Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE)

-Per the Houston Chronicle, the missing include 9 Transocean employees and 2 from the mud contractor M-I SWACO.

-According to AP and others, the fire was extinguished when the rig sank.  I have seen no information on the condition or location of the riser, or the release point (depth) for the oil.  This needs to be clarified.

-The worst-case pollution scenario is thus emerging.  In addition to booms and skimmers, will the responders deploy fire boom and attempt to burn oil on the water surface?  When and how will dispersants be used? Will new thickness sensors and aerial slick mapping technology be employed?  This spill will be the ultimate challenge (and opportunity) for responders.

-Very few clues have been provided about what caused the blowout.  At the first news conference, Transocean reported that production casing was being set, implying an influx during or just after cementing operations (a common contributing factor for well control incidents).   A cement plug was to be set as a barrier in the well, which was to have been suspended (temporarily abandoned).  No information has been provided on the flow path for the hydrocarbons, attempted use of BOPE, and other issues of great interest.  The high flow rate would seem to imply a flow path directly up the production casing, but this is just speculation.

-According to Upstream, Transocean’s newest semisubmersible, the Development Driller III, will drill the relief well.

-I haven’t given up hope on actuating BOPE with the ROV.  They should be able to function rams in that manner.  No information has been provided on the problems that have been experienced with this operation.