Interesting Boats: Helix Producer

We were told more than a week ago that the Helix Producer (above) was being brought in to double the recovery/flaring capacity currently available on the Discover Enterprise and the Q4000, from a capacity of about 25,000 barrels of oil collected and flared to over 50,000 barrels of oil collected and flared. So, what's going on? According to its AIS signal (Automated Identification System signal) the ship is on scene. What's the delay? Is it weather, sea state or the concern that any reorientation or disruption of the LMRP Containment Cap would risk an unwanted acceleration of the leak?

Instead of giving us a status report of the Helix Producer connection plan, mainstream media reports Admiral Thad Allen and BP announcing yet another contingency or backup plan, this one involving laying pipe on the seabed to redirect oil to two abandoned well heads and two sub sea gas fields.

I would really like to know the status of the Helix Producer and also what is going on with the Super Skimmer A Whale.

Reporters and broadcasters on scene need to ask some additional questions.

~seabgb