I don't get it. Oil is lighter than water, ice is lighter than water, why would the blob of frozen oil and hydrates not float?

I have read other reports talking about some of the oil staying on the ocean floor, how is this physically possible?


My view? Think of a giant fractionating column, several kilometers high from the sea bed to the surface.

The gas and the lighter oil rises faster than the heavier stuff, so the mixture tends to separate out on its way up.

Parts of the column will be frozen where temperature and pressure conditions permit.

But yes, most oil is less dense than water so the column must be rising albeit very slowly as the upper layers tend to hold the lower layers down.

Most of the oil that has leaked so far is yet to surface.

Cheers,