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eternauta3k

Why not light it? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_flare

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Because it creates a Door to Hell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Door_to_Hell

Unlikely. This is leaking from a storage reservoir, not a field. Eventually the gas runs out.

> Eventually the gas runs out.

Well... careful with estimates on that. From the Door to Hell article:

> It was estimated that the gas would burn out within a few weeks, but it has instead continued to burn for more than four decades.

In this case its an actual reservoir, reasonable to assume they know exactly how much case is in there.

1) New tourist attraction.

2) From an environmental standpoint, isn't CO2 in the atmosphere better than methane?

Lighting it would be admitting defeat. I suspect pride is a factor here.

If we are going to be cynical about it, let's really be cynical and figure that they can best limit their losses by using a recovery well. If it was cheaper and feasible to light it, I think they'd do that over keeping pride.

It could start a fire in the nearby brush. With a little wind it could spread rapidly to thousands of nearby dwellings.

Exactly. I used to live near there, and the area is extremely dry and prone to wildfires, for example https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porter_Ranch_fire

I thought you had to dig through a vein of adamantine for that?

It would keep things canon with the Los Angeles of the Blade Runner opening flyover sequence: http://www.audienceseverywhere.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/0...

Although that would be better for the environment, it would make it absolutely obvious to everyone how big of a problem this is. After the BP thing, that's something to be avoided at all costs.

What I really want to know is how they prevent it from getting lit accidentally. I would figure the smallest spark would make it happen.

I don't think that's true. Depending on the air/gas mix at the point of the proposed ignition it might require a very deliberate and difficult effort to light it.

Forget about lighting it, why not just blow up the well like they did in Kuwait after Saddam's forces lit up the oil wells while retreating?

An obvious solution, that I'm sure there is a reason can't be used, that article didn't even mention despite being titled "why engineers can't stop the leak."

Maybe another process is to really do blow up "the well" but all the uses of explosions I've heard about was to put out the fire (burning oil) by starving its oxygen. So, workers could then go in and cap the well.

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