Oil platform explosion, Deep Horizon, Gulf of Mexico

The impact of the explosion at the oil platform, Deep Horizon, in the Gulf of Mexico, into a nightmare in the waters around Florida. The bad effects it can achieve five times higher than previous estimates. The experts showed, when the flow of crude oil leaks into the Gulf of Mexico, and along the southern tip of peninsular Florida, north, and entered the Atlantic Ocean, east coast of the United States. It is expected to cause severe environmental disaster.

Satellite images show that an oil pipeline leak wells will be swept away into the warm ocean currents, in the Gulf of Mexico. The oil will be pushed to the southern tip of Florida Bay. From these places, it is feared will lead to disaster for the industry and tourism.

According to news from Agence France-Presse, reported that residents around the Florida Keys (small islands in the state, which is famous for fishing and diving tourism) feel panic, because there are grains of bitumen pollute the beach. A number of tests already carried out on the asphalt, whether originating from the Gulf of Mexico or not. Meanwhile, for the Sunshine state, which has income from the tourism industry around 50 billion U.S. dollars per year, oil pollution is very bad news. If contamination occurs, the tourism industry in this state will become paralyzed.

At the beginning of the explosion, the U.S. Coast Guard estimates that oil leaks that pollute the ocean reached 1.6 million gallons. However, the commander of U.S. Coast Guard, Mary Landry says, when it was almost impossible to assess how much oil leak actually happened. Based on satellite imagery, University of Miami judge, that in two days (3-4 May), leaks oil at sea level has been expanded three times, up to nine thousand square kilometers. These facts indicate that jets of oil wells under the sea occurred more intense.

A federal government official said efforts to close the leak will likely take several weeks, or months. In the event that aired on This Week, ABC television broadcast, U.S. Affairs, Ken Salazar hopes, oil leaks can be patched with success.