Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : President Barack Obama -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: koan who wrote (77684)	6/7/2010 6:18:36 PM
From: tejek	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

Come on tejek, no one was lying-lol. The boats you are referring to are small boats mostly involved in laying booms. If you notice they say off the coast. Not 50 miles out. And I repeat I am sure they were not lying-lol. That Thad whatever his name is, said today they are assessing increasing the skimmers. No, koan, you come on. I think you're just playing with me. More from the same article: "All skimming equipment we have in the entire Gulf Coast is deployed right now," Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the government's point man for the disaster, told the newspaper Friday. "We've actually brought in skimmers from outside the country, from Canada and the Netherlands and other places," Allen said, "and it's not only all hands on deck it's all boom and all skimmers on deck as well." So, what exactly does a skimmer do? For the most part, according to BP PLC and the Coast Guard, skimmers use bright orange floating boom -- like what has been put out to protect sensitive coastline -- to corral oil floating on the water's surface. Boom can be attached to the backs of two boats, such as a charter fishing boat or a shrimp boat, forming a semi-circle to collect the oil. The boats must travel slowly because boom cannot withstand high speeds. Five pairs of boats are being followed by Navy Marco specialty boats, which accept the water immediately in rubberized bags. Also, nine barges are working in area waters to collect oily water from the skimmer boats. Each has 20 roll-off containers that can hold 3,618 gallons apiece, for a total of 72,360 gallons per barge. The oily water is taken to a collection point, which uses either a conveyer-belt system or a rotating cylinder that acts as a steam roller to separate the water and oil. The oil is stored in a large rubber "bladder," and is taken ashore for proper disposal. Some of the oil can be reprocessed into fuel, and some of the ships are able to use a decantation process to restore clean water to the ocean. Skimmers are "highly effective" in calm waters, but "less efficient" in windy conditions or choppy waters, according to BP's Web site. Many more private boats are lined up for possible roles in the work. But Master Chief Petty Officer Pete Capelotti with the Coast Guard said the response is "very targeted" and that not just any boat can perform the work at hand. Oil nearer the well site can be corralled and burned, but not as it comes closer to shore. "The ocean is a giant washing machine, constantly changing the consistency," Capelotti said, and skimmer boat operators must be trained on how to handle the various forms. Maybe CNN doesn't know what a skimmer is.....here's a definition: wisegeek.com