How about drilling some kind of super-well?

A last-ditch effort in case all else fails could be to drill a well with a much larger diameter or maybe hundreds of smaller wells, I think. Drain the entire oil reservoir. This is just my own pet idea, as I'm not an engineer or a scientist, but the concept seems sound. Like in the movie There Will be Blood, maybe they should just drink the whole milkshake as fast as possible.



[edit on 23-6-2010 by Flatwoods]

i don't think that draining the reservoir would be a good idea.

because when it is empty, the surrounding geology, alone, would have to support the weight above it.

this would lead to a collapse and maybe even earthquakes and other problems.

there seems to be increased seismology since this oil gusher started spewing and it is very likely because of tectonic re-adjustments.

besides all that, from what i understand, this is the biggest known reservoir of oil in the world right now, reaching all the way down to Argentina.

reply to post by queenannie38

besides all that, from what i understand, this is the biggest known reservoir of oil in the world right now, reaching all the way down to Argentina.

An "OMG" seems appropriate just now. I haven't read that, queenannie.
This is a major bummer to hear. I hope it's not true.

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


yeah, it was OMG for me, too, when i first heard it.

i'm pretty sure it is true, but i should find some sources, to make sure, when i get done with what i'm doing right now.

i read that it was the reason for drilling this particular well in this particular place with the largest drilling platform in existence (R.I.P.!!!)

BP supposedly wanted to get their hooks into it first and maybe no other country was willing to lease them drilling rights, if they even do that in other places down in South America - i don't know.

the thing is, though, even if it is the largest reservoir, that doesn't mean that it will all flow out of that deepwater horizon hole - what a well can pump out is a lot more than what would just flow out without any obstruction. there are all kinds of geologic features that are probably down in that reservoir that keep a lot of the reserve compartmentalized, so to speak.