B P announced that it has capped one the three leaks from the oil spill that occurred 15 days ago when the oil rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sank. It will not reduce the amount of oil that is flowing into the Gulf of Mexico but will help in the placing of a four story 89 ton containment dome. B P is hoping to have the dome in place by this weekend to capture the oil leaking from 5000 feet below the surface and funnel it to a rig at the surface.
In a closed door proceeding on Tuesday a senior B P executive conceded that the ruptured well could conceivably spill as much as 60,000 barrels a day, more than 10 times the present estimate of the flow.
Controlling the oil flow is time critical and any reduction of flow into Gulf is a plus at this stage. Favorable tides and winds have thus far kept the oil from hitting the coast and as of today the oil has only reached some of the barrier islands. Sadly, it is only a matter of time before the onslaught of oil will make its way onshore wrecking havoc on the marine life and the fishermen who make their living from the sea. The lifestyle of the whole Gulf region could change dramatically if the flow of is not stopped soon. Property owners from Louisiana to Florida are already experiencing cancellation for the upcoming tourist season. This in the wake of the Gulf region recent rebound from hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been disheartening. Any reports of progress are welcome news and we can only hope that they will be successful.
Richard J. Arsenault, 2011
