Gulf Oil Blowout Preventer: Where Is It?

NEW ORLEANS — The Justice Department won't say if the blowout preventer that failed to stop oil from gushing from BP's undersea well into the Gulf of Mexico is on its way to shore.

Spokeswoman Hannah August declined comment Monday.

The 50-foot, 300-ton device, which was lifted to the surface Saturday, is expected to be analyzed at a NASA facility in Louisiana.

It is unclear, meanwhile, exactly when the final plugging of the well will take place.

Relief well drilling was supposed to resume after Labor Day. The government's point man on the spill response said Saturday he wanted to wait before giving a firm updated timeline. BP said recently it didn't expect to finish the relief well until mid-September.

The Deepwater Horizon exploded April 20, killing 11 and leading to the massive oil spill in the Gulf.

Comments

[Donald Simon]

05:46 AM on 09/08/2010

Not a great time for secrets.

[vetxcl]

10:30 PM on 09/07/2010

mr. weber: does it get under your skin that you can't try everything in the media's court of public opinion?

[vetxcl]

10:28 PM on 09/07/2010

it's at area 51 silly.

[jimmiek]

08:04 PM on 09/07/2010

Non-Story, Story!

Just how many NASA facilities are their in Louisian with the capacity to handle something as big as a blowout preventer.... as heavy... and... well something one is going to disassemble (and perhaps reassemble a few times)....

- Michoud Assembly Facility in eastern New Orleans

Naaaa... can't be that simple...

[RedBrown]

07:05 PM on 09/07/2010

One way to beat these damn moderators would be for everyone to flag everything. That would negate the so-called real flags. I'm going to read elsewhere...

[gorgol]

06:16 PM on 09/07/2010

Never fear..supposedly FBI agents have been with the "Preventer" since it came out of the Gulf.
Its protected. No one will tamper with it....Our government wants to get to the truth on this.
Yes..our government. So rest at ease. If you can't trust your government, who can you trust??
I have to go now..Nurse Ratchet said play time is over.

[Lark817]

04:43 PM on 09/07/2010

They'll plug the leak after they have wrung every last drop of oil from this hole and not sooner. It's what I think, anyway.

[whitebeach]

05:12 PM on 09/07/2010

The leak has been plugged for weeks. The blowout has cost BP more than the whole field is worth. But since the field is still there, letting oil leak from it benefits no one, least of all BP. Logic much?

[Lark817]

06:23 PM on 09/07/2010

They were out billions the minute that rig blew up. They will not plug that leak entirely until they recover all the oil they can. Of course I don't want it leaking out there. If they can't or won't plug it, they should certainly recover it. I stand by my statement and though you disagree, I won't try to insult you.

[KeysDan]

04:28 PM on 09/07/2010

The BOP is probably in a BP facility with strict, very strict oversight by Sec Salazar.

[Chazmania]

04:15 PM on 09/07/2010

BP.....woops oh sorry um we dropped it into the deepest part of the sea...um uh sorry i guess you wont find out about all the safety violations we ignored.. guess the world will have to speculate for eons what we did like we do with JFK and 911 etc etc etc.... too bad so sad..But we are off the hook again!

[ralle]

04:05 PM on 09/07/2010

According to our local news, it's at the Michoud facility outside New Orleans.

[jason9045]

04:00 PM on 09/07/2010

I'm sure they have top men working on it now.
Who?
Top. Men.

[Chazmania]

04:17 PM on 09/07/2010

Top men in the field of making up a pile of BS for the mass's to lap up and they can all walk free of any responsibility as usual........ Wait for it!

[FZliveson]

03:57 PM on 09/07/2010

In order to let BP know we CARE about the environment and not them,
1) Please do not shop at AM/PM
2) Please do not buy ARCO gasoline or products
3) Please do not use CASTROL products

Tell your friends to refrain as well.
Tell BP what we think of them with our wallets
Thank you

[Chazmania]

04:18 PM on 09/07/2010

Done done and done!

[FZliveson]

04:31 PM on 09/07/2010

Thank you! Please pass the word on

NO AM/PM
NO ARCO
NO CASTROL

[Lark817]

04:48 PM on 09/07/2010

I completely agree, but if you've seen the mess Shell Oil left in Nigeria and the Niger River, you'd have to include them, too. Then Exxon with their record.... You know what I mean? I would like to just boycott oil and gas period. My husband and I don't own a car and willingly use public transportation, but we live in an area where it's cheap and plentiful. We're still hooked on fossil fuels in other areas I'm sure.

[FZliveson]

04:51 PM on 09/07/2010

PLEASE! Part of the challenge is thinking too broadly and then not acting because people get overwhelmed. People can pick and choose as they like but it is focused action that gets work done.

BP is the latest to screw people here in the U.S.A. so I am suggesting them.
If you want to do something else, more power to you!
Just be in action and make a difference.
Thanks

[Almondo]

05:22 PM on 09/07/2010

BP is MANY TIMES worse than Shell and Exxon...
http://www.businessinsider.com/bp-has-been-fined-by-osha-760-times-has-an-awful-track-record-for-safety-2010-6

[trishinpitt]

03:42 PM on 09/07/2010

What exactly is the story here? The spokesperson won't confirm the location of the BOP that is on it's way to a NASA facility in Louisiana? Do you want her to give you the GPS coordinates? I'm not sure what answer was to be expected. I saw a story that said the FBI has been watching every step of the move and documenting everything... I guess I just don't get the angle we're going for here...would you prefer it be loaded on the back of an open flatbed so photographers can snap photos and ask it questions personally? Where was this kind of scrutiny 9 years ago? I don't recall too many reporters asking where the WMD's were?

[getsgarth]

04:04 PM on 09/07/2010

so true.

I am certain they just want to have people looking at it that are qualified engineers and not have the public and every hack become an armchair petroleum engineer.

[Chazmania]

04:21 PM on 09/07/2010

SELECTIVE engineers that will report the "right" findings?.....seen it all before...more wag the dog.....I am deeply skeptical and suspicious of every "official" story these days.

[Viewfromaway]

03:39 PM on 09/07/2010

I think I should increase my stock in Reynolds

[Bobio]

03:09 PM on 09/07/2010

Nothing to see here, move along.

[notillegal2]

03:42 PM on 09/07/2010

Especially where it's hidden up in.