BP, federal officials confer on closed gulf oil well cap

Washington Post ^ | Sunday, July 18, 2010; 2:44 PM | David A. Fahrenthold

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Gulf of Mexico's gushing oil well remained shut off Sunday afternoon, as BP and federal officials conferred over when -- and whether -- it should ever be re-opened.

The leaking BP well was the subject of dueling media announcements on Sunday, as BP and the government offered different glosses on the same basic facts. The well was still capped, as it has been since Thursday, and it hasn't shown signs of a feared underground leak.

Sunday morning, BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles told reporters that, because a new mechanical cap seems to be holding, "there is no target set to open the well back up to flow." That seemed to be an open-ended plan to keep the well closed. Suttles said that if no problems arose, the well could stay closed until a "relief well" shuts it down for good.

But then, Sunday afternoon, Coast Guard Admiral Thad W. Allen (ret.), the federal government's point man in the disaster, said in a statement that concrete plans for the well had not been made past 4 p.m. Sunday. After that, Allen said, there was "the potential for additional extensions [of the test] in 24-hour increments" -- but also, implicitly, the possibility that the well would be re-opened.

"Nothing has changed," in the government and BP's joint effort to test the cap, Allen said. He said that the government was monitoring the well closely, and "has required significant new monitoring and periodic evaluation and approval by our science team."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[hinckley buzzard]

He said that the government was monitoring the well closely, and "has required significant new monitoring and periodic evaluation and approval by our science team."

Douchebag Allen playing out obama's charade of the gubmint being in charge. He had a good run with the CG and when he retired he should have buzzed off like a good little ex-bureaucrat.

[traderrob6]

Unless something should show well integrity compromised, KEEP THE DAMN THING CAPPED!

[HardStarboard]

And just why would the Administration consider opening the cap back up and letting oil flow.

There is only one reason that it would ever be under consideration and it is political. BarackBoy needs an issue
to hide the unpopularity prior to the election.

[VRWC For Truth]

The gov’t will screw it up. Bet on it.

[HardStarboard]

What I meant to say.....

"hide the unpopularity of his Administrations programs and policys prior to the election."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

The Media wants to keep this story alive,...helps attract eyeballs....from MSNBC:

BP, feds at odds over next steps with cap?

*********************************************EXCERPT*************************************

Not clear if cap will be kept on — or if siphoning will restart

NEW ORLEANS — Adding confusion to the capping delays that were followed by a test extension, BP and the federal government seemed to be at odds Sunday over what the next steps for the busted Gulf oil well will be.

A senior BP executive on Sunday appeared to lean towards keeping the well capped, assuming the well integrity test is declared a success, until a relief well is drilled and the well plugged with cement.

But the federal pointman for the disaster has been talking up the option of removing the cap, regardless of what the test shows, and reverting back to the siphoning system that's been bolstered by new capacity that should allow for the entire flow to be captured.

A leading oil industry voice, meanwhile, raised another scenario on NBC's "TODAY" show Sunday: keep producing the well and use the funds to restore the Gulf.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Dropping some links to other related threads:

BP's Deepwater Oil Spill - Taking it Day by Day - and Open Thread

And:

UPDATE: Admiral Allen Orders Well Opened, BP Says It Will Keep Well Closed

[justa-hairyape]

The main problem right now is that the new collection assembly is not finished. You can see it from the Enterprise 2 ROV. So if they open it up now, will have two days of gushing with only collection on the Helix Producer and the Q4000 via the old BOP choke and kill lines.

BP Operational Update from unofficial Oil Drum channel blog.

Excerpt

The testing has set back BP plans for a more extensive oil containment and processing system as construction vessels have had to move out of the way during seismic runs. BP’s latest plan for containment, a system of two vertical risers connecting the choke and kill lines on the original blowout preventer and the new capping stack to four vessels on the surface is about half done. The first vertical riser is complete and awaiting hook-up, but the second is still being built.

[justa-hairyape]

They also might have a new concern. If any ROV examines the outer base of the Well Head pipe, it might be interesting to watch what it observes. Yesterday one ROV examined closeup and in detail at least 3 areas of the outer surface of the main Well Head support pipe. The survey was extensive and involved changing spot light brightness. There is one area of the pipe that appeared to have corrosion spots. Was on the bottom right corner near a flat box attached parallel and flush onto the pipe. There was occasional leakage (very slow) that appeared to come out of the corrosion spots. That leakage traveled straight vertical once it left the main pipe. Do not know what it could mean, but if they think it is a problem, they will probably go back to monitor the spot.

[justa-hairyape]

They are back down at the Well Head base with Skandi 2 ROV. This time they have some weird mechanism that appears to possibly be collecting samples of the leaking gas from the, what appear to be, giant gas bleed valves.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Suttle mentioned something about gas bubbles .

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

And a note:

Rear Admiral Paul Zukunft Takes Charge on Gulf Oil Spill after 86 Days

*******************************EXCERPT**************************************

Zukunft will replace Rear Admiral James Watson as the government’s officer in charge at the scene of the oil spill. Zukunft will oversee other Coast Guard command centers in locations including New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama. He will be reporting to retired Admiral Thad Allen, commander in charge of the operation.

[a real Sheila]

whatever happened to the other siphoning BP was supposed to do from the areas on the sides of the BOP (where they originally tried to shoot mud into the BOP)?

[a real Sheila]

whatever happened to the other siphoning BP was supposed to do from the areas on the sides of the BOP (where they originally tried to shoot mud into the BOP)?

[Marine_Uncle]

Thanks JAHA for reporting the potential leak areas at the bottom of the BOP/casement pipe area. Yea. I see what appears to be a orange cylindrical device sticking inside the side of what could be area mentioned. Probably removed a valve and stuck a gas analyzer. Been at work from morning to little time ago and must hit the sack in a half hour for upcoming 5AM shift.
So I will be out of the loop as to what may be discovered and discussed.

[justa-hairyape]

Skandi ROV 2 just brought the gas sample up to the ship. They are testing it now. We do not want to see a lot of methane in that sample. I guess it would mean Methane traveling up inside one the bottom of one of the cemented casing ends. Which could mean compromised casing. Good night.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Get your rest...chasing an interesting story...not related to this spill.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

OK....thanks.