Is BP trying to stop leak or recover the oil?

They are currently working on this "Top Hat" contraption.
Looks like they are more concerned about keeping the flow coming, than
stopping the leak for good. I say they need to shut it off and forget about recovering the oil!



The hole looks small enough where it could be plugged with some
dense material, but of course that is not their objective.


Actual leak.



This is what they are working with.

they said it got clogged up with methane ice crystals. Seems to me if that was the case - that their objective was to recover the oil and not stop the leak. It didn't work - so they are trying again hoping this time they figured out how they will be able to get the oil to the surface and into tankers.

Prevents it from being plugged with a dense material.

The dome won't work and neither will plugging the hole in the line at that depth in the ocean.

The only solution that is probably going to work is the one that takes 90 days.

BP if it had the ability would shut this thing off tomorrow. The amount of oil recovered is less than the PR cost of this continuing to leak.

them

a bit. Somehow this doesn't look like it should be that hard to stop. But hey, their best minds are on it.

DAMN.

Of course they're trying to figure out a way to recover it as well as stop the leak. Their entire business is drilling and refining oil, so what do you expect?

I particularly love the amateur engineers here on DU lately. "Golly, it's a small hole, why not just drop a big rock on it?" "Man, they're stupid if they can't plug a simple leak."

Yes, maybe we could meditate over our moon crystals to align their vibrations just right to hold the oil in.

I've heard the "capping" of the well as being a "recovery mission" by several oilheads on the teevee. Damn right they want to see what type of lemonaide they can make of this lemon. They don't see oil or death pouring from that hole...BP sees escaping profits. They see it as a loss of investment...all that money drilling the hole. They don't see anything beyond...most definitely not walking away from such a source of revenue. Seems to be their intention to play both ends here...stop the leak as long as they can find a way to "recover" the oil. Closing the hole means they'd have to use existing profits and that can't happen. As others have pointed out here, for the oil corporates it's a zero sum game...and they'll find a way to turn this disaster into a revenue source.

This reminds me of:

http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-duct-tape-hour-2/

placing one vertical may be possible?


Petersen Inflatable Multi-Flex Pipe Plug Insertion System installs a plug into a pressurized pipeline without removing pressure. This allows for maintenance of pipelines without reducing pressure or emptying the pipeline. There are two Petersen Hot Tap Insertion Systems.