Ships of the Line: BP Whale Goes Oil Dipping
The United States Government has brought in technologically advanced equipment to try and cap BP’s gushing oil well – but when it comes to clean-up sometimes old tricks are the best ones. Once an iron ore transportation barge, the 1100 foot long ‘A Whale’ was sent to the Gulf of Mexico in order to capture upwards of 500,000 barrels of leaked BP fuel from its busted well per day. ‘A Whale’ was put to water last Monday on a week long test of her oil catching capability.
Unfortunately by Friday, ‘Whale’ was only able to slurp up just over 12,000 barrels of lost fuel as it circulated near the source of BP’s greatest mistake. For now, the cos and trouble of maintaining such a large vessel does not seem worthy to the penny-pinchers.
“While its stature is impressive, ‘A Whale’ is not ideally suited to the needs of this response,” Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft told the Wall Street Journal. ‘Whale’s’ failed cruise reaffirmed the Coast Guard strategy of using a fleet of smaller vessels to corral the vast spill.
Luckily it seems BP’s (and the Gulf’s) ordeal might be over. A cap 75-ton cap was finally put in place late last week, sealing off this catastrophe…for now at least. It will take time to study pressure readings and judge of this cap will stay put. And ‘A Whale’ can head back to port, knowing she at least gave it a try.
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