[SWAMPSNIPER]

I'm an old mechanic, even had a Florida State teaching certificate for small engine repair. When I first started watching the live feeds I decided that I would cut off the bent riser, remove or cut the flange bolts, and bolt on a new transition section. Several of my old buddies would have done the same.

You can't tell me that everyone involved with this debacle didn't want to keep things simple, why didn't it happen long before it finally did?

Even allowing time to fabricate the parts from scratch the well could have been capped in a couple of weeks.

[dmet]

I agree. That was my thought too. Unbolt and put a simple valve on top (and from further learning, add the choke and kill valves under the big valve. (and a simple valve would not have required the flex alignment either) But, we were told by experts that that could not be done. So what was done to stop the leak... basically the same thing 2 1/2 months later and much more complicated than necessary.

Makes me feel smarter than all BP engineering, which i am definitely not!!!

[UCANSEE2]

You can't tell me that everyone involved with this debacle didn't want to keep things simple, why didn't it happen long before it finally did?

Politics.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

There was a gaggle of authority figures milling around...they weren’t ready for a straight forward solution yet.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Recent post on the Oildrum about this statement from Allen:

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response DATE: July 18, 2010 11:37:44 CST

Statement by National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen On Well Integrity Test

WASHINGTON - Per my conversation with BP Executive Bob Dudley as recently as 11 a.m. EST today, nothing has changed about the joint agreement announced yesterday between BP and the US government. The ongoing well integrity test will continue until 4 p.m. EST today, with the potential for additional extensions in 24-hour increments. As a condition of the extension, the US government has required significant new monitoring and periodic evaluation and approval by our science team.

Work must continue to better understand the lower than expected pressure readings. This work centers on two plausible scenarios, depletion of oil from the reservoir and potential leakage caused by damage to the well bore or casing.

While we are pleased that no oil is currently being released into the Gulf of Mexico and want to take all appropriate action to keep it that way, it is important that all decisions are driven by the science. Ultimately, we must ensure no irreversible damage is done which could cause uncontrolled leakage from numerous points on the sea floor.

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