Watch the BP Cam! Thread #8

[NYC_SKP]

Link to Thread #7: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8465178

Thanks to gateley, jaxx, Subdivisions and many others for keeping this series running! :thumbsup:

WKRG Video Stream: http://www.livestream.com/wkrg_oil_spill

ABC Video Stream: http://abcnews.go.com/video/video?id=6046305

Akamia Link: http://mfile.akamai.com/97892/live/reflector:46245.asx?bkup=46260

Explanatory video: http://bp.concerts.com/gom/kentwellstechupdatelong053110.htm

The Giant Shears have now snipped most of the collapsed riser away from the BOP, and the Diamond Wire Saw is preparing to saw off the riser just above the BOP



Best wishes to all the engineers and others working to make this a successful end to the disastrous leak.

:patriot:

[spotbird]

1. When would the new collection device be

put in place, assuming this is successful .

[drm604]

3. I think it's already down there waiting

to be placed as quickly as possible.

[NYC_SKP]

9. That's right. They have two devices on the bottom.

Not sure if it's two LMRPs or the LMRP and the BOP on BOP device, but two "Tops" are down there.

[Webster Green]

80. I'm pretty sure they are both LMRPs

From a thread at TOD a couple days ago. They are almost identical.

They talked about using the BOP from relief well 2, but they're going to use it to drill that well instead.

[NYC_SKP]

91. I wonder why two.

Better two than none, I guess.

Had they damaged one, there would be number two.

Thanks.

[NYC_SKP]

6. Hard to say because they've been painstakingly careful about every detail.

As they should be.

I imagine it will take several hours to saw through the riser.

I'm not sure they're satisfied with the saw's position.

And, I don't know that they won't have to change out blades once or twice or more often.

If I was betting, I'd bet on 12-20 hours for the cut, and another 4-10 for placement and fixing of the LMRP and closure of the seal.

But hell, anything could happen.

[scheming daemons]

2. That's an amazingly clear video considering the depth and everything... n/t

[drm604]

7. I know.

I imagine that they're putting out a LOT of candlepower to be able to obtain such a clear picture.

[tabatha]

12. Where's the oil?

Are you sure this is not a simulation?

[trumad]

4. So is the pipe shown in the pic

supposed to be the new pipe that will cap it?

[Parker CA]

13. The new caps are not in the current picture. They are in baskets that have been lowered down,

likely very near the BOP so they can grab one and attempt installation asap.

[HughMoran]

5. Here comes the wire!!

[Control-Z]

8. I don't see it.

Can you direct my eye?

[jp11]

15. The blade is across two disks that will travel along side the pipe cutting and end up at the forward

position of the two 'rails' you see, per the graphic provided. (AT LEAST I BELIEVE SO-IT COULD STILL TRANSFORM)

[drm604]

20. The graphic in the OP

makes it look like the wire is on the side away from the yellow box (assuming the wire is that yellow string thing going over the two pulleys).

On Edit: Never mind, I think I understand now.

[drm604]

10. You can see it?

:shrug:

[HughMoran]

14. Yep, saw the wheels and the wire - it's only about 6" from the yellow box

so it's not running yet, but I saw it clearly a few minutes ago.

[Gin]

11. is it cutting? when it is...will it cut toward the yellow thing with the word cut on

it? or toward the camera?

[HughMoran]

16. Looks like it cuts away from the box

but I'm not sure as it's not cutting yet.

[Control-Z]

23. Seems to me, in order to prevent

kinking, it would have to cut in a circular motion around the pipe, or inward, somehow keeping equal pressure on the pipe at all times. I've just started watching this in the last hour so I have no idea what is supposed to happen and I'm sure I'm probably way off base. I just can't imagine cutting straight through in any one direction without risking more damage to the pipe.

[lumberjack_jeff]

17. When they cut that off, it'll belch oil like a son of a bitch.

They better be ready with the cap fitting. I hope the flow is not so great that it prevents placing it.

[harun]

18. That is what the experts seem to think, could increase flow 10%-50%

[NYC_SKP]

24. LMRP cap has a sort of "cage" that should guide it to it's correct positon on the BOP

Seen, sort of, in the image on the left:

[sgsmith]

19. Point of clarification please

Is the drill pipe still in the riser? If so, they're going to have to saw through the riser pipe, and the solid (?) drill pipe.

[jp11]

21. I heard them say it was CNN/MSNBC I forget.

[harun]

22. I don't think drill pipe is in there.

[NYC_SKP]

26. Yes, the drill pipe is still inside the riser. I don't think it's solid, though. nt

[Brother Buzz]

38. The drill pipe is a pipe

Days of solid rotating drill rods are long gone. The actual drill-head is powered by pumping drilling mud down the drill pipe. Although hollow, the drill pipe still has a damn thick cross-section.

[jaxx]

25. Okkkkkk I skimmed through the other threads

and it looks like they cut the riser? Did they? Oil everywhere? I see the diamond saw is still hugging the BOP.

[NYC_SKP]

27. Oh, yeah, they cut that sucker.

Snipped it right in two!

:hi:

[jaxx]

29. Did the oil come right out when they cut it?

:hi: Do you think they have started cutting now? I can't tell, but it doesn't look like it.

[NYC_SKP]

30. It did, the oil started to spew. And they pulled the separated section away.

And I do not see any indication that sawing has begun.

But I'm really relieved they've gotten this far.

We can watch this progress and understand it, unlike Top Kill, which was anyone's guess.

[jaxx]

33. Thanks.

At least it's still on target. Damn, I hate missing jaws do it's thing.

[Subdivisions]

35. Should be video of it soon. n/t

[drm604]

28. Okay, I just saw it and the wheels were definitely turning,

and it is on the yellow box side of the riser. It's not against the riser yet so it's not cutting yet.

[scheming daemons]

31. Ok.. I'm impatient.... start cutting, already!

[Junkdrawer]

32. Saw just started. n/t

[HughMoran]

34. The wheels, they are a turnin'

let's get this bad boy cut.

[jaxx]

36. I wish they could get a top shot, it's hard to see from the side.

[HughMoran]

37. I know. Guess they figure oil will be all over the place soon

Probably trying stay away from it.

[Gin]

39. what drama watching it get closer & closer

[jp11]

40. It is like watching Bond waiting to die.

[harun]

41. lol

[Subdivisions]

43. Ask and ye shall receive. =) n/t

[harun]

44. Obviously the ROV pilot's are reading DU, thanks ROV pilots!

[Webster Green]

87. Here they are....(great pic!)

Steady now, guys.

[gateley]

104. Is this really the pilots?? Impressive! Although I don't see the IV Valium drips... nt

[tridim]

42. Almost... There...

Stay on target.

[doublethink]

45. LOL ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bSefSLaPFs

[drm604]

46. What's up now?

That manipulator is doing something.

[NYC_SKP]

49. I'm afraid it's going to seem pretty uneventful for the next several hours.

I couldn't dig up any figures on the rate of cut for these saws.

Just guessing, but I think several hours and possibly a change of cutting wire, or two, before we see it done.

Note the hand-drawn hash marks on one of the rails, for tracking progress I think.

:thumbsup:

[Subdivisions]

52. Agreed on all counts. About the blade changes, at least

they've got some lubricant on it. =)

[NYC_SKP]

60. DU Under Sea BP ROV CLUB Members....

...At ease.

Prepare to bivouac.

[Subdivisions]

64. Yea, it's going to be slow going for awhile. I'm doing a little work in the background, n/t

[jaxx]

Contact huh huh huh??

[Subdivisions]

51. This is the main cut right here. They are sawing off the riser pipe once

and for all.

[drm604]

47. I think it may be cutting. n/t

[flamingdem]

48. They're cutting the BOP riser!

[NYC_SKP]

50. lol.

:rofl:

[Subdivisions]

54. Ha-ha!

[flamingdem]

61. cool emoticon!

How did you do that?

[Subdivisions]

63. Not mine. Just one I found somewhere. =) n/t

[Control-Z]

53. Can anyone tell me

how long it is expected to take before the Diamond Wire Saw makes its initial break through the pipe (which I imagine we will see when oil suddenly comes spewing out). And how long it is expected to take to saw through the entire pipe?

Are we talking hours? Days?

[Subdivisions]

55. Hours at least. But once it's cut off, things will move very fast in getting

the cap in place.

Edited to add: I'm seeing oil already.

[Control-Z]

57. Dang. I think it just happened.

There appears to be oil suddenly coming out of the pipe at the cut line on the video I'm watching.

[slutticus]

58. looks like they broke the seal

[HughMoran]

59. yep, the mess has just begun

[The Midway Rebel]

56. Godspeed little saw blade on a wire n/t

[jaxx]

62. WOW just plain WOW

[NYC_SKP]

65. The Diamond Wire has Sawn through the 1-inch Thickness of the Wall. This is good.

This also gives us an indication of how long it might take.

Any one who's used a hack saw, or a Sawzall, or a band saw, on a piece of metal pipe knows that it takes longer to get through this first part.

Then it moves more quickly, until the last part where, again, the blade is moving across a greater cross-section of material.

So I'm lowering my estimate to 5 hours or less to cut through, absent any problems or wire changes.

:hi:

[DCBob]

69. blade dulling is also a factor..

hope this works.

[flamingdem]

71. I'm having a little pizza for dinner

[NYC_SKP]

76. That's an LOL skillsaw pizza cutter ya got there!!!

:rofl:

[Junkdrawer]

66. Once they're 90% - 95% through, won't there be a tremendous pressure....

trying to blast the riser off and ruin the "nice clean cut"?

[NYC_SKP]

The pressure won't be any greater, in fact it should be somewhat less. BUT...

You're right, whatever pressure there is will fight that little slice of uncut steel and it may fly off.

There's no reason to worry, however, as the length of riser is already held in a cradle and they'll be ready to pull this section clear from the BOP.

Whenever separation occurs, it's going to be very interesting because that's also when we see the additional 20% or so of spewage.

[Junkdrawer]

75. Hope they left themselves room for a second, lower "clean" cut. n/t

[HughMoran]

77. I bet there's tension in the cables attached to the cradles anyway

that will offset the weight of the pipe as the cut completes. Also, will help to get it away from the volcano quickly.

[drm604]

67. Are we sure that's oil already?

Could it be dust from cutting?

[Control-Z]

68. And, what are the odds of that blade holding up

through the entire cut? Needing to change the blade mid-cut would be such a bitch.

[Gin]

70. almost looks like the oil is coming from the top and being sucked

down...it looks circular

[NYC_SKP]

72. Yes, it sure would slow things down.

I can't find any data on cut speed or wire life, but here's the mfgr's home page: http://www.cut-group.com/overview.asp

A blade change might require detaching and hoisting the saw to the surface, and that would mean a significant delay.

Good to see it cutting away, though!

[NYC_SKP]

78. Unless I'm mistaken, it seems to be cutting at a good rate, maybe 2-3 inches/hour.

Watching the yellow lines on the rail, looks like it moved along 1/2 to 3/4 inch in just 10-15 minutes.

:shrug:

[Junkdrawer]

79. Remember there's a drill pipe in the middle, And it's harder metal....

could produce interesting stresses on the blade.

[jaxx]

73. I'm off to work.

Hold down the fort....and happy cutting!

[drm604]

74. I think it might be dust from cutting rather than oil. n/t

[Webster Green]

92. It's oil (n/t)

[HughMoran]

81. WTF just happened

??

[HughMoran]

82. Did they switch rotational direction, or was that just an optical illusion?

:shrug:

[Gin]

84. it's gonna be a mess very soon

[Junkdrawer]

83. the blade is now not blocking the flow. Spurting oil now BIG TIME...n/t

[HughMoran]

86. I was asking why it stopped cutting for nearly a minute

& whether they were changing the cutting direction.

[Junkdrawer]

88. Looks like to take stock of the oil flow. n/t

[flamingdem]

90. On theoildrum someone noted an angle change to be able to view it better nt

[HughMoran]

94. The wire saw literally stopped cutting for a minute

:shrug: was stopping the saw part of the view angle changing?

[flamingdem]

100. and they were getting a better view of the saw cut angle

so it was said, I missed it. But that would imply they had to stop to look at the marks

[HughMoran]

102. I see - I wasn't sure my point was getting across

I didn't necessarily see why they had to stop it to see, but perhaps that helped see better.

[gristy]

85. I hope there is something that can push on the piece on the top so it won't pinch the wire

[Junkdrawer]

89. oil pressure has that covered. It's what happens when they're almost through...

that I'll want to see.

[global1]

93. Will The Oil That's Being Released Where The Cut Is Through The Pipe......

help to lubricate it so that it makes it easier as they proceed through the pipe?

[NYC_SKP]

95. AFAIK, water is the traditional lubricant/cooler for diamond saws.

I don't know if any lubrication advantage won't be counteracted by a potential tendency to clog the abrasive surfaces of the diamond wire.

In other words, I don't know!

:hi:

[Junkdrawer]

96. I think it's going to be a tad more than a 20% increase in flow....

Getting the cap on should be (ahem) interesting....

[flamingdem]

97. Picture of the casing

[gristy]

98. This is the riser, though. Not the casing?

I think the riser is just steel. In your picture is that concrete sandwiched between two tubes of steel?

[flamingdem]

101. I think you're right about the casing - here is the text that was with the pic

Oh, and I mentioned earlier that an ASJ system had cut through casing and pipes at the bottom of the North Sea. I had the orientation of that cut wrong (at least for the picture below) since in this case it was from the outside in, but I am aware of it being successful the other way. And so here is the picture of casing and cement cut by an ASJ. Sadly it was so long ago - around 23 years, that I can no longer remember exactly the pressure it was cut at, but I believe it was 5,000 psi.

**** So they are discussing the chomper not the diamond blade

[Gin]

99. is it still cutting? hard to see with all the oil

[Control-Z]

105. At this moment, it looks like the blade

is still. They stopped it once earlier, for a minute or two - then started it up again. :shrug:

[gateley]

103. ATTENTION TEAM: Thread #9!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8467065