Yostivanich

Here’s what BP has in store for the Arc­tic: First, the com­pany will drill two miles beneath its tiny island, which it has chris­tened “Lib­erty.” Then, in an inge­nious twist, it will drill side­ways for another six to eight miles, until it reaches an off­shore reser­voir esti­mated to hold 105 mil­lion bar­rels of oil. This would be the longest “extended reach” well ever attempted, and the effort has required BP to push drilling tech­nol­ogy beyond its proven lim­its. As the most pow­er­ful “land-based” oil rig ever built, Lib­erty requires spe­cial pipe to with­stand the 105,000 foot-pounds of torque — the equiv­a­lent of 50 Mack truck engines — needed to turn the drill. “This is about as sexy as it gets,” a top BP offi­cial boasted to reporters in 2008. BP, a repeat felon sub­ject to record fines for its will­ful safety vio­la­tions, calls the project “one of its biggest chal­lenges to date” — an engi­neer­ing task made even more dan­ger­ous by plans to oper­ate year-round in what the com­pany itself admits is “some of the harsh­est weather on Earth.”

via Rolling Stone Pol­i­tics – BP’s Next Dis­as­ter. The next place for BP to start drilling, the Arctic.