The "Up to the Minute" BP Livefeed Discussion Thread

sorry I just said what I thought.
I can see no reason to put blocks of metal on the bolts?

blow it up and say it fell apart?
to make more panic.
if I am wrong I am just a idiot.
but If I am Wright. then I am the first to get the truth out.

Pretty confident not bombs.

Something to do with the diamond cutters which will appear soon.

Those yellow things seem to fit snuggly between the central pipe and outer ring with the bolts.

They will need that extra support on that pipe when that top section is sheared off me thinks.

[edit on 2/7/2010 by Thistled]

The top hat on the skandi 2 feed looks like its leaning badly now...

reply to post by Thistled

Think you're right that they're not explosives. They just seem to be metal covers -- looks like the yellow component (rather than the manipulating rod) is a casting. Either that or it's very nice machining work. Whatever... they're using them to cover the tops of the bolts and of course the nuts.

So, it's likely they want to protect them from something. Two possibilities -- a saw, as you've suggested -- or some welding apparatus.

Frankly I'd go for the welding. My reasoning is that they have no need to cut off that section as it has bolts that could be undone if need be anyway, and also removing it would seem a backward step. Just seems more likely that they're setting up to weld some brackets around that section of pipe and so they want to be sure the bolts don't get their threads damaged, because damaged threads would make it harder to remove the nuts later if they decide they have to.

However, I'm not denying that you could just as well be right. Fact is we don't really know so only a moron would say that you have to be wrong.

EDIT to add:
reply to post by nephilim37

It looks like it's leaning badly pretty well all the time. For the LMRP cap, this is "normal" these days.

Mike

[edit on 2/7/10 by JustMike]

Originally posted by buddha
I can see no reason to put blocks of metal on the bolts?

Oh cool, C4 charges. Now we'll see some action.

reply to post by Divinorumus

Oh, great... now the hysterical panic merchants GLP members will pick up on this and think they're about to blow up the BOP...

More seriously though, something to consider: if the metal covers they are now fitting on the bolts from the flex joint to the riser adapter are not to protect them from either welding or cutting, what other purpose could they serve? Could they be setting them up so they can place wedges between them and the pipe for some reason?

Any ideas? (And I really hope they are not planning any use of explosives.)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/723fec40a6bd.png[/atsimg]

reply to post by JustMike


Like I say, "they" will be the wedge between the pipe and the outer bolts when it gets sheared.

Shearing would not be a backward step, the top hat is clunking off too many objects. Remove that upper section and the hat gets a better fit, and less bits to hit.

Removing the bolts is a no goer, it would be a total mess with that sorta pressure.
They'd need one of those guns used in F1 for tightening bolts on wheels. Dunno what they are called, but I don't see BP using one of those. Those bolts where tightened one by one I guess. You can't take them off one by one with a flow going through the pipe.


[edit on 2/7/2010 by Thistled]

It looks to me like they are sliding brackets between the bolts. I captured more screenshots if anyone wants to see the process. They are numbered. They inserted 4 then 6 then 5.

reply to post by mags

Here's some sped up video:



My guess is those yellow things will cover the bolts and support the replacement top hat which will probably have some inner inflatable piece inside of it to form a tight seal.

reply to post by Thistled

Ahhh... Gotcha. Sometimes it's good to get another person's perspective.

You are dead right: trying to undo all those bolts (even using crosspatterning) would very probably be a no-go right now. There'd be differential forces and somewhere around the flange the thing would snag. Considering the mechanical work I've done over the last thirty-plus years I should've realized that right away.

Just btw the device used for very quickly removing/tightening nuts is called a "rattle gun". They usually run on compressed air but they can also run hydraulics.

Okay, so if they cut off the riser adapter completely then things should be pretty interesting for a while. If they don't and do welding instead, it'll still be interesting, but on reflection I'm now leaning towards your option, namely they'll cut off the riser adapter.

It simply makes more sense. Far better to remove all that guff and create a clean work area and install a new LMRP cap (that they've doubtless been working on for a while), than keep tagging bits on to what is a jury-rigged LMRP cap setup that's just getting bashed around 24/7 and is nowhere near as efficient as it was in the first place.

Also I noticed some pretty substantial bracket-like parts that have been affixed to the sides of the section just below the bolted top. They could lock-chain a new cap to them and get a pretty good seal if they run a double O-ring system -- one that would go around the outside of the inner, newly-cut pipe and the second ring around its inner edge where it would seat outside the ring of nuts.

The thing is going to gush like crazy for a short while if they run the operation as you see it, but the long-term greater efficiency of a much tighter LMRP cap would make it well worth doing the job.

Mike



[edit on 2/7/10 by JustMike]

I hear CNN have reported 7-10ft waves. It's choppy out there and the top-hat is beginning to dance again. I really do feel for that B.O.P. Got my fingers crossed for it.
I would like to add that I am in no way insensitive to those who are affected by this. My heart goes out to you all, and the incredible teamwork that we are all witnessing right now. Amazing.

I think it makes sense to remove that top section. Some parts of it are under a terrific strain. I'd imagine BP don't want oil spewing from another orifice. So removing that top section lessens the chance of that happening.

I think the new hat will capture more than ever, hopefully putting an end to the majority of it escaping into the ocean.

Thanks for the rattle gun tip!

[edit on 2/7/2010 by Thistled]

reply to post by Thistled

Very true. It's hard to watch this without thinking about the devastation that is being caused to people's lives, plus the families that are grieving for the ones they lost.

A new cap is really the only realistic option for containment right now. If you watch Intervention II right now you might catch a glimpse of the new, very substantial brackets I mentioned. They can only be there for one purpose and they are definitely not original equipment on the BOP.

MIke

reply to post by JustMike


Is that the green thing which the ROV (intervention ROV 2) is having difficulty installing.

It looks like some sort of actuator, and if many of those go all the way round the pipe, then they support and keep it in place when the top riser section is removed?

Been watchin wi curiousity what these lot are up to today wi all the activity. Shame my feeds keep going down...

Anybody notice that outburst from the side of the spill a few minutes ago?

reply to post by niblo


Am er in Clacks mate. Pleased tae meet ye.

What spill? What outburst?

[edit on 2/7/2010 by Thistled]

The feeds are going down every so often, meaning those vessels in the region must be finding it difficult to keep a line of sight to the inmarsat birds.

Expect a few breaks as long as it's rough seas out there. Just a warning to those who are itching to type, "OMG they don't want us to see" nonsense.

reply to post by Thistled

I saw they were having trouble installing that green, cylindrical object and was also puzzling over its purpose. Right now I can't get any feeds from OI, Ent or Skandi so I have no idea what's been going on in the past several minutes.

If those green cylinders are only going to be placed where they have fitted those cover/support plates over the bolts, then I wonder if they'll be used to align the pipe by placing pressure on one side of it. (It would obviously be helpful to have the pipe centralized.) Could it be that they're either mini hydraulic rams or possibly electric rams?

Ah, now have the Intervention ROV 2 feed back... Work is continuing on placing those green cylindrical devices.

used to go to clacks college years ago

It looked like a wee explosion ( sure it wasnt though before everyone goes mad ) and clouds of oil heading straight for Skandi 2, blocked most of its vision for about 10 seconds, I thought that was the start of a huge leak but think it stabilised, couldny tell properly though cause straight afterwards every camera but two went down at once.

Having a closer look, it looks like it could have been the spray from the opposite side cause it looks like its going quite wild