BP Deepwater oil disaster in the Gulf data online from DOE
The US Department of Energy this week opened an online portal where the public can get all the technical details it can stomach about the BP oil disaster in the Gulf. The DOE site offers online access to schematics, pressure tests, diagnostic results and other data about the malfunctioning blowout preventer and other problems in the ongoing mess.
The DOE said it wants to make all data widely available to ensure the public is as informed as possible, and to ensure that outside experts making recommendations have access to the same information that BP and the government have.
“Transparency is not only in the public interest, it is part of the scientific process,” said Secretary Chu. “We want to make sure that independent scientists, engineers and other experts have every opportunity to review this information and make their own conclusions.”
The information posted at energy.gov/oilspilldata includes detailed raw data on the pressure readings within the blowout preventer, as well as rates and amounts of hydrocarbons captured by the top hat and by the riser insertion tube. There is also a timeline of key events and detailed summaries of the Deepwater well configuration, the blowout preventer stack tubes, and the containment system, the DOE stated.
Many of the technical details provided on the site are from BP, the DOE notes. An example of what’s available:
- Description of System: General overview of the well, the blow out preventer, the lower marine reservoir package and the riser configuration as best known after the April 20 fire on the Deepwater Horizon.
- Well Configuration: Shows depths and sizes of the different casings installed during the well’s construction.
- Timeline of Key Events: the key events, including operations such as the kill attempt, the cutting of the riser, and recovery of hydrocarbons at the surface.
- Containment System: Describes short and medium term containment and collection efforts that have been implemented. It also includes data from surface collection efforts to date.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a lot of information online about the spill as well.
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