I have an easy solution to plugging a deep ocean Oil Gusher:
When I worked in Landscaping Construction in Phoenix in 1999, I had to fix a lot of underground water leaks. If we couldn't turn off the water from a valve, we could use a small inflatable rubber balloon. We inserted the balloon into the pipe and connected a bottle of compressed air. The balloon would expand and stop the leak.
Doctors use very much the same technique to insert a stint into the heart of a heart patient.
Every time I see BP fail at shutting down the well, this thought comes into my mind, "How easy it would be to just feed a heavy duty balloon into the head of the pipe and expand it. "
Added bonus: the well could probably be saved. Once the leak is stopped, the pipe could be repaired.
You should have listened to me, BP. Now, your leak has sprung a leak. A balloon could have stopped the leak hundreds of meters below the surface, stopping the oil before it had a chance to escape through rock fissures.
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