This is from the MSNBC coverage of the hearings on the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon: BP was warned of gas danger, contractor says

HOUSTON — A contractor to BP testified Tuesday that he warned BP that it risked gas leaks in the Macondo well if it cut back on stabilizers for the pipe going down the hole. The warning, he told the Coast Guard-led inquiry into the disaster, was sent via e-mails to BP engineers, including one who refused to testify on Tuesday.

Jesse Gagliano, a technical advisor for Halliburton, which was contracted to cement the well, testified that two days before the explosion he sent BP a computer model showing severe risk of gas flowing into the cemented well if it used fewer than seven “centralizers” at different depths of the pipe.

“I notified BP of the potential issue,” he said, adding that in addition to e-mails he shared his concerns with BP engineers with whom he shared an office.

A BP lawyer who cross-examined Gagliano noted that three days after the explosion — in which gas surged up the drill pipe, causing a fireball — Gagliano wrote a report that never mentioned concerns about the stabilizers.

Earlier Tuesday, BP engineer Brian Morel invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself by answering questions.

The problems with the well were known to everyone working on the project, but BP still cut corners with a disastrous result. That’s why BP officials keep refusing to testify under oath, while all of the other people involved are willing to go on the record.

This is about ensuring that the drilling pipe is centered inside the casing and not touching it at any point so that the cement will set without any gaps or weak spots.

Attorney General: Dan Gelber [D] v. Pam Bondi [R] – Dave Aronberg shouldn’t have tried the BP link to Dan – the race had been straight forward until that point and people were tired of what was going on in other races.

The local school board did not get its sales tax increase, and shouldn’t have tried it under current conditions. Having it on a primary ballot was the kiss of death because the people who would support it generally don’t vote in primaries. Only 29.2% of registered voters turned out, and the Dems tended to vote in the Senate primary and nothing else.

I got most of the local races right, and we dumped some of the detritus that often collects in local government.

It was noticeable that Bill McCollum did not endorse Rick Scott. Of course, Scott promised to run Florida like a business, reduce regulations and cut taxes because those things have never worked before, so they should be tried again… and again… and again.

Position: 14.7N 36.6W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 16 mph [26 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 60 miles [ 95 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb.

Currently about 615 miles [ 990 km] West of the Cape Verde Islands.

The storm will probably spin up to hurricane status by Friday.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 22.4N 54.1W [10 PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [320°] near 17 mph [28 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 100 mph [160 kph].
Wind Gusts: 105 mph [170 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 175 miles [280 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 40 miles [ 65 km].
Minimum central pressure: 975 mb ↓.

Currently about 650 miles [1050 km] East-Northeast of the Leeward Islands.

The storm has turned more to the North and has started strengthening again. People on Bermuda should start listening to their weather reports.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]