re: Links to live feeds from remotely operated vehicles (ROV)

What is that we are looking at right now on the CNN / BP live feed?

Looks like they are about to do some lifting.

Just a quick thanks to Judge, COT, OFT, et al. for getting this discussion back on track. I really can't stand conspiracy theories. Shades of X-Files and Fringe. It's not a question of defending BP. I'm as pissed at them (specifically the company man on the rig when it blew) as anybody but at this point a fact-based discussion is a lot more productive than speculation about space aliens and a shooter on the grassy knoll.

Appreciate it guys.

To answer bayouprophet's question. It appears to me that they are retrieving the floats that were used to suspend the mud lines they were using during the top kill. These are no longer needed so they're just hauling them back to the surface. We're not really looking at anything critical to the LMRP operation.

Also, up above, somebody said that the LMRP is the same as what we've been looking at all this time. My understanding (possibly flawed) is that the LMRP is not the same as a blowout preventer. I think the LMRP is a device that they're going to stick into the sawed off riser. It has a seal that will allow them to recover most, if not all, of the oil coming up through the BOP stack. If this is wrong I'd appreciate a correction. (Haven't watched the latest BP videos yet but am going to do that now so that I'll be up to speed.)

Asking that the information that the company and/or the government and government agencies put out is timely and factual isn't a conspiracy theory, it's asking for good data. Every company has PR people on the payroll. Those people would not be the ones working to stop the leak. One of those people could easily be providing timely, accurate information about what's going on to the public. That wouldn't take any time away from any person who is actually doing work on actually trying to stop this leak.

Some of you are being too defensive about questions being asked and seem to be looking to take your frustrations out on other posters here.

LMRP: Lower marine riser package. I think it is the entire package that includes the riser adapter, etc., that sits on top of the BOP package. If I am right, then it has always been there. It was installed before they started drilling (or after they set the conductor pipe). The top of it will be cut off with the damaged riser to make a smooth surface for the cap (see below).

LMRP Cap: A specially designed mechanism that includes a "sealing grommet" to make the connection between the cut off riser and the pipe that is attached to it leading to the surface. It was made specifically for this application and is not a standard oilfield device.

Feel free to correct me anyone who knows better.

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Some of you are being too defensive about questions being asked and seem to be looking to take your frustrations out on other posters here.

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What do you want to know? It is almost certainly out there in the public domain, not secret.

Earl Long once said about the then-attorney general of Louisiana this: "If you ever want to hide something from him, put it in a law book." It seems to me that if you want to hide something from someone on this incident, you would put it on the web sites actually devoted to the cleanup.

You can look at my earlier posts if you want to. The press is doing a, yes I am going to say it crudely, piss poor job of reporting this. If there is a conspiracy, it is a conspiracy of ignorance on the part of the press.

Also, the media are bought in to the prevailing popular story narrative that every one wants to hear. If they actually started reporting facts on CNN, no one would watch, because it does not fit what they want to believe.

The MOST factual news show on TV is the NewsHour on PBS. Even I can barely watch it, and I love facts. It is boring as death, because it is purely factual. The media can't get you to look at content in this internet driven world unless they give you the story you EXPECT to hear.

That, my friend, may be why you are frustrated. Hell, I could be wrong, but I don't think so. Anyway, post anything you want. I am just more interested in facts.

the lower marine riser package (LMRP) is the top part of the BOP stack. the bop stack (the ram package + the lmrp) is run as a single assembly on the end of the riser. it consists of the riser connector, the annular (in this case 2 annulars), and the 2 pods. the 2 pods are basically the 2 independent computers modules that control the actions of the BOP stack -- receiving commands from surface and directing the rest of the components to function.

during evacuations or well suspensions (like due to a hurricane), the LMRP is disconnected from the rest of the BOP stack - w/ the well secured by the blind shear rams plus another means of wellbore isolatin (like a plug landed in the wellhead or a storm packer installed downhole). the connection between the LMRP and the lower BOP stack is a hydraulically functioned connector. there is a special profile cut on the outside of a ~27" mandrel and a ring gasket looking up from the BOP. the LMRP connector swallows this then engages the profiles and locks itself onto mandrel.

lmrp's are recovered to surface frequently, then run back to bottom and latched up again. it's a pretty common event, specially during hurricane season.

Personally, I'd like there to be a text feed (RSS-delivered content, or something similar) to coincide with what we can see live on the video stream. I don't want to hear a spin on the data, I'd just like to have the transparent data available.

You guys on here have done a good job of providing that factual data, but I would like for it to be provided by BP (and for them to have to be held to it in some way, so that we could have some expectation that the data we're getting is as accurate as possible).

It's not just the media coming out with bad data, though. The admiral in charge of the Coast Guard has given us (the public) bad data, which may or may not be the result of bad data (or a lack of data) being given to him by BP... we won't know that, nor do I really care to.

And everybody's going to be frustrated, here. Six weeks is a long time for this to be happening. Six more weeks (or even longer, quite likely) is a very long time for it to be solved.

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You guys on here have done a good job of providing that factual data, but I would like for it to be provided by BP (and for them to have to be held to it in some way, so that we could have some expectation that the data we're getting is as accurate as possible).

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Everything I have is from the internet.

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The admiral in charge of the Coast Guard has given us (the public) bad data, which may or may not be the result of bad data (or a lack of data) being given to him by BP... we won't know that, nor do I really care to.

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I won't defend him, except to say that his mouth overloaded his rear end. That happens to me all the time, so maybe I shouldn't throw stones.

I think it points up that this is technical and complex. It is a steep learning curve, and the good Admiral may not have ascended it yet.