New oil flow estimate

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appears to be 25,000-30,000 barrels per day prior to cutting the pipe.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/us/11spill.html?th&emc=th


It stretches my imagination a bit too much to believe either BP or the government ever believed in the much smaller estimates.
 
I've studied physics and geometry and chemistry, (but not nearly as much as the scientists working on it) and all I can say is that despite all of that it's still extremely difficult to monitor the rate at which a dark liquid is squirting out of a hole 1 mile below the ocean's surface in complete darkness. It's a matter of determining density from vague readings, determining circumference, and speed of release.

Imagine yourself attempting to determine how much oil is shooting out from that hole. It's not just "flowing" out, it's SHOOTING out.


This is my explanation for why the numbers keep changing. It's very unclear.
 
Since there are probably one or two similar wells in the world, I think they could have come a little closer in their guess.
 
But they haven't...and that's probably because it's not so similar to the other wells.
 
Are you talking about "other wells" that are under control or wells that are just spewing oil everywhere?
 
I'd imagine it is near impossible to gauge the amount flowing out. You'd have to do the equivalent of a sonogram on 100% of the pocket of oil to know the air/gas densities to do that. A 100% survey of that would make any and all oil surveys prohibitively expensive.
 
so yeah, basically my point is that they're practically guessing. and i'm sure there's a limited amount of measurements that they can actually take at the bottom of the ocean, so it's...a lot harder than people think.
 
have any of either of you read HOW they estimated the flow rate?

they had 3 teams

1) 25-30K Barrels per day
2) 12.6->21K barrels per day ( probably lowballed because they missed the underwater plumes; estimated only surface areas x thickness from remote sensing)
3) 25-50K barrels per day


now, if BP is telling the truth about how much they are recovering, they can make new guesses as to whats leaking and add the estimated.

and oh, they did release the wellhead pressure. Its not as high as originally thought.
 
that's my way of telling you that i actually paid attention in class. 99% of you don't even understand physics, and just as many arguments are made totally disregarding how this shit works.
 
So what you are saying is that BP can't accurately predict the pressure from a leak in which unknown natural forces exist? Those mother fuckers. They should have 100% knowledge.
 
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