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Subscribe to RSSBP’s getting some help from a surprising source: Kevin Costner.
As efforts to contain the 114 million gallons of oil that have gushed into the Gulf dragged on with only partial success, BP has ordered 32 centrifuge machines from Ocean Therapy Solutions, a company backed by Costner. The centrifuges, which weigh in at about 4,000 pounds each, suck in oil and water and spin them at high speeds. Because they have different densities, the fluids are separated, the oil is trapped, and clean salt water is released back into the ocean.
So what does the “Field of Dreams” actor have to do with all of this? In interviews Monday with “Good Morning America” and CNN, Costner explained he was inspired to create an invention of this type after seeing the damage from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. He contributed more than $20 million to create it, and his brother Dan, a scientist, created the actual device. They teamed up with a former Department of Energy employee and joined forces with Ocean Therapy Solutions, a California-based company with a hub in Louisiana, and created their first machines about a decade ago.
The company says its most advanced device can clean water at a rate of 200 gallons per minute.
Last week Costner told a congressional committee, "It may seem an unlikely scenario that I'm the one delivering this technology at this moment in time, but from where I'm sitting, it is equally inconceivable that these machines are not already in place."
On its website, Ocean Therapy Solutions says, “Oil and water don't mix. Let us separate it for you.”
Read an amusing yet informative Q&A from Gawker about how the centrifuges work here.
-Elizabeth Chuck, msnbc.com
Leave a Comment:
Does anyone know if they will work in-si-tu?
the oracle
I hate to put a damper on where this idea came from but, Mr. Costner is NOT the first to come up with this device. This device was called a Sharples centrifuge unit and was widely used starting about 70 years ago in the diesel/electric submarines. Subs had a set of tanks called Fuel Ballast Tanks (FBT) that they would fill with fuel before going on patrol. This extended the range of the subs and was used first as the patrol started. This was most efficient and didn't require adding more tanks. As fuel was used from the top of the tank, saltwater was pumped into the bottom. Fuel oil is lighter than water by about 1.4 pounds. To ensure that the fuel was usable by the engines they ran it through the Sharples centrifuge pump to separate the water from the fuel. When the tank ran out fuel all that was left was water which was used like a normal ballast tank during the operation of the sub until it could be refueled. Go to this website, http://www.maritime.org/fleetsub/diesel/chap5.htm and scroll down to section "C. SUPPLY FROM SHIP'S FUEL SYSTEM TO ENGINE FUEL SYSTEMS", paragraph "5C4. Pure oil purifiers". There are detailed explainations of the system, how it works, and how the fluid levels were monitored.
Maybe Mr. Costner bought the old patent and applied modern technology but the general idea is very old. Maybe he saw the unit during the making of one of his movies and the idea struck that it might be useful today, which is great that it can be used. I don't understand why the Navy didn't come up with using old technology to clean this mess up. I wrote to the White House about this technology a couple of days after the first signs of the spill became news. I really believe that the adminstration is so busy pointing fingers and blaming someone that they end up taking no action at all.
Either way, it's good to see that someone has an idea that could be used to capture the oil in the ocean as opposed to trying to clean it all up once it reaches land.
Bring it on!!
Even if Costner's contraption doesn't work, it shows more concern and action than the federal government.
There's good reason why "Federal Government" is spelled with an "F".
People ask "..why has this not been done already?". One answer may be that the machine may work well in a laboratory-type environment in controlled conditions, but in the real world does not work as promised. I am sure BP would love to get this over with as fast as they can, so what reason is there that they would not use it? The cost is negligible compared to what they are losing each day and will need to pay out in the future.
I have read nothing about how the oil is "disposed" of after it is seperated. Is this just a machine that does one thing, or is it a complete system that will take the oil from "cradle to grave"? Lots more needs to be known about the system, other than what Mr. Costner says and his company claims on its website. But if it works like claimed, BP should buy all they can and used them 24/7!
after the oil is recaptured, you would think it would be handled like regular crude and processed.
Is it a sign of the Apocalypse when Kevin Costner is the smartest guy in the room???
Please give this man, Kevin Cosner, the NOBEL PEACE PRISE. I am serious! He trully deserves it. What a smart and wonderful man. he desearves this prise because he is literally saving our butts from calamity, disaster, and environmental destruction. Thanks Mr. Cosner.
10 years ago i worked for a company who made these centrifuges. it is not a new idea. i guess bp has no clue as how to take care of these problems.
Always knew you were more than just a pretty face. Good going Kevin and Dan.
I currently live along the gulf coast in Navarre Florida. We do not give a rats a** who or what is the cause of cleaning it up as long as it is cleaned up!!! Let us not forget the devestating fact that the oil is still not even stopped yet. People seem to forget the fact that the most imporatnat thing is to first STOP the oil from continuing to flow and then we can completely focus on the clean up.
No we need to prevent and contain the spread while they are trying to figure out how to stop the flow. That way the clean up will be less extensive, more comprehensive and less costly. To simply let the flow go until the leak can be stopped is shear stupidity. Moreover, undertaking clean up asap helps to prevent extensive damage and redues the cost and time of clean up.
This is a great start but we also need to STOP the leaking!!
Please give this man, Kevin Cosner, the NOBEL PEACE PRISE. I am serious! He trully deserves it. What a smart and wonderful man. he desearves this prise because he is literally saving our butts from calamity, disaster, and environmental destruction. Thanks Mr. Cosner.
I'm no scientist, just your average citizen but I do have a thought. If the Dawn dish detergent cleans up the animals so well then why can't it help to clean up the Gulf? I believe the main problem is getting the spill under control, but why couldn't something like crop dusters be set up spraying Dawn into the water instead? Dumb idea right, but at least I'm thinking. Isn't it more important to try and get this under control instead of pointing fingers. At any cost this needs resolved this will deeply affect everyone's lives.
Hi: you could not pour Dawn soap into the ocean, that will hurt the aquatic life as well, it can be use to clean the animals outside of the ocean...
Thank Mr. Costner for his donation and hoping it will work to start repairing the damage that has been made. KUDOS!
Nothing makes me madder than these Hollywood Actors sticking their two cents in. Next up.......Sean Penn. Ridiculous! Maybe the Baldwin Brothers will come up with a something too. Hogwash!
Just proves to me again that the government will never solve our problems. Private may save the day again. For those of you who blame BP or "Big Oil", if you drive a car at all, ever, you are a hypocrit. We are all responsible for this tragedy.
Most people on this blog are glad that this is being taken care off or at least trying. The others insulting postings, is typical of politics that have been proving not to work unless some politician gets money in his pocket.
And this is why the world cannot have peace because someone is always insulting others, against others and not doing things to fix problems like this that is hurting Earth and will have an impact for years to come.
reach out and help some one. Peace!
At that rate (estimated oil spill size: 114 million gallons | the mentioned machine can clean 200 gallons of contaminated water per minute) it will take 395 days (one year and one month) to clean up the oil spill provided that they can get to all of the oil which is impossible.
I applaud Mr. Costner on his efforts. If he can use his celebrity status to get action in this horrible disaster, then I say give him a microphone!
BP was offered assistance by several countries world wide who have already dealt with a deep well accident. They refused all assistance. Now, they have taken to producing and airing ads on television boasting about how concerned they are for the environment, many people they have working on the cleanup, and how many claims they have paid out. All I hear is blah, blah, blah.
Why was there not a contingency plan in place in the event of a disaster? It boggles my mind that they did not have safety measures in place. Then, when disaster DID strike, BP hesitated to do anything and told us (the American people) that it will take until August to drill a relief well. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! AUGUST?
This company has single-handedly ruined thousands, if not millions, of people's lives. Their livelyhood and futures have been robbed of them by a greedy oil company that KNEW they did not have expertise in drilling that deep.
And, before I get off my soap box, one other thing. I am so tired of the Democrats pointing at the Republicans for blame, and the Republicans pointing at the Democrats for blame. We are all AMERICANS. This is an AMERICAN problem. Our brothers and sisters in the Gulf are suffocating on this oil that is polluting our water, beaches, and eco system. The ramifications of this distaster will be felt for DECADES! Just ask the folks in Alaska that dealt with the Valdez Spill.
The entire situation makes me sick to my stomach!
Former Governor and presidential candidate Hukabee recently devoted an entire program to various device and equipments that can be used to clean up and or prevent the spread of the oil. While these devices do not stop the leak(one of them might even do that), they do dramatically reduce the damage being caused by the leak and the cost of clean up if the leak is allowed to continue to spread unabated. I for one can not understand why BP and/or the government have not put in place vacuum hoses in close proximity to the leaking pipe to collect the oil before it rises and spreads out in the seawater. Granted, all of it may not be captured by this method, but a substantial amount of it would be. Why are they not doing this or other things like it to contain the spread of the polluting oil? When it leaksout of the pipe it is concentratedinto a small area at that point. It makes sense to colloect it there rather than waiting until it spreads out and evetually reaches the shore, ocean depths, boat bottoms, coral, birds, fish, etc...
I think it's great and long overdue. An additional question I would have for BP/Feds would be why no one thought to implement a solution that the Saudi's used in 1991 off the coast of Kuwait where they had a similiar spill. The Saudi's brought in several supertankers and using pumps (not centrifuges) used them to recover 85% of the spill. Shell oil execs as well as US/Aramco engineers supposedly brought this info to BP after the accident in the Gulf to no avail.
Well if Obama was really in command of all this and coordinating the attack to get it rersolved, it wouldn't matter what BP was willing to do. Obama would simply order it done. Those hoses should have been ordered in place by day three at the latest. Thereby preventing millions of gallons of oil from dispersing into the gulf. Yet they are still not in place!!!!
I'm impressed. That's really awesome to hear about a celebrity pitching in their reasources to help.
Good idea Mr. Costner.
Another solution is to drop tons of straw in the right places and it will soak up the oil.
Do effing something Obama! dumbass
Way to go Kevin. Entrepenurial, Capitalistic and Creative idea.
I am sure that other celebrities will jump right in and help. No doubt they will do a concert or bike ride or a bake sale with (almost) all proceeds going to the clean up effort.
I think it is awesome that he is donating his own money to help clean up America... the country he actually lives in. So many celebrities take their millions of dollars over seas to help other countries. Right now America needs this. The whole country will be affected. While the problems overseas are a great concern, right now, the BP oil spil is where all our resources should be going. Thank you Kevin Costner. Hopefully other celebrities will follow suit.