Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, leader of the Federal response to the BP oil disaster, announced this morning that an accident involving a robotic submarine at the site of the leaking well has dislodged the containment cap which had been capturing a significant portion of oil gushing from the well. As a result, Allen said, the oil is now flowing freely into the Gulf.
Allen said that a remotely operated vehicle had bumped into one of the cap's vents, closing it. Because excess oil and gas could not escape from the vent, gas began to rise through a pipe carrying warm water to the cap, forcing technicians to remove the cap.
The purpose of the pipe carrying warm water is to block the formation of slush-like hydrates in the containment cap. Hydrates are problematic because they block the flow of oil through the pipe connected to the containment cap, making it impossible to capture oil.
If no hydrates formed when the warm water flow was cut off and the cap was removed, then the cap can be put back in place later today, otherwise Allen said it will take "significantly longer." He didn't quantify "significantly."
Yesterday, just over 27,000 barrels of oil were captured, representing the most successful day so far since the leak began, but until the cap can be placed back on the leaking pipe, those gains have been completely erased.
Allen also said that two workers involved in response efforts had passed away, although it was unclear whether either death was directly related to response work. He said one death involved a swimming pool accident and the other involved a Vessel of Opportunity boat operator and was being investigated by police in Gulf Shores, Mississippi. Update: The boat operator died of a gunshot wound, so the death appears unrelated to the oil itself, though it's possible it occurred while the boat operator was on duty.
continued at Daily Kos....
