unclesyd, you are missing my point:
if the leak is sealed off, there is no need for a pipe to the surface, there is no need for tankers, there is no need for gas/oil separation, there is no need for a flare of any kind.There is no need to deal with hydrates.When the rig sunk, the connection between the well and the rig failed on the weakest link: the riser buckled in three places,first on the top,last above the BOP.If the BOP was designed to withheld the pressure of the well,then it is still capable of providing enough foundation for a new shut off valve to be mounted on top.The fear BP is expressing :the below structure might be damaged is more the fear of getting linked with taking a wrong dessision.wrong dessisions have been made which caused this disaster.Humans are granted intelligence, evolved from taking some good dessisions in the past:
running away from the big animals so you don't die and get eaten.killing small animals to eat so you don't die.Some died from taking the wrong dessision.All those who didn't make a desission died either way from not getting served dinner or getting served as a dinner.Time is defining the X factor in the simple equation:
dammage=X times Valdez