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Not So Fast: Oil Spill Containment Suffers Setback
By
Jaya Saxena
Published May 8, 2010
Modified May 8, 2010
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published May 8, 2010
Modified May 8, 2010
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The attempt to curtail the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico via a 100-ton cofferdam isn't going to plan anymore. According to the Wall Street Journal, icy gas hydrate crystals have formed inside the dome, clogging the area where the oil would be contained and flow up to a freighter on the surface. BP chief operating officer Doug Suttles said, "I wouldn't say it has failed. What I would say is what we attempted to do last night wasn't successful."
BP is currently trying to find a way to heat the crystals or find another way to get the oil to flow, but executives had underestimated how large the dome's opening needed to be to avoid crystal formation. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard is working with private companies and the local government to protect the coastline with absorptive barriers. Coast Guard Adm. Mary Landry said, "We're assembling a massive amount of boom. ...We're hoping to assemble 300 million feet. I think ultimately we're going to try to deploy every single bit of boom we can find." The containment box is currently sitting on the ocean floor, about 200 feet from the broken oil well.
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Jaya Saxena
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