The flame seems to form near the surface of the jagged pipe, and there would be expected to be lots of triboelectric charge built up from the friction of thousands of feet of steel pipe on the oil. Methane is tightly bound, but here could volatiles and hydrogen in the mix.
The triboelectric charge could possibly cause some electrochemistry with the few oxygen containing molecules that are found in crude oil - like formic acid or CO. The problem is there is not expected to be any oxidizer under those circumstances, is there? Everything is reducing. In glassblowing, there is such a thing as a "reduction flame" or reducing flame which is an oxygen deficient flame. When this is applied to melt glass it can pull oxygen from the glass. That is the only thing that makes sense. Under intense pressure, and with lots of electric charge - this "reduction flame" is actually getting oxygen from its initial contact with seawater. Jones From: Jones Beene Video online http://www.google.com/search?q=flames+BP+gulf+oil <http://www.google.com/search?q=flames+BP+gulf+oil&hl=en&prmd=nv&source=univ &tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=WuQQTInkIo_aNfiejbMC&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title &resnum=2&ved=0CCcQqwQwAQ> &hl=en&prmd=nv&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=WuQQTInkIo_aNfiejbMC&sa=X&oi=v ideo_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CCcQqwQwAQ Where is the oxidizer coming from? Thermolysis of water ? Another thought is that there could be some carbon monoxide in the methane ? From: [email protected] I just looked at spilcam Skandi ROV 1. It looks like flames are coming out now. How would that be possible under water? What hath man wrought. Frank Z
