enthalpy

Wednesday, April 28, 2010


Hey, got an oil slick looming in the open sea? How 'bout we just set it on fire?
It's a hellish scene: Giant sheets of flame racing across the Gulf of Mexico as thick, black smoke billows high into the sky.

Crews late Wednesday afternoon started a test burn to see how the technique was working. Rig operator BP PLC had planned to continue the oil fires after the test, but as night fell, no more were lit. The burns were not expected to be done at night, and the Coast Guard said crews could resume work Thursday morning if the weather cooperated.

Crews planned to use hand-held flares to set fire to sections of the massive spill. Crews turned to the plan after failing to stop a 1,000-barrel-a-day leak at the spot where a deepwater oil platform exploded and sank.
A chilling vision of things to come.



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