Is a 45% failure rate important?

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   Doug Hughesposted 14 years ago

   "Vulnerable Devices
   
   Last year, Transocean commissioned a “strictly confidential” study of the reliability of blowout preventers used by deepwater rigs.
   
   Using the world’s most authoritative database of oil rig accidents, a Norwegian company, Det Norske Veritas, focused on some 15,000 wells drilled off North America and in the North Sea from 1980 to 2006.
   
   It found 11 cases where crews on deepwater rigs had lost control of their wells and then activated blowout preventers to prevent a spill. In only six of those cases were the wells brought under control, leading the researchers to conclude that in actual practice, blowout preventers used by deepwater rigs had a “failure” rate of 45 percent."
   
   NY Times  - June 20, 2010
   
   http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/21/us/21 … mp;emc=rss
   
   If the gawdaymn fail-safe, last-ditch, sure-fire, guaranteed-or-your-money-back device that the oil companies pitch as the reason disasters won't happen - FAILS 45% of the time - doesn't that suggest that a hold on new drilling is called for until a device or devices are tested that WILL shut off the oil????

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      KFlippinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Darn, I thought your topic on a 45% FAILURE RATE was about Obama's ratings in the polls!

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   Rochelle Frankposted 14 years ago

   That is amazing. Even more-- when they DO fail no one seems to have a workable backup plan.
   Pretty soon we will all have more oil than we can ever use-- and no fish.

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      Hubbin4V12posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Funny how these types of incidents are swept under the rug for decades, kinda undermines the whole point of even attempting to go green as a consumer in the first place.
      
      And we'll definitely loose more than fish when it reaches shore lines.

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   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

     you would think this would be obvious. it's mind boggling at the least. we have lost our minds.

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   CrystalSingletonposted 14 years ago

   well technically it is less than fifty fifty, LOL none the less, come up with a better plan. I happen to be in the US, AND i happen to live in an ocean community. Although I live on the west coast I am affected by the problem BP has created and I think they are being lazy and irresponsible. They are not taking by any means necessary and are at total disregard for our circle of life. in other words they are asses. We have oil rigs off our coast which are dormant at this moment. Probably becuase they lack the technology to do an effective job at which they are intended to do.

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   earnestshubposted 14 years ago

   If these figures are true, then it is an outrage!
   
   A car has around 10,000 parts in it, yet if I drove my car with a risk of failure that high, I would be an idiot!
   
   If the engineering can't do better than 99% then they should not be allowed to drill until they do.
   The obvious problem? We consume too much gasoline.

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      KFlippinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Take it up with Salazar, or give Birnbaum a call at home -- they are both 'lifers' in the government oil business.  Why are we not seeing their heads on the block?   Oh, I forgot, they 'inherited' the problems........they did tell us that when Birnbaum 'resigned'.

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         earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         With the direction this disaster is taking, responsible parties will get nailed this time. It will not happen overnight, but it will happen,

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            KFlippinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Bull, they've been orchestrating how to keep the blame away from the USA from "Day One".

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               earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               That doesn't surprise me I must admit, but I think the people have this one.

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                  KFlippinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                  "the people" have this one?  Yeah, just ask Louisiana.

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                     earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                     I guess a put that badly.
                     
                     What I mean to say is the good people of Louisiana and others will not let this rest. Politicians who try to hide this will get roasted eventually.

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      KFlippinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      That was a particularly abrupt 90 degree conclusion -- we consume too much gasoline -- the oil spill is the consumer's fault!  And therein lies the spin for the passage of Cap and Trade and the end of a middle class in America-- with zero impact on Global Warming, the great monetizer of the rich of the 21st century and beyond-- an outrage.

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         earnestshubposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The high investment high risk drilling is market driven.
         It is a no brainer. We have to back off the juice or keep building high risk riggs.
         The only way to stop these ventures is to slow demand.
         

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            KFlippinposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Actually, we would not be so far out there, so deep in the sea, if treehuggers hadn't shut down what could have been pumped with ease on shore.  No businessman chooses to take on such cost and risk unless they are forced to, and of course the treehuggers blessed it as an okay compromise apparently.  I'm thinking I will research this issue myself. 
            
            Nonetheless, Obama says we only have 2% of global oil reserves, and that is a flat out bullshxxism, said to keep the bogus spin going.

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