Kevin Costner sells 32 oil-water separators to BP, testifies before congress
By Joseph L. Flatley 
posted June 10th 2010 2:49PM
posted June 10th 2010 2:49PM
When filming his critically acclaimed documentary Waterworld, Kevin Costner became interested in cost-effective technologies for separating oil from water (such as in the aftermath of an oil spill). Today, he appeared in front of a House committee to drum up interest in the oil-water separator he's been developing over the years in partnership with Louisiana's Ocean Therapy Solutions. It is claimed that the device can process some two-hundred gallons of water a minute, using a centrifuge processing technology that sucks in polluted water, separates the oil, and stores it in a tanker before sending the water itself (now some 99.9 percent purified) back into the gulf. (A company called Enviro Voraxial has a machine that relies on a different technology to process some 500 gallons per minute, which BP is also looking into.) BP has reportedly ordered thirty-two of Costner's machines for testing, although it will be a matter of time before it's determined whether they do the job safely enough to aid in the gulf clean-up effort. What can we say? Our man's come along way since he starred in Sizzle Beach, USA.
I knew there would be a reason for Waterworld, eventually.
Thank you, Robin Hood.
@Meekermoloko Sure, its great, but can anything justify Waterworld?
@mreion Nope !!! :D
@Meekermoloko
maybe this is just the start of his road to redemption though. soon to come: air and space cleaners!
@bolezhinkov
We already have air cleaners (or purifiers if you will)... And as for space cleaners, well, whats to clean? Thats the virtue of space after all.
@Meekermoloko
This comment is total win.
@mreion Waterworld was an ok movie, it just wasn't worth the millions the studio spent on it...
@Meekermoloko WOAH WOAH WOAH. HOLD ON. Waterworld justified Waterworld. That movie rocked. But its still good to see something ELSE positive come from that glorious movie.
@Meekermoloko LOL, you win a thousand Internets for that comment
@mreion The Waterworld show in Universal Studios. But then again, it did replace Miami Vice which I loved.
1. I actually liked WaterWorld.
2. It's nice to see a celebrity actually doing something more than talking about something. Whether the devices work or not, I applaud Mr. Costner for daring to try something new. My respect for him has definitely gone up a notch.
@Meekermoloko
DRY LAND IS NOT A MYTH!
@Meekermoloko
clarification: KC is correctly referred to a Robin Hood Sans British Accent.
@Meekermoloko
Well misery does love company, now its found a way to make money for Both parties concerned.
Waterworld and BP hand in hand !
@Meekermoloko I'm sitting here trying to imagine something that would justify The Postman.
@Meekermoloko
Wow, lmao!! Waterworld serves it's purpose 15 years later... that is truly magical.
@Meekermoloko
I liked Waterwold. It was a good popcorn flick with a fun Dennis Hopper villain. And it also was profitable if you factor in video sales.
I never understood all the hate.
@Releaux Oily water separators are nothing new. They're installed on nearly every large ship on earth and are required by U.S. law to be on every U.S. ship. He just took that technology and built a bigger one.
Looks like Kevin is gonna save us 80 gallons at a time.
Yeah, didn't think much of the movie (i.e. Mad Max II on Water) but I liked the show at Universal.
@Meekermoloko
Haha...as is expected...we see him demo his purifier as well in his film:P
RIP Dennis Hopper
wow i can't believe that something productive came out of that movie !!
lol, Kevin Costner.
@Joseph9307 lol Kevin has this and Big Oil and Big Brother don't. What has this world come to, oh yeah, a place where we don't have to clean up our own messes.
Not sure if 32 will be enough..
"BP has reportedly ordered thirty-two of Costner's machines for testing . . "
TESTING? F#@$, why not just put them to work right now? They certainly can't do any worse than what BP is doing.
@100rabh definitely needed 64. 32 limited to 200 gpm. 64's theoretical limit is well into the tera-gallons.
@Smart People Play Tuba
I was just going to say this. At this point using your tshirt to soak up some oil might be just as good as bp's results to date.
@Smart People Play Tuba
Just thinking more on this and hopefully they aren't stupid enough to fill someones pool with oil and run actual "tests". Wouldn't put it past 'em though. Any ways, perhaps they mean "real world tests" and these might get some "real world use". Quien Sabe.
His machines are actually clones of himself, they tread water in the gulf as the oil gets filtered though their massive amount of body hair
Not sure if 32 would be enough....
@100rabh
Sure it will! 32 of those coupled with the 1100 gal/hr vacuum cleaners in use once the oil actually hits the shore! BP is doing a great job! Just listen to their commercials! See, I'm even using '!' marks so it must be true!
@credo
They ordered them for -testing-
@Itami
Yes, which means 8 weeks later... BP isn't worried about cleaning the oil as much as they are about GETTING the oil. I'm quite sure by now SOMEONE could have figured out a way to seal the damned leak off. But thats not what they want, they want a solution that will let them tap into the oil as well... Someone needs to take BP (minus their wallets) out of the equation.
@credo Read the news, they are going to burn it, not refine it. They are trying to stop it at the source.
Maybe we should have the government take over from BP. We all know how good politicians are at resolving problems.
@chieftom
You voted for them (or didn't). Their faults are your own. Any way, if they burn anything it will be whats on top. Read past the news (read your an idiot) and understand that they can't burn a huge pocket of oil a mile under water.
@credo Have you seen the reports and helicopter footage?
BP has thrown just about everything they have in the region on the spill.
This was a very deepsea operation under tremendous pressure and cold temperatures and the well head didn't crack, it exploded, likely from a deposit of methane hydrates that made a big caboom when setting the concrete. This rig was the latest and greatest tech, valued around $400 million. A spill costs them a fortune, not just in lost oil, but lives, lawsuits, cleanup, PR affecting government policy (now banned for the next 6 months), etc. No big company throws away money like that, period. Its bad business.
Until there is a thorough investigation of what caused the accident and whether or not there was negligence, I don't understand the outrage. BP even fronted $30 million in damages to fisherman before a single lawsuit was made (usually you don't pay until courts ask you to). Deep sea drilling is very dangerous, but we all need the oil to survive (remember less than half of every barrel goes into making gas/diesel needed to make a lot of machinery run, the rest goes into things that make your life possible from plastics to medicines). NASA is super paranoid about safety, and yet they have had huge accidents like the Challenger too. Shit happens.
@Ducman69 Shill for Hannity much?
It's has already been stated that the reason was because BP choice to I believe lubricate the drill with water instead of the normal stuff. To save money.
Get your news from more then one source. Talk radio hosts *might* have a slightly different agenda then they would want you to believe.
@Ducman69
Yes I concur that the oil spill was in large part society's fault (in general). That when we look back many years from now it won't look in the least bit outrageous, rather it will appear to have been inevitable, a byproduct of our relicance on the oil in the first place; this is how I see it now. And I know its "bad for business" for them not to try and recoup the oil, however their business is based on shores far away, its not like they are polluting their own waters. They are too far removed to care about the TRUE cost. Their first priority should be to stop the leak, not find a way to funnel it into their ships.
@Showbiz
Everybody has a slightly different agenda then they would want you to believe.
It's about time!
@Chaosdivine is your avatar s'posed to give the impression it's a under-side view of a woman's panties?
I see legs where there's actually a background wall, a background wall where there's a actually lamp-shade, and fingers where there's... a sofa's edge?
@Ultracrepidation
Don't let your associates catch you making eyes at your furniture in your cubicle...
Oh and those fingers are plant leaves :)
@Chaosdivine I'd tap that...
then get a shock...
and probably tap it again!
@DragonAsh
ROFL! That made my day... :)
@Chaosdivine
It actually seems like this is kind of a reverse illusion:
http://www.moillusions.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/lamp-lie-illusion-demotivational-poster.jpg
@No Such Nick
Now THAT has my attention :) Ya I pilfered my avatar off the net at one point in time (I think it was off a weather site called Wunderground http://www.wunderground.com to be honest ;)
I think the Photoshop job on the girl is OK, but could use some more thong bunching to make the stem of the lamp a bit more believable.
Thanks for showing me that pic though, I'd like to see it in higher rez of course - you know, for educational puposes :P
@Chaosdivine
I sure hope that mark on her butt cheek is not a poo stain :(
Kind of reminds me of Gorbachev's forehead (ok that was mean...sorry Gorby).
Kevin turned out to be a technical minded person. I wonder if he like iphone 4 or EVO.
Kevin Costner for President!!! Solutions > WTF