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Idea for BP oil spill.. would this work?
This is just for curiosity sake. Assuming the tube is made from metal... Put underwater pyrotechnic material on tube to heat it up so it becomes malleable. Drop a 50-100 ton spherical metal ball on it to crimp it shut - with some force from let's say a 20 foot drop. I imagine the pipe would flatten and slightly fold, thus stopping or drastically slowing flow. I'm thinking it would be cheap, simple, fast temporary solution. What are the reasons this would or would not work? Thank you!
2 Answers
- oil field trashLv 71 decade agoFavorite Answer
It is going to be pretty hard to heat up a pipe surrounded by sea water with 20,000 to 40,000 barrels of crude oil flowing through it.
The other problem is one of the leaks is just above the BOP so when you this you could very well break off the BOP and then we would have a real uncontrolled mess.
Interesting idea but I don't think you can get there from here.
- barrowboyLv 71 decade ago
It's a possibility. Certainly, thermite could be used for heating: it already is for deep diving work.
Unfortunately, BP and our admin. are trusting to that good old saying "If you let a blind pig snuffle around long enough, even he will find an acorn"
Sooner or later (much later?) a fix will be stumbled upon.
Who knows, there might be an appeal for any ideas. If so, go for it.
