re: #546 Obdicut

Ruling out this particular failure would be incredibly stupid. Again: Even the best plans cannot protect against failure. More than anything else, this plan has shown that the response plans have been largely ineffective, and we need much better response plans.

Ruling out this failure would be a monumentally bad idea.

Your first two paragraphs I agree are important to consider. Note that Obama may be thinking along similar lines in proposing the regulators make use of independent experts, and not solely on their bureaucracy.

And of course we discovered failing in the response that are glaring and need addressing.

But I don’t get why you say “ruling out this failure” would be a bad idea? That makes no sense. Ruling out the practices that were permitted would have prevented this blow-out, even with the 9 other mistakes and the faulty BOP. It was a simple matter of physics, don’t displace the column of heavy mud which is holding back a reservoir back through well understood hydrostatic pressure with lighter seawater until redundant plugs are set.

This will undoubtedly become a rule written in stone for all future wells. The well would not have blown had they not done this. I can’t imagine BP or anyone even considering doing otherwise in light of what transpired. Certainly not in a well that was out of control for months and losing circulation. Regardless, we simply eliminate what proved reckless by regulatory mandate. That would seem an obvious next step.

An interim measure of adding another set of sheer rams would also seem an obvious interim solution, as once a blow-out occurs only the rams can shut it off. It is quite likely they hit a tool joint, though it is possible they simply couldn’t cut the pipe. Adding another set distance away would remove this point of failure in the device we count on as the “failsafe.”