re: Retarded/simple solution thread: Oil Spill

the pipe you're talking about using is marine riser.

it is large diameter pipe (18 - 20" ID). it is locked together w/ any one of a variety of specialty connectors for this service -- some of which are flanges w/ bolts like you've see on pipelines, etc.

this size of pipe gets extremely heavy as it's run to depth, and to compensate for this sections of specialty buoyant material are affixed to pretty much all of the joints. these buoyant foam modules help to lighten the load of the riser -- so that it is not too heavy for the rig to handle, and such that the total string weight does not exceed the strength of riser joints at the top of the string.

there's not exactly a ton of this stuff laying around, but each floating drilling rig has a specific amount of it that is part of the rig's inventory (based on the water depth rating of the rig). the Transocean Discoverer Enterprise that just showed up on location and is set to run this giant caisson looking thing has ~8000' of riser (w/ various types of buoyancy) in it's inventory.