European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 06, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse Some oilmen say Blowout could have been sealed sooner to 35 or 38 of these a year boots Hansen right on Rig with red Adair after capping. It to fasten a Bolt a swinging motion to strike one a it was like charades Vick said. But mostly by was laughing."1 exception when to Ouis Erdmann. A norwegian to to the Blowout killers stood with Oil dripping from ticker into a cup of Coffee and said. You know. I be i out Here three years and this is my first Eko Fisk rework went slowly because As Vick explained eve Wing was in the Oil. Over your head or at foot where the nil Field term Roughneck comes from a Damn thine easy about it. It s All i monday. April 25. The Crew with their tools tied to1 hands As an additional safety precaution finished no Down the inverted Blowout preventer before Gale s forced them to leave the Rig. On tuesday the gales de but so much so that the Gas from the Well and Oil la straight Back on the Crew made it impossible to i. Then on wednesday preparations for closing the were completed tactic involved cutting off the flow by slipping discs called Blind rams across it the discs were Ted by comprised air hoses hooked up to the Barge because the Blowout preventer was upside Down no new How much pressure the rams could Lake. I thursday. April 28. Two sets of Blind rams and a set of discs called Shear rams were closed an hour Dawn but failed to hold the Stream. On each at the disaster Cimerol Crew would ready the rams. Retreat about Luo feet behind a Wall to signal that be activated. You pulled the plugs out of your ears. Ii was it or a second when it held and then there was a Kite and then it got rough again said Vick. Wery Lime was heartbreaking. It was a kick in in it rl.-, that the Blind rams rubber seals Lay 6, 1977 were eroding on closure the team switched plans for Friday the 29th. They ordered another set called two Inch pipe rams to be machined in Aberdeen Scotland they would have narrowed the Stream shooting out of the Well and reduced its pressure although increasing its velocity to More than the Speed of idea was to swing a four ton stopper piece through the narrow Stream and then close a valve on its top. Cap Ping the inc new rams failed Loo. Just As Adair himself arrived in Stavanger to give what he said was a Little moral support. Adair 61, did not in fact take Over the operation. Boots ran the Job Vick said lied was another working Man. He d have had a helluva Lime taking in away from boots. When boots first heard red was coming his reaction was that s Aboul right Loo much Goddam publicity for him nol to be Here " while Adair was coming to the Choctaw. Information was arriving by phone and backup telex from Kuckyr Schaffer the Blowout preventer s manufacturer in Brea. Calif. On a modification of a Hydraulic Piston in the device that would give the rams a better sea new tools for the Job had to be made up in the barges machine shop and on saturday morning the ,10th the Piston was pulled out an eighth of an Inch with a twist and a half of a wrench the rams held on their first try and a valve Fate tie on Tup of a Bonnel on the Blowout prevent or was shut Al 11 30 was no leaping for Joy no Celebration on the no. Just the sudden silence the Roar gone blissfully dead the feeling was thai the Job could have been done sooner and amazement that the world was watching so closely while norwegian officials were announcing that the ecological consequences of the spill would be vastly smaller than first feared. Hansen looked coolly at a group of reporters and i do 35 or 38 of these a year it was just a medium Job " norwegian ship plows through Oil Slick from Bravo. The stars and stripes Page 15
