All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances;
And one man in his time plays many parts.
Thursday, May 13, 2010 / 2:11 PM
A giant oil spill off the coast of the U.S. could become the worst in history, with five times more oil than BP estimated is gushing into the ocean each day – about 5,000 barrels, or 210,000 gallons.Shocked experts have discovered a new leak at the site - meaning it is pumping out around five times more oil into the ocean than previously thought. The revelation has sparked expert fears that the spill could become one of the worst in history. As the spill advances, experts have started to quarrel over the extent of the damage, with one official from BP, which leases the rig, claiming he did not believe the newly discovered leak had increased the amount of oil spilling into the water beyond earlier estimates.
Nearly £17billion pounds have been wiped off BP shares as an oil spill that is threatening to eclipse the Exxon Valdez disaster spread out of control and started washing ashore along America's Gulf Coast. Fishermen rushed to scoop up shrimp and crews spread floating barriers around marshes in a desperate attempt to stave off an environmental disaster. The survival of much wildlife on the coast is at stake as the spill threatens to turn bigger than the Exxon Valdez.
Experts fear it could take three months to stop oil gushing into the ocean from the leaks off America's Gulf Coast. The warning came as the looming environmental disaster claimed its first wildlife victims. More than 20 sea turtles have washed up dead on Mississippi's beaches. So far, winds have kept the growing oil slick away from land. But even if it stays mostly offshore, the consequences could be dire for dolphins, turtles and other deepwater marine life, as well as plankton and other tiny creatures that are a staple of larger animals' diets.
When compared to when the oil rig disaster first occurred, estimates of the amount of oil that’s spilling in the Gulf of Mexico have increased significantly. Now, in a desperate attempt to stop the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP has decided to use an Oil Containment Dome. This method has never been practically tested or used before at this depth. Oil containment domes have been successfully used in shallower depths, on smaller leaks though. In this case, the leakage is around 5000 feet below the surface. The concept behind this oil containment dome is to lower and position a four-story containment dome at the location of the leak and collect the oil into it. Then the oil will be sucked up to a drill ship on the surface. The lowering process of the dome has begun and it is expected to take all weekend. If everything goes according to the plan, it will be operational by Monday or Tuesday.
Officials have stated that if the oil containment dome fails to stop the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, it could take months to implement a workable solution to the problem.
