For the first time in 3 months the well head on the bottom of the gulf of Mexico isn't leaking.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_ ... 9pbGxlYWtp

As long as rumors about seabed destruction, multiple leaking locations and the imminent collapse of the BOP aren't true, that could be the last of the oil dumped in the gulf.

(I tend to think there are more leaks though and the BOP is leaning quite a bit off vertical.)

Still, good news is good.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Unless the pressure blows 50 new holes. I've come to expect the worst out of this story.

The draconian media blackout would suggest we should be very pessimistic. I agree.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Good news if it's true.

Tough to believe anything that's said though.

What's BOP?

Ah, blowout preventer, nvmd.

My question is, if pressure is the worry, why the fuck did they cap it, and not put pipes on the cap to (1) relieve pressure, and (2) keep collecting oil?

Don't burn me at the stake for #2; I understand BP is a business. I would prefer they didn't collect the oil, but if them collecting oil meant that it mitigated the risk of pressure buildup, then that's a sacrifice I'd be willing to make.

I'm ecstatic about this regardless.

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They need to do this test without collecting to see if the cap and well bore can hold if they had to seal the cap and leave for a hurricane (assuming they resume collection).

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Oh...ok. That makes a bit more sense.

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So.... BP stops the oil leak on the same day that the news of them helping the Lockerbie bomber get out of jail..... i find this very convenient. Maybe thats just me.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38256677/ns ... ws-africa/

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Impossible Is Nothing.

Oh lovely, I knew this wasn't all kittens and cupcakes like it appeared to be.

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mechaphil

Kittens and cupcakes covered in crude oil.

Ham

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Do you believe yet?

this is better then nothing though, phil. its not permanent, but for now, they can collect what oil is out there, and begin the healing process.

did that massive skimmer "a whale" pass its inspection to begin skimming?

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At this point, that wouldn't surprise me lol

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mechaphil

Very true. I'm pleased for sure with the cap, I'm just bleh about the whole Lockerbie bomber thing.

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mechaphil

That came out earlier in the week, not yesterday.

It's working out about as well as a football bat.

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*tin foil hat*

The only reason they closed the well completely is because there are already multiple other leaks on the seabed and this gives them a tidy explanation without having to admit how FUBAR the situation really is.

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Hold my beer and watch this...

Not sure I get what you're driving at, are you saying that there are other leaks, BP knows this, and is doing this pressure test knowing it will fail, and then they can blame the 'new' leaks as being caused by the pressure test?

There's a paper out there theorizing that there could potentially be multiple cracks below the seafloor, and that a cap on the wellhead would simply force the oil flow into the seafloor instead of stopping it altogether.