[ale] BP knew of problems 11 months before the rig blew - further OT

[Preston Boyington]

Jim Kinney wrote:
> 
> 
> What's the lifespan of an oil rig? How do they change out failed parts 
> on the head? What about those underwater?
> 
> How is an old offshore rig shut down when it's time? How is the hole 
> permanently plugged?

you have to think of (drilling) rigs as ships/barges for the most part. 
  they are constantly maintained and decommissioned as necessary over time.

once a drilling rig has finished the well it is floated to a new 
location and a production rig then takes its place on site.

a first hand account of the initial accident can be read on the 
rigzone.com site:

Deepwater Horizon: A Firsthand Account
http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=92765

another article that is interesting:

NOIA Calculates Econ Impact of Moratorium
http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=94073

'Preliminary estimates show crippling job loss and significant economic 
impacts will result from the President's recent order to halt work on 33 
exploratory wells in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico and institute a 
six-month moratorium on all drilling in water depths greater than 500 feet.

"The immediate impacts of the order will be felt by the families of tens 
of thousands of offshore workers who will be unemployed," said Burt 
Adams, Chairman of the National Ocean Industries Association.'


also understand that a great deal of these offshore workers are not the 
actual people doing the rig work, but the housekeeping crews, 
contractors, food service, supply ships, etc.


overall, most of what i've seen postulated on the internet and in 
various newsgroups about this unfortunate accident is pure FUD.


-- 

Arrant Drivel - really, it's just trash...
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Where the road takes me - a highwayman's perspective
http://www.prestonboyington.com/