Posted on 07/13/2010 7:37:03 PM PDT by Southnsoul
Feds say more analysis is needed before BP can start well cap tests in the Gulf of Mexico, another potential setback in the three-month fight against the oil spill. fox news
NEW ORLEANS -- BP is delaying critical tests on a leaky well cap designed to finally stop the flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico after government officials said more analysis was needed on the plan.
BP engineers were scheduled to start slowly shutting off valves on the 75-ton metal stack of pipes and valves, aiming to stop the flow of oil for the first time in three months. A series of preliminary steps were completed, including mapping the seafloor.
National Incident Commander Thad Allen said in a statement Tuesday night the process "may benefit from additional analysis" that would be performed overnight and Wednesday. He did not say when the tests would start.
The decision was reached after Allen met with federal officials, scientists and geologists.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Can’t waste a good crisis now can we.
Wow so it just flows unfettered...but the headlines for the last 3 days?
The cap will STOP the leak.
Since the delay, it tells me the pressure is too low, verifying the well bore is compromised. Not good.
this is the obamites simply trying to get their fingerprints on what looks like the winning play. just like they did before “top kill”.
the only thing transparent about the amateurs is their “cleverness”; you can see right through it.
The idiot "Nobel Prize Winner" Chu probably had to have his say.
From the little bit of info presented to the public, there appears to be a fair probability that the well bore hole is compromised. This raises the probability that the oil is leaking from more than one location.
Looking at the ROV feeds, it would seem ALL activity has stopped.
You have to wonder about that. But this was a government approved plan from the beginning. BP cannot do anything now without government approval. Once the government approves BP plans, they are government approved plans. Got that US Fed stamp of approval on them. So in reality, the feds are stating that their was a problem with the plans the Fed had approved.
The only possible logical explanation for how they changed the original BP plans, (Which were - New CAP, Near 100 % Collection, Wait on Relief Wells), is that they wanted to see how the well bore held up to increased pressure. That information could have been valuable to the operation of the Relief Well. But they were taking a big chance to get that info. So perhaps that means they are less confident about the Relief Well operation. At this point, a Top Kill is not a permanent solution. The Permanent solution is the Relief Well. They can try to flow mud and cement from the top again during the top kill, but that has already failed now twice.
THere is no pressure yet. They were supposed to start shutting vales to increase pressure, but the Obama administration stopped them.
Sure, it could be because they really want to be cautious. But remember BP has wanted to do this changeover for a while, the administration held them up, and then suddenly claimed they had “ordered” BP to do this new cap.
So I suspect that tomorrow we’ll have the administration issue a press release chiding BP for not moving more quickly, and insisting that they start the test.
They can’t have BP plug the well while Obama is on vacation, after all.
There are serious concerns with what they are doing now. Actually, I suspect it was the administration that was moving too fast and someone finally put the brakes on the quick politically expedient gamble of closing the rams. The OilDrum had a thread last night where these serious concerns were addressed. It made no sense what had transpired. Basically, the original BP plan was to get the new CAP installed, collect almost all the oil and wait for the Relief Wells to be completed. That is what most of the industry people on the Oil Drum expected. Then at the last minute someone made the decision to close the RAMS and see if the compromised Well Bore and Compromised BOP held to the increased pressure. That plan made no sense. The risk is that they can destroy the well bore and leave absolutely no option other then a nuke. The original plan was sound and probably would have worked. The problem is that we would not know until mid-August. I suspect that is too close to the next elections for Obama and his Marxist Thugs.
But late Tuesday night, BP announced that additional analysis of the well testing procedure was needed. The move following a meeting with Energy Secretary Steven Chu and his team of advisers.
A source informed about BP operations told CNN's John King that, "There were some potential complications that might cause a delay -- some bad, some in the better to be safe than sorry category."
Usually, this is shift change and they would be started getting back to work , undersea.
One CAM shows a SUIT pacing back and forth in front of several RIG Workers.
There’s some notification that says WAIT.... (can’t see the rest)
One ROV has been bouncing all around the entire BOP area, spotting for Integrity Tests.
So, the testing continues.
"Today I met with Secretary Chu, Marcia McNutt and other scientists and geologists as well as officials from BP and other industry representatives as we continue to prepare and review protocols for the well integrity test - including the seismic mapping run that was made around the well site this morning. As a result of these discussions, we decided that the process may benefit from additional analysis that will be performed tonight and tomorrow.
Uh Oh. What if it was the results of the seismic mapping run ?
You’ve figured out all the steps of the dance!
It’s the old “I’m in charge but it’s all your fault” tango. They’ve been “ordering” BP to do what BP suggested be done for a month or so now.
The last step before the test was going to start today was a geo-mag run for about 2.5 miles. Up to the time they did that they were going to follow it immediately with the pressure testing. Stuff like that makes you go “hmmmm”.
We had the same idea fifty seconds apart.
And the point of the testing will be whether the sealed well holds pressure, whatever that pressure may be, rather than bleeding it off somewhere else.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.