Posted on 05/22/2010 6:08:16 PM PDT by Libloather
'Top kill' planned to stop oil leak
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 21, 2010 11:20 p.m. EDT
Washington (CNN) -- A "top kill" method intended to stop the runaway flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico will likely be tried early next week, BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles said Friday.
In the procedure, thick, viscous fluid twice the density of water will be pumped at a high rate into the site of the leak to stop the flow so that it can then be sealed with cement, Suttles said.
"Our best estimate is probably Tuesday," he said, noting that the operation has never been tried in such deep water.
The timing for the "top kill" effort appears to be slipping: BP Managing Director Bo Dudley said Thursday night that the company would try the procedure this weekend.
Suttles offered no explanation for the discrepancy.
"We're working very, very hard with BP on the timeline for the 'top kill,' " said U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, national incident commander. "That's the ultimate near-term solution."
Obama announces oil spill commission
BP is working to assemble "a massive amount of equipment" at the site, Suttles said, including three deep-water rigs, drilling rigs, sub-sea support vessels and up to 16 robotic submarines.
"These operations are quite complex, and we won't start the job until all the equipment has been staged and all the equipment is in place," he said.
But no one expects the effort to solve all the problems associated with the spill.
"We will not rest, even if they secure the flow, even if this 'top kill' is completed successfully next week," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Spoke with my husband a little. His company only does refining. No drilling. He does have quite a bit of knowledge about how it all works because he is in branding.
He said it has to be capped. D’oh? He then said something with a major force blown into the hole to stop the oil flowing in order to cap it. I am glad I did not pay a consultation fee. hee!
Maybe like a volcano it wants a sacrifice. I say one methane belch deserves another. Dems have plenty of gas belches.
If you had a clue about this industry, you wouldn't be posting such foolishness.
Nope, it's way too fragile.
Good for you, I hope it works out.
LOL! Great come back!!
That’s not the ultimate fix. That “might” slow the flow...that won’t stop it.
The only real fix is to plug the well where Halliburtion tried to set the down hole plug.
A relief well ALWAYS works. Can you give one time in history when it has not?
How a relief well works
http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=9033657&contentId=7061734
The only problem with the relief well is the time it takes to complete.
IIRC, Red Adair (and company) were the ones who shut in the Ixtoc blowout back in 1979 in the Bay of Campeche.
Come on!
Where you gonna find a guy big enough to pull that ratchet?
You are correct, also Martech International of Houston, and the Mexican diving company, Daivaz were involved.
http://www.incidentnews.gov/incident/6250
Oh, did you look that up?
Ohhh!! Hold on, lemme look!
10 MONTHS!!!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtoc_I_oil_spill
In the next nine months, experts and divers including Red Adair were brought in to contain and cap the oil well.[6] Approximately an average of ten thousand to thirty thousand barrels per day were discharged into the Gulf until it was finally capped on 23 March 1980, nearly 10 months later.[7] Prevailing currents carried the oil towards the Texas coastline. The US government had two months to prepare booms to protect major inlets. Eventually, in the US, 162 miles (261 km) of beaches and 1421 birds were affected by 3,000,000 barrels (480,000 m3) of oil.[7] Pemex spent $100 million to clean up the spill and avoided paying compensation by asserting sovereign immunity.[8]
The oil slick surrounded Rancho Nuevo, in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, which is one of the few nesting sites for Kemp's Ridley sea turtles. Thousands of baby sea turtles were airlifted to a clean portion of the Gulf of Mexico to help save the rare species.
No, I was relying on memory.
I would add one thing to my method... using that simple drill once you get it down to optimum depth then use the balloon and then the bell or long heavy pipe at the same time. I would also use some kind of hammer to force the pipe/bell down as far as possible.
if the balloon doesn't hold at all the bell might not either I would use the heavy pipe as a funnel to direct the oil to a tankers or something.
There is no 'crack' to drill into. It is leaking from holes in the pipe.
oh then that is easy to fix if there is a solid pipe down there. Just stick a balloon down the pipe then cap the thing. What is taking so long to do that?
Interesting that you are posting these 'easy' fixes and criticizing when you have no idea of the conditions of the leak.
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