Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/11945
8B – Daily News – Monday, June 14, 2010 BP deploys deepsea sensors to better measure spill NEW ORLEANS (AP) — BP mounted a more aggressive response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday as it deployed undersea sen- sors to better measure the ferocious flow of crude while drawing up new plans to meet a govern- ment demand that it speed up the containment effort ahead of President Barack Obama’s visit to the coast. The financial ramifica- tions of the disaster are growing by the day as the White House and states put pressure on BP to set aside billions of dollars to pay spill-related claims in a move that could quickly drain the company’s cash reserves and hasten its path toward possible bankrupt- cy. BP was also trying to meet a Sunday deadline to respond to a letter from the Coast Guard demanding that it intensify the efforts to stop the spill. One of the actions BP took Sunday was to use robotic sub- marines to position sensors inside the well to gauge how much oil is spilling. The robots were expect- ed to insert the pressure sensors through a line used to inject methanol — an antifreeze meant to prevent the buildup of icelike slush — into a containment cap seated over the ruptured pipe, BP spokesman David Nicholas said. BP was installing the sensors at the request of a federal team of scientists tasked with estimating the flow, Nicholas said. He did not know when the request was made. Scientists haven’t been able to pin down just how much oil is leaking into the Gulf, although the high- end estimates indicated the spill could exceed 100 mil- lion gallons. The govern- ment has stressed that the larger estimates were still preliminary and consid- ered a worse-case scenario. The Obama administra- tion’s point man on the oil spill, Adm. Thad Allen, on Sunday said government officials think the best fig- ures are from a middle-of- the-road estimate, which would put the spill at around 66 million gallons of oil. That is about six times the size of the Exxon Valdez spill. BP is currently captur- ing about 630,000 gallons of oil a day, but hundreds thousands more are still escaping into the Gulf. The company has said that it could begin siphoning an additional 400,000 gallons a day starting Tuesday by burning it using a special- ized boom being installed on a rig — and any new success would be welcome news for Obama as he returns to the Gulf. The president was scheduled to arrive in the Gulf on Monday for a two- day visit that will be fol- lowed by a nationally tele- vised address to the Amer- ican people on Tuesday and a sit-down with BP executives Wednesday. The crisis has already become a crucial test for the Obama presidency as it takes a greater toll on his image with each day that more oil gushes into the sea. ‘‘We’re at a kind of inflection point in this saga, because we now know that, what essentially what we can do and what we can’t do, in terms of collecting oil, and what lies ahead in the next few months,’’ senior adviser David Axelrod said on NBC’s ‘‘Meet the Press. ‘‘And he wants to lay out the steps that we’re going House – Apartment FOR RENT Classified Line Ads June Special! Online re-publication in FREE TOP LISTINGS RENTALS – Thank You – thanks to the generosity of these local businesses & individuals. • M & M RANCH HOUSE • ROSE HABLITZEL, ENROLLED AGENT • RED BLUFF INTERIORS • MOTHER LODE HOLDING CO. • LP BUILDING PRODUCTS • LOUISIANA PACIFIC • STATE FARM INS. KEITH THOMAS • TEHAMA ESTATES • CALIFORNIA WALNUT CO., INC. • MR. PICKLE’S SANDWICH SHOP • AIRPORT AUTO REPAIR • JOHN WHEELER LOGGING D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 • KAY STEPHENS, MD • QRC • GREENWASTE OF TEHAMA • TRI COUNTIES BANK • MOSS LUMBER & HARDWARE • BRETNEY SUTTERFIELD • HOYT-COLE CHAPEL OF THE FLOWERS • TEHAMA COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS • FIDELITY NATIONAL TITLE CO. • SUSANNE WHALEN, DMD INC • PLACER TITLE CO. NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION Please help sponsor a classroom subscription Call Kathy at (530) 527-2151 to find out how. Furniture Depot 235 So. Main St., Red Bluff 527-1657 MON.-THURS. 9:00-6:00 • FRI. 9:00-6:00 • SAT. 9:00-5:00 • SUN. 11:00-5:00 MATTRESS CLOSEOUTS Up to 50%-60% Through the Newspapers in Education program, area classrooms receive the Red Bluff Daily News every day $11 Value on the front page at www.redbluffdailynews.com 60,000 unique visitors monthly Daily News Classified (530) 527-2151 to take from here to get through this, through this crisis.’’ Obama wants an inde- pendent, third party to administer an escrow account paid for by BP to compensate those with ‘‘legitimate’’ claims for damages. The amount of money set aside will be discussed during talks this week between the White House and BP, but the request will most definitely be in the bil- lions. Louisiana’s treasurer has told The Associated What’s on TV? ✓ Check out ENTERTAINMENT MAGAZINE select TV Free - Online - 24/7 Broadcast/Cable/Satellite Listings-Sports-Movies & More! redbluffdailynews.com Press that it wants $5 bil- lion. Florida said it wants $2.5 billion. ‘‘We are aware of the request,’’ said BP spokes- woman Sheila Williams in London. She declined to comment further. BP could have to tap its cash reserve to pay the fund while also borrow money to comply. That, however, presents a poten- tial problem because the company’s borrowing costs are likely to be a lot higher due to investor con- cerns. Oil again began wash- ing up in heavy amounts along the shores of Orange Beach, Ala. on Sunday afternoon as the winds shifted, turning the surf into an oily red mixture that left brown stains at the surf line. A plane flew along the coast pulling a sign that read: ‘‘Obama, 55 days. What’s it gonna take?’’ Earlier in the day, crews wearing rubber globes and boots used shovels to scoop up the oil, sand and tar ball mixture and put it into trash bags. The disposal of oil- soaked dirt and sand is part of a broad effort playing out across the Gulf Coast to clean up the mess. The Back Packs ARE HERE! The Back Packs ARE HERE! Look for them at local businesses D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY THE V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5