I don't know how easy or realistic it is to reclaim crude oil that has spilled into the sea but the situations associated with the underwater oil well that is gushing into the Gulf of Mexico could be resolved if they would just allow anyone who wants the oil to take it. The high global demand for crude oil solves this problem.. at least temporarily while BP is figuring out what to do about it.

I'm sure that the competing oil companies have enough money and technology to separate the water from the oil and reclaim it before it continues to hit the shorelines.
-- Jscotty, May 08 2010

Wikipidia: The Deepwater Horizon (BP) oil spill http://en.wikipedia...r_Horizon_oil_spill
General background. [jutta, May 08 2010, last modified May 09 2010]

The Worthing 'Wood Slick' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7198735.stm
Leaf that alone! [S-note, May 10 2010]

Arsonist helps clear worthing beach driftwood http://news.bbc.co..../sussex/7249135.stm
You knew it was going to happen.. [S-note, May 10 2010]

Nuke that slick http://trueslant.co...04/nuke-that-slick/
[swimswim, May 11 2010]

Adam Smith http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Smith
[normzone, Jun 26 2010]

US Refuses Assistance http://en.wikipedia...ffers of assistance
Wikipedia on the BP oil spill [pashute, Jun 30 2010]

Your two paragraphs seem to contradict each other. If you don't know how easy / realistic it is to reclaim crude oil that has spilled into the sea, how can you be sure that it's commercially viable?

And if it is possible for other (competing) companies, why wouldn't it be possible for BP itself?

I don't think even Adam Smith has the necessary upper body strength to close this pipe single-invisible-handedly.

Quick back-of-the-envelope calculation:
Current price of a barrel of crude oil = $75
Estimated spillage: 5,000-25,000 barrels/day.
Maximum possible cleanup cost: $375,000-1,875,000/day.
Hm.
-- jutta, May 08 2010


//if they would just allow anyone who wants the oil to take it// They already do: it's called "merit salvage."
-- mouseposture, May 09 2010


It is very possible to retrieve and use oil from seawater. In fact, BP is probably already doing it.
-- DrWorm, May 09 2010


Just a question: do all the volatiles remain, or is it just a mass of thick tar after some time?
-- Ling, May 09 2010


//Free Crude Oil// They have.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, May 09 2010


//I don't think even Adam Smith has the necessary upper body strength to close this pipe single-invisible-handedly.// Love it!
-- zen_tom, May 10 2010


Wood slicks are much more fun.
-- S-note, May 10 2010


On land they close oilwell fires with explosives. I wonder why they do not do the same underwater. All these domes and valves. Can't they just blow it up real good?
-- bungston, May 10 2010


// Can't they just blow it up real good?//
Bungston, comrade, a link for you. And note the excellent vocabulary word: petrocalamity.
-- swimswim, May 11 2010


[bungston] The explosion is just to blow the fire out. They still have to cap the pipe once the fire is out.

But I'm not sure why they don't drill down beside it and drop in a huge amount of high explosives. The well goes through several hundred feet of rock, and the drill pipe sheath is there to keep it from collapsing (kind of like the supports in a mine). If the hole was destroyed, it would stop leaking.
-- nomocrow, May 11 2010


Then no more oil? I wonder why they havent done that already..........
-- S-note, May 11 2010


//But I'm not sure why they don't drill down beside it and drop in a huge amount of high explosives.//
Maybe because it would interfere with resuming drilling operations after the clean up? I imagine the existing hole shows on BP's books as an asset, which cost a lot to create, and from which they were hoping to extract revenue. They may be weighing the value of that asset against the value of property damage for which they can expect to be sued. Which is only a subset of the total damage done.
I'm just speculating. I always jump to the most cynical conclusion available.
-- mouseposture, May 11 2010


+ I gave you a + vote just from the title.

Nothing in the idea description made me want to neutralize my vote.

I don't care if they pay people 40 cents a bucket, you can scoop a hell of a lot of buckets (5 gal pickle barrel) - they are losing $400,000 / day in oil - nevermind the environmental costs.

Say they rig one of those gigantic tanker ships with scaffolding on the sides & you & 3 other people run the opposite fireman brigade - bail & do it again thing ...

If that tanker had the capability of filtering out the seawater from the oil, they'd get their money & so would some of the 10 million currently unemployed.
-- Zimmy, May 12 2010


//They already do: it's called "merit salvage."//

I heard on the radio that somebody had proposed this and the gubment or BP or both said the oil is private property and people can't have it. If that's true then idiots truly are in charge of this. Either that or people who are so used to playing by the rule book they do so even when there isn't any rule book.

I would argue that private property ceases to become private when it starts destroying other property. I'd like to see somebody just go get it and watch BP sue to get it back.

Make sure you hold the trial in the Gulf states. [+} by the way.
-- doctorremulac3, Jun 26 2010



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