The Nuclear Option For The Oil Spill?

[Obama 2012 1,714]

http://oil-price.net/en/articles/nukes-to-stop-the-oil-gusher.php - complete oil spill article.

Nuclear option

At 5,000 feet below water, battling the low temperature and high pressure is not easy. The pressure of the oil was so high that the BOP couldn't prevent the explosion- and the resultant spill-when eleven people died on 20 April. Also the leak appears to be more than the 5,000 barrels of oil a day estimated earlier, now analysts say the spill was about 13m litres a day with oil plumes more than 10 miles long discovered. As it could only get worse, now is the time to consider the option on a nuclear explosion:

The public opinion, after the initial disbelief which was suspended by images of the spill has rallied in favor of a nuclear explosion. So, finally there's some hope at the end of the tunnel. President Obama has stepped in and has sent a team of nuclear experts to contain the spill. The man in charge to contain the spill is Steven Chu, U.S. Energy Secretary and also the one who helped develop the first hydrogen bomb in the 50s. The five member multidisciplinary team are a creative lot involved in the first hydrogen bomb, finding ways to mine in Mars and ways to position biomedical needles. The team will work along with BP's scientist to find a solution. Meeting at BP's crisis centre in Houston, Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward said after the meeting, 'lots of nuclear physicists and all sorts of people coming up with some quite good ideas actually.' They are said to have reached 'one good idea' which he declined to reveal. A nuclear option perhaps?

Truth is that Russia has used it at least five times starting with a blast near Bukhara Uzbekistan in 1966. Then a 120 meter tall flame, fuelled by massive natural gas was blazing for three years with deafening sound. When all efforts to contain the flame in the desert failed, a 30 kiloton atom bomb was used. The explosion did seal the well-it worked displacing tonnes of rock over the spill thus cutting it.

Some people fear that a nuclear explosion would set the oil spill on fire. But Soviet Russia has used subterranean nuclear blasts as much as 169 times and the number would add up to more than 1,000 if all the tests by different countries are taken into account. And since the explosion would be underwater and in the absence of oxygen there is no chance of the well burning up. But yes, an explosion close to the surface can contaminate the water due to radioactivity but this spill warrants an explosion underground. The oil is beneath the rock and since there is no air in an underground nuclear explosion, the energy released would overheat and melt the surrounding rock, thus shutting the spill.

So that takes us to the next criticism-possible effects on the flora, particularly the phytoplankton and the marine organisms including fishes. But the spill itself, if unchecked, could cause more damage than the results of the explosion. Further, many tests have been carried underwater and no serious damage has been reported. Another blocker for the nuke option is that it would have to be government operated and a final solution. This goes against capitalism. There is much more money to be made by funding cleaning operations which have no end in sight. As dire times call for drastic steps, the better option is a nuclear explosion or be prepared to see carcass of innocent animals washed ashore.

[Peikko 1,575]

It's hardly 'just nuke it' but if it's the best way to stop it then that's what they should do - it's not untested territory either.

[Bernie C 24]

Bikini Atoll off the coast of the US

I know its not the same but I just watched a Discovery show on this a few days ago, makes you think.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Did the concrete kill method fail?

[IndigoSkies 168]

What does Spongebob think about this? We can't do anything without his approval.

[Peikko 1,575]

Did the concrete kill method fail?

I don't think they have finished trying it yet - isn't that ongoing today?

[ScratchIt 12]

Discussed the idea of a nuclear option with my mom (one of those intellectual mother/son discussions ) about a week after the whole thing started. While we decided it may be considered an option, the down side would be blowing the dome of the top of the deposit itself. At 5000 ft, we don't know a whole lot about what the results might be. I've seen some pretty scary movies from Japan that suggest a horribly large monster might awaken and come and eat us. On the serious side, I feel it is an option but a very dicey one that would require the very best planning and contingency plans.

p.s. Steven Chu (born February 28 didn't graduate from college until 1970 so I'm guessing that he is not the one who "helped develop the first hydrogen bomb in the 50s".

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

p.s. Steven Chu (born February 28 didn't graduate from college until 1970 so I'm guessing that he is not the one who "helped develop the first hydrogen bomb in the 50s".

It was poorly written. I'm guessing they are talking about two different people.

"The man in charge to contain the spill is Steven Chu, U.S. Energy Secretary and also the one who helped develop the first hydrogen bomb in the 50s.

I'm for using a nuke to seal it.

[IndigoSkies 168]

This will end horribly. I imagine a giant tsunami wiping out northern south america, southern north america, easter central america, and possibly western Africa and Europe.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

This will end horribly. I imagine a giant tsunami wiping out northern south america, southern north america, easter central america, and possibly western Africa and Europe.

Well I don't think they would use Tsar Bomba lol, they'd probably use a TNW.

[Peikko 1,575]

I give Indigo a ten out of ten for a coke fueled imaginative response

[alienlovechild 75]

This will end horribly. I imagine a giant tsunami wiping out northern south america, southern north america, easter central america, and possibly western Africa and Europe.

You don't need an extremely powerful force like the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 to collapse a shaft that's what a foot or two across.

[The_Dude 1,142]

What does Spongebob think about this? We can't do anything without his approval.

It's posts like this that make me yearn for the days when I could pres -1 for that post.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

It's posts like this that make me yearn for the days when I could pres -1 for that post.

maybe get a sense of humor too while pushing that button.

[ScratchIt 12]

It was poorly written. I'm guessing they are talking about two different people.

"The man in charge to contain the spill is Steven Chu, U.S. Energy Secretary and also the one who helped develop the first hydrogen bomb in the 50s.

I'm for using a nuke to seal it.

Considering this was shortly after WWII I'm guessing we didn't have a guy named Chu on the hydrogen bomb project