Oil from Gulf Spill Could Have Powered 38,000 Cars (and More) for a Year, Researcher Says

As of June 9, 2010, if all the oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico had been used for fuel, it could have powered 38,000 cars, and 3,400 trucks, and 1,800 ships for a full year, according to University of Delaware Prof. James J. Corbett. That's based on the estimated spill rate of 19,000 barrels of oil per day.

Corbett, a professor of marine policy in UD's College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, works on energy and environmental solutions for transportation. He has launched a website that reports the impact of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in terms of lost uses of the lost fuel on a daily basis. Link to spill calculations

www.sciencedaily.com...
Several other facts from that site about the spill at the current estimated flowrate are:

• By May 5 (15 days after the spill), the oil lost could have fueled 470 container ships serving New York and New Jersey ports for a year.
  
  
• By May 25 (35 days after the spill), energy from the spilled oil could have provided a year's gasoline for all registered automobiles (about 26,000 cars) in Newark, Del., where UD's main campus is located.
  
  
• By May 31 (41 days after the spill), the lost energy could have fueled one freight truck on 17 trips across all 4 million miles of U.S. highway.
  

Again this is all based on a current estimate of 19,000 barrels a day. I don't know about the rest of the people on here, but it seems that I at least have seen 3-4 times this estimate being thrown around for weeks.

Think about all of that lost energy into the sea. Even if you don't consider all of the damage that is being done to the environment now by the spill this is still a huge, senseless waste.

[edit on 10-6-2010 by webpirate]

To be honest, and this is not a dig at the OP, but at whoever wrote the article.....how many people really give a damn how many cars you could of powered with this oil.

The only figures people are bothered about are how many people are going to be affected by this, and how much of the environment we are losing every second they don't stop this.

Oh yeah, and also how many years the people responsible for this disaster will get inside?

Again, this is a rant at the article and those who wrote it, not you webpirate.

CX.

reply to post by CX


Oh yeah. I know you weren't ranting at me. I agree too with you. That's why I put at the end about even not considering all the other damage about this.

I just thought it was interesting to note how much of a waste the actual spill was in terms of lost energy. Especially if you also don't consider the environmental impact of the use of this type of fuel.

Just the general waste of lost potential.

Originally posted by webpirate
reply to post by CX

 

Oh yeah. I know you weren't ranting at me.

Cool. You know how things can be taken the wrong way at times on the boards.

Apologies for not commenting on the other parts of the article, maybe i needed a few minutes to chill, return and reply. This whole thing is annoying the hell out of me let alone those who live there and who are directly affected.

When you see from those figures how much is being lost each day, it does make me wonder about all the stories regarding BP not doing enough.

Do you really think they are not doing everything they can do, or maybe they are just trying their best, despite that not being good enough.

Would any company want this sort of publicity and loss?

Thanks again for posting this.

CX.

reply to post by CX


Heh..it's all good. I have had multiple rant threads on this issue already. Just thought I'd post something a little different this morning after seeing the article.

I think the article would have been more appropriate if they said how many BOATS it would have powered.

reply to post by AwakeinNM


It does in a way:
By May 5 (15 days after the spill), the oil lost could have fueled 470 container ships serving New York and New Jersey ports for a year.

the article is only trying to find a way to justify the spike in gas prices, i heard though, that the amount lost compared to the entireity of americas consumption rate, is only an hours worth. needles to say there is alot more then 38,000 cars in america

[edit on 10-6-2010 by pryingopen3rdeye]