Gulf Oil Spill Volume: BP Unsure How Much Oil Remains In Deepwater Horizon Reservoir

COVINGTON, La. — BP spokesman John Curry says the company does not know how much oil is contained the vast reservoir nearly three miles beneath the seafloor.

Curry said Sunday that the company didn't have time to properly analyze how much was in the discovery well. He says if the oil rig had not exploded, BP PLC ultimately would have drilled another well to complete that analysis.

Curry says the uncertainty over how much oil is in the reservoir does not change BP's response. The company has been trying to stop the gusher for nearly six weeks and the realization that oil could be flowing into the Gulf for months is setting in for Gulf coast residents.

Comments

[nmaddog7]

05:03 PM on 06/01/2010

So the entire thing could spill out. Frankly that could lead to an ELE, because of birds dying out in the Atlantic and Gulf we could see massive unstoppable insect plagues wipeout our crops, leading to worldwide starvation. I have a feeling that this is the scale of the disaster.

[stevedvorak]

03:11 PM on 06/01/2010

I'd like to see this work: See containment solution for BP Oil spill. Why is BP not using this now? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx2mDYCIW20

[Kyrillos Wickenberg]

02:15 AM on 06/01/2010

If BP and BO would have done their homework, this would never have happened.

[getoffmedz]

04:03 PM on 06/01/2010

splat! Hurl that ODS

[G FORCE]

09:05 PM on 05/31/2010

Boycott of BP!!!
Join Facebook boycott of BP:

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/group.php?gid=116094405092992

[Indra]

07:58 PM on 05/31/2010

This is definitely not true. They may not know the "exact" amount but they do have a very good general idea of how much to expect from this well. No driller is that stupid nowadays. Basically they are lying. Trust me on this one, as no one wildcats anymore.

[EpicSarcastic]

12:58 AM on 06/01/2010

Yes, I do not believe them on this one.

[getoffmedz]

04:05 PM on 06/01/2010

Indra, thanks

Excellent comment

[idyl]

06:31 PM on 05/31/2010

There are a lot of people questioning the size and viability of many of these reservoirs (based on industry reports and analysis) in deepwater in the Gulf. Look up information on the Thunder Horse Oil Field. It's also in the Mississippi Canyon in deepwater. BP has a $1 billion production platform out there (the largest of its kind anywhere in the world). After barely surviving two hurricanes (Dennis and Katrina), the oil field was finally brought into production in 2008 and the results have been very disappointing. Some have called it a "collapse" and a failure in the industry (the cost of which is shared by everyone down the line, including the taxpayer in royalty relief, exploration tax credits, Coast Guard protection, and much more). Here's one story on the Thunder Horse from the Houston Chronicle:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/biz/7006307.html

[johnjohn1234]

06:21 PM on 05/31/2010

Boycott BP. Don't buy their gas or their junk food and soon they will have a pretty good reason to get this fixed PDQ.

[mobius8]

08:04 PM on 05/31/2010

http://www.seizebp.com/

pass it on.

[Eyeful]

04:28 PM on 05/31/2010

Oh spare us! Their business is to extract oil in areas known for large deposits. They know how large this deposit is and how much oil is leaking, but it's not in their interest to divulge this information because they are still concerned with the damage to their image rather than the environment. At this point anything they cop to will be used against them in litigation.

Rumors are that the President has been briefed about the extent of this reservoir. It may be as large as an inverted Mt. Everest, and the pressure exerted at this depth is volcanic, meaning it's uncontrollable.

[wutzurbeef]

02:23 AM on 06/01/2010

Correct. They have been lying from the outset. And this disaster is just getting started. Wait till the economic, ecological and political fallout starts to take full hold. Plus they have just popped one of the earths ZITs and that oil has to go somewhere.

[droog1]

01:59 PM on 06/01/2010

You're dreaming if you think BP knows exactly how much oil is in the reservoir. They most likely have a probabilistic range of potential volumes, since this is an immature exploration project. It would take more wells drilled to other parts of the reservoir before any operator could get a fair idea of the recoverable volumes. Just another example of the ignorant masses thinking they know everything there is to know about the complexities of the oil industry. Do some reading and learning about subsurface petroleum geology and then come back to post something more intelligent than this tripe.

[jsuperconductor]

03:23 PM on 05/31/2010

There's a hole in the bottom of the sea, there's a hole in the bottom of the sea, there's a hole, there's a hole, there's a hole at the bottom of the sea. Sung as Stewie Griffin

[themainpoint]

02:36 PM on 05/31/2010

What about this? Why can't they take hundreds or thousands of huge cement blocks and drop them over the gusher till it stops or dramatically slows and buys some time, using some sort of radar and naval guidance system or something?

[lesleypalmer]

11:42 AM on 05/31/2010

BP will never tell the public how extensive the reservoir is. This is proprietary information and is the most carefully guarded secret in the oil industry. Don't believe me? Ask a reservoir engineer.

[jsuperconductor]

10:49 AM on 05/31/2010

if the darkness of this oil enhances the heat capture ability of the gulf water, time for super charged hypercanes...

[ocalasatpro]

11:08 AM on 05/31/2010

GREAT point! A huge solar water heater. Before it's all said and done the gulf will be one great big hot bucket of water. That water travels, too.

How about that hole oil is gushing out of? Doesn't anyone think that hole will just keep getting larger with time as the oil, which is under incredible pressure, bores it out?

The idea of a hole in the earth is rather frightening

[Archivist1000]

11:13 AM on 05/31/2010

RIght now, it's coming out of a pipe, not a hole ...... probably an 18 inch pipe.

[pinkylee23]

10:47 AM on 05/31/2010

Dirge for the age:
DUMP OIL on 'adolf' svanberg, suttles and hayward!
And for a special treat boil that oil for svanberg and pour it down his throat!
Dump oil on all BP workers!
Jail all BP workers for life
Strip all BP workers of their assets and use them for the clean up
Dismantle BP as a warning to other 'oilistas'
Jail all regulators for life
Fire salazar
Fire chu
Remove obama from the B(ack) P(ocket)
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!

DUMP OIL on 'adolf' svanberg, suttles and hayward!
Dump oil on all BP workers!
Jail all BP workers for life
Strip all BP workers of their assets and use them for the clean up
Dismantle BP as a warning to other 'oilistas'
Jail all regulators for life
Fire salazar
Fire chu
Remove obama from the B(ack) P(ocket)
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!
SOS! Save Other Species!!!! Stop the human greed!!!

[Sevilleaba]

10:46 AM on 05/31/2010

Jindal sponsored the Deep Ocean Energy Resources bill.

H.R. 4761 [109th]: Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006
To provide for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources on the outer Continental Shelf, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep. Bobby Jindal [R-LA]

[democles]

10:01 AM on 05/31/2010

It's an old defense: If I don't know anything it's harder to be held accountable.