Efforts to stop the flow may have set the stage for an even bigger catastrophe.
The Oil Spill's Worst-Case Scenario?, Newsweek, June 23, 2010:
It's possible that hydrocarbons are leaking out the bottom or sides of the well. If so, they might erode surrounding sediments and undermine the foundation upon which the 450-ton blowout preventer sits. If such leaks aren't sealed off in time, the entire structure could topple over. ...
[A] handful of clues suggest that the company is concerned. On Friday, BP spokesperson Toby Odone acknowledged that the 45-ton stack of the blowout preventer was tilting noticeably...
At this point, some experts say, additional leaks wouldn't matter much. "It's very possible that there are subfloor leaks," says [Oil geophysicist at Columbia University, Roger] Anderson.
http://www.newsweek.com/2010/06/23/the-oil-spill-s-worst-case-scenario.html
