee break...

I know that right not there isn't as much to do as during some of the past days.

:hi:

[gateley]

66. Slackers!

:7

But seriously, folks, I do hope they're getting SOME respite! They have been working SO HARD. Can you imagine the level of concentration that must take? It's exhausting!

[gateley]

24. Boy - I only work 2 1/2 days a week but I feel like I've been away

for MONTHS. And I still have today and tomorrow to go!

Thanks for the thread, jaxx! :headbang:

And very interesting clip on relief wells, NYC_SKP. Has that been posted 'out there'?

Let's see how much I can get caught up before I have to go to work.

Have a good day, all! :hi:

[jaxx]

31. You have picked the right days to work, we are in a watch mode.

The more oil they suck out at the top, the less to wash ashore somewhere.

Have a good day too!!! :hi:

[gateley]

35. My computer at work can't access the BP site/videos or any that

require flash. :( Wish I had the nerve to install the plug-in.

You sure found some cool stuff, jaxx! :thumbsup:

[Cleita]

39. Bump to the top.

:kick:

[DoBotherMe]

53. Kicking

Can't recommend from the crackberry. Thanks for keeping this great info coming. Dana ; )

[HughMoran]

55. I think this "co-flex" line they are installing may be related to "reverse Top Kill"

What do you think?

[Feron]

61. I agree.

Forgot where I read it, but apparently they want to start reverse top kill next weekend.

Top Hat 2 seems to be working out okay so I can see why they would want to proceed.

[HughMoran]

62. Those lines may be able to double the recovered amount of oil

So it can't happen soon enough IMO.

[NYC_SKP]

56. I love these threads and the fact they're virtually politics and hyperbole free.

There are plenty of other threads in GD to discuss who's lying and who's to blame and all the rest.

Unless I'm mistaken, though, in THESE 23 threads, the best contributors and fans and club members are here to discuss the science, share information, and just become more well informed.

I've been learning a LOT, and it's actually refreshing to be free of that other stuff.

Am I right?

:hi:

[lamp_shade]

57. You certainly are. The day these threads end will be a day to celebrate... and yet...

I wish they could go on. I'll miss the comraderie, honesty, respectfulness and the occasional silliness.

[jaxx]

65. One moment in time...

and we used it well.

[jaxx]

64. Absolutely.

I knew nothing about oil wells, the equipment or the ROVs undersea. It has been an education reading and watching what has happened. Along with all the back and forth...donuts and coffee tables not withstanding...it has been a shared adventure.

And nobody was put down or got into a fight over the blame game. That must be some kind of record. LOL



:woohoo:

[NYC_SKP]

59. In case you missed it, the June 5 video explaining current situation at the BOP

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8496491&mesg_id=8496537

:hi:

[Feron]

67. Viking Poseidon ROVs are trying to unscrew a bolt..

on the riser. It looks like it could possibly be the cut away and discarded portion of the riser.

Anyway it's dual cam tool time for those interested.

[gateley]

68. I saw something like that - for some reason I assumed it was away

from the site -- is it?

[jaxx]

69. Maybe they're practicing....big bolts on the BOP too.

[HughMoran]

72. I'm gonna smack that fool if he can't get that damned socket on soon

Argh! It's so frustrating to watch!

[HughMoran]

77. GET A GODDAMNED BIGGER SOCKET!

ARRGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The socket is too tight or the bolt head is mushroomed - use a slightly larger socket!!

Is it really worth one hour (or more) doing something so stupid and futile?

[HughMoran]

78. Holy crap! They got the socket on somehow.

Why does it look like the bolt (or nut - can't tell) is welded to the flange?

Edit: maybe it's sealant to protect the threads :shrug:

Edit2: zoomed out it looks like a flare out of the nut to spread the force onto the mating surface.

[Feron]

80. Is there anything duct tape can't do?!

[lamp_shade]

83. LOL. Duct Tape = "American Nails". What a fun read, eh?

[NYC_SKP]

70. Slow day down there. Is anyone able to post a summary of the weekend's events?

Or a really good summary in an article?

It seems that the leakage has been reduced, but is oil reaching the ships yet?

:shrug:

[jaxx]

71. This is from BP, posted beside the feeds.

They update it twice a day. And the same thing is beside each view.


Subsea operational update:
• In order to maximize the amount of oil and gas being collected, engineering and operations teams continue to optimize the choke valve settings on the surface, overall systems pressures and valves on the LMRP cap.
• Daily oil collection will be maximized through maintaining a stable system.
• Both production trains for processing oil at the surface are in operation.
• We may leave some of the LMRP cap valves open to ensure system stability - one is currently closed.
The next update will be provided at 9:00am CDT on June 7, 2010.

June 6, 2010 5:30 pm CDT / 11.30 pm BST

[Feron]

73. According to the NYT, they aren't closing any more valves..

because the Enterprise is at max capacity already (15k a day).

Later in the week, they hope to start phase 2 and the Q4000 ship will suck oil out as well through hoses and infrastructure put into place for top kill. I don't know the Q4000's capacity.

And top hat 3 is in the works and due for deployment in a month. They are building one with a tighter seal.

Other than that, you are missing an ROV trying futilely to unscrew a bolt from the scrap riser. :D

[NYC_SKP]

74. DAMN YOU!

DAMN YOU DAMNED SCRAP RISER!

We shall remove your bolts.

One at a time....

:hi:

[LisaL]

75. So exactly how much is coming out?

Clearly a lot of oil is gushing out still.
Infuriating.

[Feron]

79. Nobody knows for sure.

12k -25k bbl/day is the minimum range given by the gov't. It's safe to say that the flow is over 15k.

The plume does look reduced so hopefully the Q4000 ship can take care of the bulk of what's left.

[HughMoran]

76. Somebody tell the robot he's using the wrong size socket!

God damned it - even I know when I've been trying for 10 minutes to verify that I'm using the correct sized socket!

[wordpix]

81. i'm discouraged by the amt of oil still gushing---does not look like it's slowing down

:cry: and the ticker said dead birds full of oil washing up on Texas shores

[Subdivisions]

82. My turn! Thread #24 here ----->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8502374