re: BP didn't follow BOP law ... blaming MMS ... ?????

Funny... the only people blaming the MMS are the people that haven't work with the MMS....

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the BOP may have been perfect for all we know.

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Did anyone see the 60 minutes episode?

They basically broke the BOP.

60 minutes

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There were enough technical mistakes in their description to make it certain that whoever wrote the script had absolutely no idea what they were talking about.

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I knoe that, you know that, the oil industry knows that.

BUT Joe the Plummer does not, and thats what they are going for

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Or the guy the government hired to investigate didn't know what he was talking about?

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this!

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What could have been done at the point of handfuls of seal coming up the pipe? Anything?

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Stop drilling at that point.

A couple of comments from various posts throughout the thread.

The BOP was owned by Transocean and leased by BP as part of the rig. The schematics that were provided to BP by Transocean did not reflect the actual configuration of the BOP. BP should have confirmed the configuration prior to use. I would suspect that part of the new regulations that will come out because of this accident will require that the lease holder have a third party confirm the BOP configuration prior to use as well as have MMS witness confirm the configuration.

There is a big difference in certification and providing theoretical information that says that something is capable of doing something. I don't know how a BOP is certified nor how often it should be certified. By reading 30CFR250.416 it doesn't say that the BOP needs to be certified it only says that the information shows that the blind-shear rams are capable of shearing the drill pipe. Which can easily be interpreted as theoretical and not actual.

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it only says that the information shows that the blind-shear rams are capable of shearing the drill pipe

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Can I assume that if you were to actually demonstrate this (the shearing of the drill pipe) then it would be cut and not able to be used SO you can never ACTUALLY demonstrate that it will work? I sew as a hobby ... to me SHEAR = cut for my purposes. I'm assuming that it's the same here.

I can theoretically prove lots of things ... if it actually works out is well, anyone's guess.

I'm really sorry if this is a stupid question ...

BOPS need to be certified every 5 yrs per API RP53. Yes, the manufacture does verify which BOP and rams can shear which pipe. That being said, this is changing by the day, as newer and stronger drill pipe is being manufactured to Z-140 and V150 grades. The manufactures of BOPs are doing their best to keep up. The thickness of the tube wall can also be around 3/4" thick. We've sheared DP in our shop a view times, due to customer request or the fact there is not data from Shaffer or Cameron on a particular size and grade. Granted, its surface stacks rather then sub-sea.

Not to mention, there is no way to shear a tool joint.

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You do know that API RP 53 stants for American Petroleum Institute RECCOMENDED Practice

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Which doesn't mean it is law. Some API specs are referenced in CFR's but most are just for reference and best practice scenarios.

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Aren't there MMS guys who were posting in the original LONGGGGGGGGGGg thread on here?

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There is certainly blame to be taken by the MMS. Anyone who states otherwise is being ridiculous.

Unfortunately, very little of what has been reported actually hits anywhere near the mark when it comes to the agency's shortcomings. Most of what has been reported has been taken out of context or grossly exaggerated. And very few of the actual problems have been mentioned.

I won't get too deep into these issues but I will make a few general points. The process of adding or updating regulations is incredibly complicated and time consuming. In the last 4 years alone, there have been 4 directors of the MMS and 3 Secretaries of the Interior. Each time a new person comes in, he/she brings in their own people with their own ideas. Each time congress or an administration changes hands, there are new priorities. All previous work has to be sold to a new group of people. Add to that congressional gridlock, public comment periods, legal stalling, industry lobbying, greater responsibility and fewer resources and you see the outline of why MMS regulations are outdated and unable to keep up.

However, there is one very important regulation that is not nullified when an application is approved...

You must use BAST, Best Available and Safest Technology, while performing work on the OCS.