The Associated Press is reporting that the oil rig explosion from earlier today is casting a mile long oil sheen in the Gulf, falsifying previous reports of the well being inactive.
If indeed the well is leaking oil, the fact that it is a shallow water well will make it easier to seal. Also, the fact that it’s in shallow water is the reason that it was still pumping during The Obama administration’s moratorium, which only dampered deep-water drilling.
The Associated Press got a hold of a homeland security update that said the platform was producing 58,800 gallons of oil and 900,000 cubic feet of gas per day, and that the platform can store 4,200 gallons of oil.
Andy Radford, an API expert on offshore oil drilling said, “A production platform is much more stable,” adding, “On a drilling rig, you’re actually drilling the well. You’re cutting. You’re pumping mud down the hole. You have a lot more activity on a drilling rig.”
Unlike rigs like the Deepwater Horizon, shallow water platforms do not have blowout preventers. They usually contain a series of valves that can shut off oil and gas at different points.
During hurricanes Katrina and Rita many platforms were damaged causing pipelines to break and oil to spill. But due to the nature of the platforms they were able to keep major spills from happening.
“Those safety valves did their job,” Radford said.
Photo: Associated Press
