BP starts burning oil siphoned from ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico

[Barrett808]

NEW ORLEANS - BP began burning oil siphoned from a ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday as part of its plans to more than triple the amount of crude it can stop from reaching the sea, the company said.

BP PLC said oil and gas siphoned from the well is drawn to a semi-submersible drilling rig on the ocean surface. Once that gas reaches the rig, it is mixed with compressed air, shot down a specialized boom made by Schlumberger Ltd. and ignited at sea.

It's the first time this particular burner has been deployed in the Gulf of Mexico.

BP starts burning oil siphoned from ruptured well in the Gulf of Mexico

[Angry Dragon]

1. This is what I do not understand

Why are they burning it instead of processing it??

Get more tankers in there and process it into useful items instead of polluting the air more.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

2. That oil will get burned one way or another...

In your car or someone elses truck. It doesn't really bother me if they burn it sooner than someone else later.
If they have to burn it onsite to keep collecting more then that's better than waiting around for more tankers.

[kestrel91316]

3. It's easier and cheaper to just burn it. Are you not aware the corporate profits are at stake here??

We can't do ANYTHING that negatively affects profits. That would be unamerican.

[MineralMan]

7. Burning it also keeps it from ending up on a beach or in

an estuary. I'd rather see it burned than destroy more habitat.

Besides, if it was captured, it would end up being burned anyhow, so there's no additional load on the environment.

Burning the oil has several benefits, and almost no drawbacks, in this situation.

[kestrel91316]

8. I see your point, and after mulling it over I tend to agree.

But you and I know that they are doing it because it's CHEAPER, not smarter.

[Mimosa]

9. ^ Right! ^

Wish they'd started doing it before using all the dispersants.

[kestrel91316]

4. It's easier and cheaper to just burn it. Are you not aware tha corporate profits are at stake here??

We can't do ANYTHING that negatively affects profits. That would be unamerican.

[Barrett808]

5. Maybe they don't have many drillships

The Discoverer Enterprise can process only 15,000 barrels per day -- and maybe it's a fairly unique vessel. But really, I don't know.

[jdlh8894]

6. More gas is being burned than oil.

Supposedly this will relieve a lot of pressure.