Aww man, BP...
The top kill operation has failed too. Next up is another try at capping the tube, but that first requires slicing off the bent portion that is currently restricting the flow of oil. If they slice it off and fail to put the cap in place, the leak will be even worse. Considering the last 6 tries have ended in failure, I don't hold out much hope that the cap will work this time, and I think it's extremely risky to do something that could so easily increase the amount of damage done.
This should have stopped at the first try - why didn't those blowout preventer valves work? Were they never tested under realistic conditions (i.e., the equivalent of 5000 ft under the ocean surface)? That seems highly irresponsible to me.
Like you, I have little confidence and fading hope in BP successfully correcting their mistake any time soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's been over a month and counting since the leak... This is going to affect the surrounding environment and wildlife for years. It's sad to say that, on earth, humans are the most destructive of species.