Why don't they just vacuum the oil out?

[scubadude]

The exact same mechanism they used to attempt to lower over the broken pipeline could be made into a huge pump through the addition of compressed air.

All they would have to do is affix an air hose to the box they lowered over the break then pump air at approximately 2500psi* into the box. The air would go straight up and expand as it rises. This would cause a vacuum and the oil would be drawn into the box and to the surface.

Anyone who has worked with under gravel fish filters knows how this works. The technique is commonly used in underwater vacuuming systems to lift bottom silt off the sea floor. We've all seen them used in treasure hunting documentaries.

Why not just admit some air into your box? I bet it would work.

*pressure at 5000 feet is 2227.27psi

Scuba

[Oregone]

1. I say let it leak

I tire of all these humans

And lizards. Don't get me started on the lizards.

[HereSince1628]

2. That too requires an unblocked pipe/hose to the surface

The problem was, and perhaps still is, that the breach is rich in methane which freezes to form methane ice that closes the lumen of the pipe.

[scubadude]

6. Then pump in heated water.

The heat from the water will melt the methane causing it to be bouyant creating lift which in turn sucks the oil upwards. Similar to what I've already proposed.

Scuba

[HereSince1628]

9. you've got all the answers, you should sell them to BP

[jdlh8894]

3. What do you think caused this in the first place! n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. It's been suggested - saw an article on how the Saudis did exactly

that a few years ago - but BP is reluctant to take any tankers our of production to receive the goo, according to the article.

EDIT: Misread what you posted. The Saudi solution was for getting the goo off the surface once it rose, not to capture it coming out of the pipe, which was the original idea of the 'box' and now the 'top hat'.

[doc03]

5. As for sucking the goo off the surface, we do it all the time

where I work. We collect oil from our waste-water on a skimmer hose, the skimmer hose runs trough a scraper and the waste is collected in a large holding tank. The skimmer hose is nothing more than a loop of plastic hose that dips into the water as the hose comes out of the water the oil clings to it. The oil is scraped off the hose and it runs into a tank, as the oil floats to the surface we drain the water off the bottom. When the tank gets full of oil a vacuum truck comes in and sucks the oil out it is then recycled. All they would have to do is put a vacuum pump on a oil tanker and suck the oil off the surface when it comes to the top.

[scubadude]

7. Yes, somethink similar could be done as far as the tanks go.

You could build a few of those giant above ground oil tanks, float them out to a temporary rig anchored to the sea floor. As the oil rises, direct it into the tanks from the bottom, carefully controlling how much air is let out of the tank. As the oil rises, the tank slowly lowers itself. I guess this would be similar to a floating dry dock.

Heck, why not just use one of the very large floating dry docks? Instead of a ship, put the oil in it.

Scuba

[doc03]

8. How about giving Palin, Cheney, Bush, Hannity

and the rest straws to suck it up. They all suck big time.