Oil spill -- is it not possible to install a large enough pipeline over the mouth of the oil spill and siphon?

There is a good chance this is not an accident. BP and Obama are making minimal use of technology and experts. There is an agenda here that is scary. People are forbidden and arrested in Louisiana for talking to media about what is going on.

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

This large pipe would have to stand up in the Gulf and be over a mile high. Can you imagine sticking a pipe up in the air to a height 4 or 5 times the height of the Empire State Building. Pretty difficult task.

The only way they can get a pipe down to the well is to hang it from a drilling barge. That limits how big a pipe they can use since there are weight limits on the drilling barge's lifting capacity. A large pipe probably is not within that capability.

I know everyone wants to control the leak but there are practical limits what can be done but I can see from some of the comments here, there are lots of people who simply don't have a grasp on the problems involved and limits that exist.

As to calling themselves engineeers, the original system is well engineered but poorly operated. Even the best system can't survive if the operators do incorrect things like not having a functioning BOP at the critical time when you are finishing a well.

The oil spill is terrible. BP benefits a spanking. they don't look to be truly doing something to purpose to end the spreading that works. unfavorable seashores and fish and birds and human beings too! i imagine the reaction to the oil spill is in simple terms too sluggish. The oil hasn't stopped leaking and a good number of it really is spilling out each minute. preventing an oil spill like that is truly tricky and just about no longer plausible, yet someone could a minimum of attempt something.

I think they already tried something similar. The trouble is that the leak is 5,000 feet down and subject not just to enormous pressure at that depth, but unpredictable currents too. Its too late now, but why wasn't the thing fitted with some sort of stop valve before installation so that in the event of pipe failure it could be turned off? Did no one think ahead and allow for the possibility, however remote, just because the thing was going to be inaccessible? And they call themselves engineers!

And why arn't shut off valves incorporated into the pipe at intervals. At least we would know how much was still to come.

And, Obama mouthing hard about British Petroleum - its an international company/US regulations are pretty lax on off-shore drilling compared to Europe/some US states are very dependent for their livelihood on BP. Focus on the problem Mr Obama.

And btw - if this pipe was natural gas (as I worked on off-shore central America) what would the consequences be in human terms ?

Totally agree with you...with the tremendous pressure coming from the pipe, and being down 5000 feet, It seems to make the most sense to "Fit" some type of collar around it and slowly, begin siphoning oil to stand by rigs.

Err little spoke of fact, but theres 2 actual leaks...

What im concerned about is Hurricane season... All this will get churned up onto the soil/land

Hmm crude oil and methane.. Humans huh, were a virus with shoes.. Oil oil oil!! fuk the environment

£££ $$$ one day we shall learn!

You would have thought that with todays technology they would have manufactured something like a big heavy

bell / dome to lower down over the thing. or a big heavy concrete tower.

They tried that on May 14 with "Operation Top Hat" and it didn't work.