Did anyone just see that on Dylan Ratigan show a few minutes ago an "oil expert" named Matt Simmons is saying he believes there is a much larger leak which is responsbible for a large plume (river) of oil about 6 miles away from the site everyone is focused on with the Top Kill effort?
Has anyone else heard this discussed yet? I have not heard this anywhere else, but am praying it is not true. I will see if I can find any corroboration or more info and if so will update. Please comment if you have any info about this.
Update: I'm attempting to link to the interview I saw ...bear with me please. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
Argghhh....video won't load from link above. Here is link to main page:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/...
Go to "latest clips" and click on the one titled "Oil Spill Becomes Worst in U.S. History". Interview starts at about minute 1:50.
Update 2 below the fold...
Update 2: Here is a very good comment from Stein L. below who just watched the same video I saw:
Watched Simmons now - not buying it (1+ / 0-)
Recommended by:Anti Em
He seems confused.
There are several views on the points in the riser where oil/gas is escaping, and then there's also the view of the top of the BOP, They're switching back and forth between these, and it's possible to get confused.
He mentions seeing a fish which swam through one of the columns of escaping oil/gas, and which seemed unaffected, and didn't get that to parse with the amounts released. And then he assumed that there had to be another hole, somewhere, with more escaping.
It's still most likely that the plume is caused by the oil being hit with dispersant, having its buoyance reduced and hanging suspended well below the surface.
BP wanted to hide as much oil as possible from the cameras, while also hoping it would stay down there and not hit land after rising to the surface. It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't thing.
ROVs will have been surveying the entire length of the riser, and they have sophisticated monitoring instruments that help them detect any additional escaping gas/oil, so Simmon's scenario is very unlikely.