Murphy’s Law? Lightning Sets BP Gulf Oil Spill Containment Ship On Fire!

  Posted by - June 15, 2010 at 3:48 pm - Permalink - Source via Alexander Higgins Blog
Transocean drillship Discoverer Enterprise delivers 4 Story Gulf oil spill containment dome
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It clears that Muphy’s Law is in full effect. What can go wrong will go wrong.

Nola.com reports a lightning strike has hit the Transocean Discoverer Enterprise, the ship BP is using to collect oil from the leaking oil well, setting the ship on fire and shutting down oil collection activities in the Gulf of Mexico.

A fire aboard the Discoverer Enterprise drill ship this morning has suspended oil collection activities in the Gulf of Mexico, BP said this afternoon.

The fire was discovered at about 9:30 a.m. and extinguished. BP said in a press release that it is believed that lightning caused the fire.

There were no injuries. But pumping activity was shut down. Operations are expected to resume this afternoon, BP said.

The Discoverer Enterprise is the ship used to collect oil as it is captured from the leaking Maconda well in the Gulf of Mexico.

The Transocean Discoverer Enterprise, the ship BP is using to collect oil from the leaking oil well

Transocean drillship Discoverer Enterprise delivers 4 Story Gulf oil spill containment dome

Transocean drillship Discoverer Enterprise delivers 4 Story Gulf oil spill containment dome

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“At the moment, there’s no capture, no containment going on, but we’ll start up the Enterprise when it’s safe to do so,” BP spokesman Robert Wine said.

BP has been beefing up its containment efforts with the hurricane season in mind, building a sturdier system that can withstand the volatile weather that is so common in the Gulf in the summer months.

Scientists have estimated that anywhere between about 40 million gallons to more than 100 million gallons of oil have spewed into the Gulf since a drilling rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers. Though the latest cap installed the well has been capturing oil, large quantities are still spilling into the sea.

The company said it would use robotic submarines to survey the entire containment system, including the cap over the well, for possible damage from the fire. The fire occurred in a vent pipe leading from a tank on the Enterprise where processed oil is stored, Wine said.

Louisiana has been hit with several storms and lightning strikes in the past day.

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