The flow from the well could not be stopped so far. Over 30,000 barrels of heavy mud has been pumped with speeds of up to 80,000 barrels per minute. Still the pressure from the well was higher and the flow could not be stopped. A wide range of different bridging materials had been used, but nothing seemed to work.
The top kill procedure was designed to stop the flow of oil and gas from the under water well and finally kill the well by injecting heavy drilling fluids through the blow-out preventer on the seabed, down into the well.
Now it has been decided to take next step in the subsea operations, which is the deployment of the Lower Marine Riser Package (LMRP) Cap Containment System. This was done by BP after they received orders from the governmet.
The plan is to cut off the top of the failed Blow-Out Preventer (BOP)and then removing the damaged riser. This should leave a cleanly-cut pipe at the top of the BOP’s LMRP. The cap is designed to be connected to a riser from the Discoverer Enterprise drillship and placed over the LMRP with the intention of capturing most of the oil and gas flowing from the well. The LMRP cap is already on site. The scheduled time frame for this operation is about four days.
An operation like this has never been done under conditions like this. This mean that it is an attempt, with calculated risk, but not a guarantee of a successful outcome, as it is being done 5,000 feet under water.
While all this is going on the drilling of a relief well in steadily progressing. The drilling of the second relief well has temporarily been stopped but is expected to be continued soon from 8,576 feet.
President Obama gave the following statement today:
"Today, I’ve spoken with National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen, as well as Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and senior White House advisors John Brennan and Carol Browner regarding the ongoing efforts to stop the BP oil spill. From the beginning, our concern has been that the surest way to stop the flow of oil – the drilling of relief wells – would take several months to complete. So engineers and experts have explored a variety of alternatives to stop the leak now. They had hoped that the top kill approach attempted this week would halt the flow of oil and gas currently escaping from the seafloor. But while we initially received optimistic reports about the procedure, it is now clear that it has not worked. Rear Admiral Mary Landry today directed BP to launch a new procedure whereby the riser pipe will be cut and a containment structure fitted over the leak.
This approach is not without risk and has never been attempted before at this depth. That is why it was not activated until other methods had been exhausted. It will be difficult and will take several days. It is also important to note that while we were hopeful that the top kill would succeed, we were also mindful that there was a significant chance it would not. And we will continue to pursue any and all responsible means of stopping this leak until the completion of the two relief wells currently being drilled.
As I said yesterday, every day that this leak continues is an assault on the people of the Gulf Coast region, their livelihoods, and the natural bounty that belongs to all of us. It is as enraging as it is heartbreaking, and we will not relent until this leak is contained, until the waters and shores are cleaned up, and until the people unjustly victimized by this manmade disaster are made whole."
I can't even begin to comprehend that nobody could foresee the failure of the blowout preventer. Obviously, since the potential for catastrophe is high, there should be backups for the backups. We cannot afford messes like this. It seems BP should have had a contingency for "what if" the blowout preventer fails. Clearly, none was in place. I'm afraid the Gulf of Mexico is going to turn into a giant dead zone, especially with all the toxic disperants that have been released and the giant plumes of oil lurking beneath the surface. What a disaster!
ردحذفThese are the same energy companies that can't control OIL that want to build more NUCLEAR power plants / giant CANCER MACHINES. We see how prepaired they are for a disaster. How will they control invisible highly radioactive cancer causing nuclear radiation when a nuclear power plant melts down ? And please dont tell us that "accidents never happen" . Ever wonder why there is so much CANCER ? Learn the facts about nuclear power plants. Indian point in NY is leaking. Vermont plant is leaking. And many many more around the world. Very sad.
ردحذفDr Tom