BP Oil Fix in Greater Detail

The Fix

It is sad that the oil continues to leak into the gulf when there is a simple fix. President Obama could take charge and make the leak disappear. He could declare a state of national emergency and order companies such as Bechtel, Boeing, Jacobs Constructors and the like to direct all their engineering skills toward fixing the leak in one month's time. Not a minute more!

Illustration "A" shows the BOP gushing oil.

Here's how it can be accomplished: Build a large donut-shaped form (say, 40-feet in diameter by 15-feet high). Lower the form over the stricken blow out preventer (BOP) and allow it to rest on the sea floor. (Illustration "B")The form would have no bottom and vents at the top would let any trapped air to escape. Then concrete would be pumped in and sea water wold be displaced by the concrete. Then robotic submersibles would close down the top vents. An array of anchor bolts would be embedded into the mixture and extend out from the form which would remain in place after the concrete hardens.

In the next phase (Illustration "C"), a precast, steel reinforced concrete containment dome would be lowered down and attached firmly to the concrete footing. The dome would have a hole in the top allowing the oil to flow unrestricted out the damaged BOP which has been encircled by the donut-shaped foundation. No ice crystals will form while oil escapes freely out the opening. Alongside the dome's open hole is a 24-inch diameter flange with a flexible, rubberized pipe attached which leads to a tanker vessel on the surface. Once the 24-inch pipe is secured at both ends, the previously open dome hole can slowly be closed down by the submersibles and the gushing oil will then be diverted into the 24-inch pipe and up to the tanker. The oil containment chamber has been filled completely with pure crude oil. All the sea water has been purged. Adjacent to the previously open hole is a new BOP which can be connected to an oil pumping rig at a later date. The oil leak is now permanently stopped and pure crude oil is now flowing into the tanker.

So why isn't this being done? Why is President Obama not acting and marshaling the finest minds we have to resolve this disaster? We can send men to the moon and squander billions on futile wars but we can't build a simple steel and concrete structure to contain the oil leak in the gulf. This is a disgrace! Let's get with it America. Stop this assault NOW!