The safety device is a valve that effectively seavers and seals the well.

Norwegian standards are some of the strictest if not the strictest in the world.

They are called NORSOK and doing stuff for the Norwegians can be a complete bind.

You can just stop there. Why would anyone choose to live in an area that

1. Is under sea level
2. Is totally dependent on levies and dams to prevent being flooded
3. Is right in the middle of the path of practically every hurricane?

I just don't understand why :nope:

Thats flat out wrong.

LA was given millions to maintain and repair the levies. Unfortunatly most of that money found its way into the pockets (and freezers) of the politicians.

Hello Tribesman,

you wrote:
" Catfish can you please explain the basics over a blowout on a new drill "

What exactly do you mean ? When drilling has begun, and the "spud-in" has been initiated, there is usually a lot of cementing done, and along with cementing the upper liner and the Blowout-preventer (BOP) set. On offshore rigs this device also sits directly on the upper end of the borehole, so here certainly underwater.
The liners are going up through clear water, up to the drilling rig, which is held in place by dynamic positioning (via GPS) - meaning engines hold the rig in place, instead of anchors.

While drilling, regardless rotary, turbine (downhole motor, Moineau system) or coil tube drilling, there is drilling fluid ("mud") used, pumped down within the drilling tubes, leaving the tube via jets in the bit, and rising within the angular space between drill tube, and borehole.
This drilling fluid serves numerous purposes and has developed into a highly complicated substance:
- It cools the "bit", or drilling head (may also drive the turbine motors when in slide mode or coil tubing)
- transports the chipped material from the bit to the surface
- Keeps the borehole open, before it is lined and cemented
- prevents gaseous stuff to enter the borehole in low-pressure conditions
- keeps the stony chips in suspension when rotation or pumping is stopped (via clay minerals, wet when moving, almost solid without being moved, "thixotrope")
- lubricates the turning or sliding tube
and numerous other applications.

One of the most important tasks is to control pressure in the borehole, which will rise with the depth, and - if the bit penetrates a dense layer entering a high-pressure area - can help to control a "kick" (the sudden pressing out of tubing and fluid out of the borehole) through ballasting the fluid with heavy substances, like e.g. baryte, to make it specifically heavier.
It can also help losing the drilling fluid when entering salt domes, in which case the fluid is heavily salted to prevent washing out caverns.

The drilling fluid has to be constantly observed, cleaned and chemically changed, to adjust to the downhole conditions.

When e.g. an oil or gas depot has been found, there will be a sudden pressure rise, and - if you do not pay attention - the whole mile(s)-long drill tubing will be pressed out of the borehole, which becomes very hot during this "kick", and will easily ignite any explosive gases that may be around, in the reservoir, or aboard the rig.

Should the fluid be too light to control the pressure in the borehole, the blowout-preventer can be used to control the well, but this will seal the well-entry permanently, by sheer brute force.

The problem with offshore rigs is that you can only remote-control the BOP, via electric, hydraulic or "sonic" telemetry (pulser), and if the fluid is leaking out the pulsing telemetry will not work well. Using a pulser to control directional or any other drilling under normal circumstances is difficult enough.

So the technical staff developed further well control and seal-off systems while drilling, but this is only a regulation in Norway, and Brazil (and a few others, but not in the US).

Additionally if you let the well develop its pressure increase without instantly controlling it, the former fluid substance will turn to gaseous phase, and thus develop a higher pressure and speed going up in the borehole, drastically amplifying the effect.

I will be crucified when my coworkers read this, but all else will take several pages ahem :-?

Greetings,
Catfish

How are you supposed to move when you have ZERO money, or close to it?

Hello,
in 1938, a US citizen moved to a remote place, since he felt a world war coming. He chose a place that would be far away from any civilization, and world power interests.
The place he settled was called "Guadalcanal".

Greetings,
Catfish

Hmm,
just saw the BP risk expectation report :woot: whoever signed that expertise will face some serious problems soon.

Does anyone know how deep the water is, at the "deepwater horizon" point ?
I ask because if there are 800.000 litres pouring out a day (!) there must be some pressure behind it in any other than shallow depths of seawater (serving as a counter pressure, or "plug" as well). Maybe we just solved part of the energy problem, but otherwise this will become an ecological fiasco :shifty:

Greetings,
Catfish

"Tell you what: when dead black people are floating in the oily waters of the Gulf because of his neglect, you can call the oil rig explosion Obama's Katrina."

First off shame on you for saying such a horrible thing.
Second, if you want to blame anyone for dead black people then blame Democrat Mayor Ray Nagin who, out of everyone involved, had the only real chance to prevent that from happening and he blew it.

Here's your neglect Mr Partisan:

http://www.katrinadestruction.com/im...d+school+buses

Oh and third your man was slow to react to the gulf oil spill. Admit it and shame on you again for using past tragedy to duck present responsibility.

Wow. I swear, it's like we blacks are mascots or something to the left wingers. Whenever you need some political capital, just invoke the spectre of the Victimized Black Man!

The left does take "minorities" for granted. Pretty much has for generations. Any minority group, be it based on race, sexuality, etc, are always held out by the left as victims to be protected - when it is in the interest of the left to have the political wind in their sails. Yet when the "issue" is no longer front page news, how much real attention do those same legislators give the subject?

Before this becomes a rant against the left, the right is just as guilty - though they have other "groups" they rally to defend. :nope: When people stop choosing to identify themselves as a seperate group - whether it be R or D, liberal or conservative, black or white or red or yellow or polkadotted, and instead decide to say they are "American" and leave it at that - then they can deal with issues, and they can be accepted as what they identify as. When a hispanic person chooses to be hispanic - or hispanic american - they are doing the same thing as a man who goes "I am white" or "I am black" - they are seperating themselves.

I'll repeat something my father told me many years ago. The color of a man's skin doesn't matter - because we all bleed red. Its what a man chooses to do - that shows what kind of man he is.

Getting closer to 4 decades on this earth, I can say that I have found those to be very true words.

In looking at the immigration issue - and using that standard - Illegal means the person has chosen to violate the law of the land he or she is trying to live in...... and once that is the case, I already know enough about the person to know I have no desire for them to be here ILLEGALLY.

Somebody please - just for once - explain to me why its perfectly ok for people to flaunt our laws in our lands and not be held accountable when if you go to ANY other country and violate their laws, you will be taken to task for it. In doing so, don't give me this crap about they just want to work hard and make a better life for themselves - because if that was the case, they would want to be doing things legitimately.

Hmmm ... let's see, how about we compel personal responsibility?

But I'm sure you don't possibly see the oddity that those same people who have ZERO money are the ones who pack the liquor stores and casinos on the first of every month, right?

Awesome graphic!

mookie, I have a question: is there anything a liberal democrat could do wrong that you wouldn't attempt to spin these days?

Caps Lock strikes again. :up:
So "ANY" country.
Well what about this one , some muppets insisted we change the constitution to solve the problem of illegal immigrants, it hasn't made much difference in enforcement of immigration laws.
Its election time over in Britain , their long running problems with illegal immigrrants and enforcing the law are a major matter of debate in this election.
Britain of course also moans about France not enforcing their laws which the French also moan about.
wow that was easy thats three countries already all in a line which have the issue you claim only america has.
So your winge about poor little America being ever so special with its victim status that no other country has is bollox.