On April 20, 2010, a loss of well control occurred and resulted in an explosion and fire on the Transocean/BP Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) Deepwater Horizon.

Eleven lives were lost in this incident and the MODU subsequently sank.

The well has not yet been secured, and the resulting release of oil has been declared a spill of US national significance with oil threatening sensitive coastlines and resources in the Gulf of Mexico. This has having a Global Impact on offshore drilling well control.

What Went Wrong?

At the time of the accident, the Deepwater Horizon was operating 52 miles from shore in 4,992 feet of water with a subsea Blow Out Prevention (BOP) stack. After the Deepwater Horizon sank, Remote Operating Vehicle’s confirmed that the riser was bent over and still attached to the BOP and that oil is flowing from leaks in the riser above the BOP. Numerous attempts to actuate the BOP have failed.

Corrective actions and Recommendations

While the exact causes of this event are now under investigation, the tragic nature of this accident compels operators and drilling contractors to inspect their drilling equipment and review their procedures to ensure the safety of personnel and protection of the environment.

Sydney, Australia. Visitors to the shopping center Pitt Street Mall were shocked by the appearance of a naked girl, whose body was decorated with numerous tattoos which covered a small plate with the slogan “Ink, Not Mink“.

Ink, Not Mink – the motto of the International Society for the Protection of Animal Rights PETA, means being ready to cover his body with tattoos, but never to wear products made from mink.

According to Autopia, it seems that the Roadster was allegedly stopped when the Prius hit it from behind – going about 50 mph – and pushed the Tesla under the SUV (note the piece of the EV in the VW’s rear end).

Dubbed the Long Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV), the craft will be based on Lockheed Martin’s P-791 experimental hybrid airship, which you can see in the video below. The smaller P-791 was 125-foot long, but flew six tests in 2006. It’s known as a hybrid because only 80% of its lift comes from buoyancy; the other 20% comes from three downward thrusters on each side.

As for the LEMV: a 40-foot long, 15-foot wide area behind the only sometimes-manned cockpit will carry intelligence systems, like radar and wide-area motion sensors, that will beam information back to commanders on the ground.