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[Jackrabbit]

Yeah, sorry about that.

[Aqizzar]

Don't you dare try to take me seriously.  It's just an exasperating subject, and shouting down a well about the Big Money Picture feels like running in circles every time somebody joins the party.  Anyway, I'll probably collect some new articles and make some updates today, just because I need something to do.

[Nonsapient]

and hundred grand bribes and bonuses are the coin of the realm in the natural resources business.

This is true.  The oil business has cleaned up a lot (no more hooker sections in the trade shows)  but it's still very corrupt.  I've seen $40,000 weekend 'hunting trips' for one,  bonuses paid for 'exceptional service';  this kind of thing is why I don't feel that working in the oilfield has done any good for my soul;  not that I accepted anything (I almost caused a big row with EOG-the company Enron turned into- over not doing such) but that I helped these men make their money.

Also:I've heard it through the grapevine (no linkable source)  that Deepwater Horizon was sunk intentionally to extinguish the flare.

That is a MAJOR fuckup.  A flaring well polluting the air is WAY better than what we have.  That's the kind of mismanagement that gets you in criminal negligence suits.

Edit: IF it is true.

[The Architect]

That sounds ridiculous, but it's a much less ridiculous explanation for what we have now than sabotage.

[Nikov]

And not nearly as ridiculous as nuking it, which is why it will work.

[LeoLeonardoIII]

BP's PR Twitter feed. Why come nobody posted it yet?

[smjjames]

BP's PR Twitter feed. Why come nobody posted it yet?

Because its impossible to really tell who is actually BP and who is just trolling, and it looks like 99% are trolling.

[HAMMERMILL]

I doubt it was sunk intentionally. BP has a PR nightmare on hand since they've been trying to promote themselves as enviromental advocates and whatnot only to have one of their rigs explode and create a massive oil spill that they have no earthly idea how to fix.

It would have been much better if the rig simply burned for weeks on end, since that would be like "oh wow, neat, it never stops burning!" to the typical television watching citizen, while things like oil soaked birds get people emotional.

[Aqizzar]

Also:I've heard it through the grapevine (no linkable source)  that Deepwater Horizon was sunk intentionally to extinguish the flare.

That is a MAJOR fuckup.  A flaring well polluting the air is WAY better than what we have.  That's the kind of mismanagement that gets you in criminal negligence suits.

Well, that does raise a question for me.  How hard is it to sink an oil platform anyway?  Because they don't look seaworthy at all to me, and that new video of it going down sure looks to me like a lost cause.  That said, intentionally sinking the rig, to put what at that moment was a rig disaster out of sight and out of mind (and collect the insurance) would not be the dumbest thing Transocean or British Petroleum has done so far.  I'm not entirely clear on the timeline - on the one hand, every account of the disaster suggests it happened so fast no one had any time to anything, let alone push the "sink the rig and avoid culpability" button; on the other hand, they may not have know the blowout preventer and all the other stuff had actually failed yet, and thought sinking the rig might end the spill.  Somehow, I don't know much about this of course.

[Footkerchief]

I'm watching the BP live video feed and it looks like a rock with some crap spewing out of it.  I can guess what the crap is, but what's the rock thing?

[smjjames]

Also:I've heard it through the grapevine (no linkable source)  that Deepwater Horizon was sunk intentionally to extinguish the flare.

That is a MAJOR fuckup.  A flaring well polluting the air is WAY better than what we have.  That's the kind of mismanagement that gets you in criminal negligence suits.

Well, that does raise a question for me.  How hard is it to sink an oil platform anyway?  Because they don't look seaworthy at all to me, and that new video of it going down sure looks to me like a lost cause.  That said, intentionally sinking the rig, to put what at that moment was a rig disaster out of sight and out of mind (and collect the insurance) would not be the dumbest thing Transocean or British Petroleum has done so far.  I'm not entirely clear on the timeline - on the one hand, every account of the disaster suggests it happened so fast no one had any time to anything, let alone push the "sink the rig and avoid culpability" button; on the other hand, they may not have know the blowout preventer and all the other stuff had actually failed yet, and thought sinking the rig might end the spill.  Somehow, I don't know much about this of course.

Maybe you should look up how ocean rigs actually float. Not going to go into the details as I don't know the details, but they are meant to float on top of a flotation device and can't move under their own power.

@Foot: I believe thats the top of the well, or something.

[HAMMERMILL]

I really doubt that platform needed anything other then heat and gravity to sink it.

I also seriously doubt BP or any other corporation involved is competent and ballsy enough to even consider, let alone execute such an idea.

Their best plans of solving the problem is fodder for late night comedian talkshows. Nothing BP has done has indicated anything other then mass confusion and panic at their highest levels.

[kuro_suna]

Well, that does raise a question for me.  How hard is it to sink an oil platform anyway?  Because they don't look seaworthy at all to me, and that new video of it going down sure looks to me like a lost cause.

Pretty easy since they usually rely on dynamic stabilization, that is they need computer controlled thrusters and ballast pumps to keep upright.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocean_Ranger

[Nikov]

Wait, back up.

The derrick is on fire.
Deliberately sink the derrick...
To put out the fire.

Collect Insurance.
On a Derrick You Don't Own...
Profit!

Yep, no logical leaps there.

[HideousBeing]

and hundred grand bribes and bonuses are the coin of the realm in the natural resources business.

This is true.  The oil business has cleaned up a lot (no more hooker sections in the trade shows)  but it's still very corrupt.  I've seen $40,000 weekend 'hunting trips' for one,  bonuses paid for 'exceptional service';  this kind of thing is why I don't feel that working in the oilfield has done any good for my soul;  not that I accepted anything (I almost caused a big row with EOG-the company Enron turned into- over not doing such) but that I helped these men make their money.

This is really a big part of the problem with these businesses especially bribes from vendors. The people working there have done it for so long that they just think "that is what they do" rather than "I'm being bribed with Superbowl tickets". Actually this is probably a problem with most large businesses.