BLACK WATER

FLASHBACK:
BP Finds 'Giant' Oil Source Deep Under Gulf of Mexico

September 3, 2009: BP said Wednesday that it made a "giant" oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico, and analysts said that the find deep below the sea floor raised hopes that further exploration in the region could help sustain U.S. offshore oil production.
BP spokesman Daren Beaudo said the company would not make any estimates on the amount of oil its find could yield, however the Thunder Horse field is producing as much as 300,000 barrels a day.

BP said that the well struck oil in "multiple reservoirs" in the Lower Tertiary geologic zone, a layer of the earth's crust dating back 38 million to 68 million years.
More than 10 discoveries have been made at that level in the Gulf, including BP's Kaskida find, which has estimated reserves -- about a third or less recoverable -- of 4 billion to 6 billion barrels.

"We view the Lower Tertiary as one of the next big waves of development in the Gulf of Mexico," Beaudo said.

Black Water Rising

In May 2000 a draft of an environmental analysis by the Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service (MMS) stated that “the oil industry’s experience base in deep-water well control is limited” and that a massive spill “could easily turn out to be a potential show stopper for the [outer continental shelf] program if the industry and MMS do not come together as a whole to prevent such an incident.”

CALCULATION

Five billion barrels of oil at 0.15898729 cubic metres a barrel (42 US gallons a barrel).
equals 794,936,000 cubic metres of oil.
Each cubic metre, sliced into 1cm slabs of oil, would cover 100 sqm. The oil would therefore cover about 80,000,000,000 square metres.
There are a million square metres in a square kilometre so the oil slick, at 1cm depth could cover 80,000 square kilometres. Half the thickness of the slick means double the area.

EARTH CHANGES

Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains in 1987 on the left and in 2005 on the right

Uganda's highest ice cap splits on Mt Margherita

The ice cap on Uganda's highest peak has split because of global warming.
The glacier is located at an altitude of 5109m in the Rwenzori mountain range, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Scientists say glaciers in the range could disappear within 20 years. According to researchers, the ice cap covered 6 sq km  50 years ago. It is now less than 1 sq km.

OUR COSMOS

M82 taken by the Spitzer Telescope. The hot plasma generated in supernova explosions has produced a hot wind which can be seen escaping from the nuclear region of M82 in the Spitzer telescope infra-red image of the galaxy where dust emission (coloured red) is detected. (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)

Mystery object in Starburst Galaxy M82 possible micro-quasar

Radio astronomers at the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory have discovered a strange new object in a nearby galaxy. The object, which appeared very suddenly in radio wavelengths and shows no signs of going away, does not appear to be like anything that has been seen in the Milky Way.
A change in position for the object over the first 50 days is equivalent to an apparent superluminal motion of over four times the speed of light.

[The object is close to, but not at centre of M82 -- far enough away that it would seem unlikely that it is associated with the central collapsed core of this galaxy.]

SILVER BULLET

Man Charged In Werewolf Murder

A man shot his brother-in-law through the heart with a silver bullet because he thought the man was a werewolf who had killed dozens of people - including his sister.

Thomas Masaryk has been charged with first-degree murder in the bizarre case, but he plans to plead innocent under a 500-year-old Transylvania law that says it’s not murder to kill a werewolf.

Masaryk doesn’t deny shooting Dumbrava Serghiescu, 42, on the lawn of his home on the outskirts of Satu Mare. In fact, he called on father Martin Batistei to witness the shooting that, he claims, took place just seconds after Serghiescu transformed himself in a werewolf.

Father Batistei told reporters, “It’s true. I heard the man threaten to kill Mr. Masaryk and saw him change before my eyes. Hair sprouted on his face and hands and fangs grew right out of his mouth. His eye glowed fiery red - and he began to grown and moan like a caged beast.”

Masaryk put a stop to the horrifying transformation with a single shot from a .38 caliber revolver. The bullet he used to kill Serghiescu had been made from a silver crucifix that reportedly had been blessed by the Pope.

MINER LASPSE

Opposition frontbencher defends purchase of mining shares.

Federal Opposition frontbencher Peter Dutton says he believes the Government's proposed super profits tax will damage the mining industry.
So why has he just bought shares in a mining giant?

RAISE CONCERNS

'Raise a glass' idea raises fuss in RSL

The state president, Doug Formby, said 13 RSL districts covering Queensland voted unanimously not to support the campaign. "We don't think it appropriate for the RSL badge and image to be associated with the promotion of alcohol. We are dealing with many hundreds of veterans who are affected by beer - directly, or as a result of consuming alcohol - because of service-related problems," Mr Formby said.

GUANTANAMERA

Guantanamo refugees were 'horse traded' with US

The Federal Opposition says it has no doubt the Government's decision to accept refugees from the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay is linked to the Oceanic Viking stand-off.