“Dumb question: Why not connect pipe to the well and relieve the pressure by allowing the oil rise to the surface and into waiting ships?”
I was thinking the same ‘dumb’ thing. It seems to me that if they carefully extracted the oil (with extreme caution due to concerns over expanding methane), over time the pressure would go down, and whatever leakage is finding it’s way through the seep(s) would diminish as pressure is relieved. In my capitalist mind, the extracted oil could then be used to fund the coastal cleanup and related damages.
It isn't a dumb question, but there is a simple answer.
BY LAW, when an OIL WELL has a BLOWOUT, it has to be capped and cannot be used for OIL PRODUCTION.
This does not mean they can't drill ANOTHER well, into the same reservoir.
BUT, they definitely are not allowed to use BUSTED UP EQUIPMENT in production.
This well is DAMAGED. The CASING below the sea floor ruptured (two months before the FIRE).
The BOP assembly is TILTED, and there were structural failures up and down the five stories tall framework and piping. The seafloor around the BASE of the BOP has been compromised.
Just because they were able to add ANOTHER BOP to the top of the OLD ONE, and get the flow temporarily stopped doesn't mean the WELLHEAD/BOP ASSEMBLY is safe. It means the opposite.
More weight has been added to the top of the whole thing, making it even more unstable. They have added anchor cables, but you can only do so much (especially when your anchors are tied to same unstable seafloor).