Frustrations Mount Over Gulf Oil Spill-Rate Estimate

Perdue University’s Steve Wereley, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, told Anderson Cooper the ruptured pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico could be as high as 70,000 barrels a day. He also spoke to the LA Times adding,

“BP has said you can’t measure this. I agree you can’t measure [the flow] to a very high degree of precision, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good estimate. This estimate, I think, is much better than the 5,000 barrels a day they have previously been floating.”

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee said he would launch a formal inquiry into the matter. “I am concerned that an underestimation of the oil spill’s flow may be impeding the ability to solve the leak and handle the management of the disaster.”

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Deepwater Horizon Response continues to say there is no way to measure the leak. Currently the standard measurement by the USCG and NOAA is 5,000 barrels a day, but this measurement hasn’t been revised or corrected since its release on April 28. On May 12th the AP said 4 million barrels have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. They have yet to correct their statement, and it was repeated this morning by Harry Smith on CBS.

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The New York Times is reporting on efforts to get a handle on the actual spill rate. There is growing frustration within the scientific community about refusals from BP to let independent groups measure the flow and update the estimate. An oceanographer from Florida State University, Ian R. MacDonald, said the leak could “easily be four or five times” the current estimate, adding “The government has a responsibility to get good numbers, if it’s beyond their technical capability, the whole world is ready to help them.”

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