Thread: ? on the oil spill in the Gulf

I am in no way a scientist and didn't know where else to ask this so I thought this would be the best place to start. As far as the Oil Spill goes and planning for the worse. First question is...how much oil and at what flow rate do they generally extract oil from the earth? How big is this pocket in the Earth where we are extracting the oil? Does this oil lubricate the earths plates? If this oil is coming out faster than average then, could this possibly create a vacuum and if the oil pocket is large enough would it cause a collapse or maybe a implosion from the vacuum created from the fast flow rate that the oil is extracting? Reason I ask is I really beleive they created a problem that even the smartest human will not be able to solve anytime soon and please don't misunderstand me as a pessimistic person. I am more of a realist.
Thanks

Also let me know if you beleive this is the wrong index?

No, it can't create vacuum. I't spilling because of the high pressure. Once the pressure is relieved the spill will stop.

Originally Posted by 2369

How much oil and at what flow rate do they generally extract oil from the earth?

I think the Gulf spill is about 20,000bpd. Global use is around 85 million bpd.

Originally Posted by 2369

How big is this pocket in the Earth where we are extracting the oil

It's a reservoir where the oil is in the pore spaces of the rock. The reservoir, might be say, 80 square kilometres and 100m thick?

Originally Posted by 2369

Does this oil lubricate the earths plates?

The Gulf is a passive margin. It's a long way from any plate boundaries.

Originally Posted by 2369

Does this oil lubricate the earths plates?

i'm of the opinion that the tectonic process is lubricated by water rather than oil
that's why all important tectonic processes happen in a submarine environment
+ water is far more common than oil, which usually sits in restricted and often passive pockets of rock

Originally Posted by Twit of wit

Once the pressure is relieved the spill will stop.

Pretty much.
Its analogous to gushers on land and will stop on its own eventually.