Submarines to retrieve oil from GOM?

ColossalContrarian · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 698

Just had a sci-fi’ish thought about retrieving oil from fields like Jack #2 in the Gulf of Mexico… This led to wondering what the ‘TRUE’ (hurricane insurance included…) EROEI of oil from Jack#2 or any new discovery in the GOM would be. Do you think the EROEI would be comparable to using some type of submarine transport system to move oil out of the Gulf?

Does anyone know if submarines are vulnerable to weather above the ocean? They can move underneath the storm right?

Rigs underwater? Doesn't sound too far off to me, come 2012 we're going to be pretty desperate for oil!

Thanks,
Sabin

Gerben

I like this way of thinking but the idea doesn't look very economic to me. The subs would have to be unmanned. These depts are not easy. It's more likely to build a 'platform' a few meters below the waveline. In calm whether you can raise the platform to sealevel. Stormproof ships (similar to lifeboats) can dock using flexible hoses.

EnergyUnlimited · Fusion Joined: May 15, 2006 Posts: 3396

No way.
I think, that Jack 2 field is deep enough to be out of range of large submarines.
Working with small ones would be EROEI disaster.

pedalling_faster · Intermediate Crude Joined: Dec 10, 2005 Posts: 947

http://www.amazon.com/Ship-Gold-Deep-Blue-Sea/dp/0871134640

URL for

"Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea"

written by Gary Kinder, about engineer Tommy Thompson's project to recover $1 Billion + worth of gold in deep water.

after listening to this book i have to say ... hmmm, maybe not so impossible. obviously, very difficult.

but we're talking about $Trillions worth of Oil.

looks to me like TPTB are willing to expend a considerable amount of person-power to "get the goods", including oil.

my guess is their R&D departments are working on submersible projects right now.

ColossalContrarian · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 698

Looks like this has been attempted in the past.

ColossalContrarian · Intermediate Crude Joined: Jun 20, 2006 Posts: 698

Great read.

Gotta do something with those old nuclear subs...