BP Will Not Cut Oil Spill Live Feed During Top Kill Repair

by Amy Judd | May 25, 2010 at 01:53 pm

6040 views | 0 Recommendations | 0 comments

BP HasAnnounced They Will Not Cut the Oil Spill Live Feed Video As They Attempt the Top Kill Procedure on the Underwater Oil Leak

BP has announced via their twitter account that they will not be turning off the live feed of the oil spill during the 'top kill' repair attempt:

BP will continue to provide live video feeds from the seabed throughout the planned ‘top kill’ procedure #oilspill #bp

In a previous story we reported it was announced by Rep. Markey that BP was going to turn off the feed.

Previous story as follows:

Since the live video feed of the underwater oil leak was broadcast online last Thursday the public response has been overwhelming with the two websites experiencing heavy traffic and sometimes stalled feeds as they tried to keep up with the demand. Now however, BP may be switching off the live video feed as they attempt the latest 'fix-it' method, the top kill repair.

According to Rep. Edward J. Markey who pushed for BP to broadcast the the feed in the first place, BP will terminate the live feed during one of the most important times; when they are attempting to seal the well once again. It is thought by Mr. Markey's people that the feed will be cut sometime on Wednesday morning and will remain offline until the repair attempt is completed.

Rep. Markey is outraged by the news:

“It is outrageous that BP would kill the video feed for the top kill. This BP blackout will obscure a vital moment in this disaster,” said Rep. Markey, who chairs the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming and the Energy and Environment Subcommittee in the Energy and Commerce Committee. “After more than a month of spewing oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP is essentially saying to the American people the solution will not be televised.”

According to NOLA.com however, BP has not confirmed the statement, but many are not surprised by this news and say BP is continuing its cover-up of one of the greatest environmental disasters in the United States with no end in sight.

Why Does BP Not Want To Show the Top Kill Repair Attempt to the Public?

Why would BP want to shut off the live feed at this most crucial time? In a news release from BP on Tuesday, it states that the first part of the planned intervention - the 'top kill' operation - has been prepped over the last few days and must of the equipment is on site already, so it appears as if they are ready to begin.

If necessary, equipment is also in place to combine this operation with the injection under pressure of bridging material to seal off upward flow through the BOP.

In the 'top kill' operation, drilling fluids will be injected in to the well the stop the flow of oil and eventually and hopefully shut off the well. BP states about 5,000 barrels a day are still gushing from the well, but that number has been heavily criticized and is now thought to be at least 10 times higher than that.

“No one wants to interfere with the operations during the top kill. With those preparations mostly done, now the world should see whether or not this strategy works, and we should see it in real time,” said Rep. Markey.

A method like the 'top kill' operation has never been tried at these depths however.

In a video posted on YouTube by Rep. Markey it shows what he says is BP deceiving the public by broadcasting a different feed of the oil spill showing that the oil has slowed considerably when he can prove that is has not.

In the video, on Thursday May 20 it shows multiple views of the oil leak with oil gushing out very quickly in a thick plume. Then on Sunday May 23, Rep. Markey implies in the video that the feeds have changed as almost no oil can be seen in some views and in others the release of oil is considerable slower.

He has asked BP to provide all 12 feeds to the public but so far they have not responded.