BP's Deepwater Oil Spill - Start of the Static Kill

The Hill ^ | Ausgus 3, 2010 | Heading Out

[Hojczyk]

Progress on the relief well at the Deepwater Horizon well has now reached the point that BP have started the procedures for the top static kill of the well. There was a little delay in the installation of the casing for the relief well because, during the time that the well had been left untended during the last storm, the sides sloughed a little, and about 40 ft of debris accumulated in the bottom of the well. This was obviously more than had been expected, since the clearing run to remove this and condition the well took longer than originally planned. However that clean-up operation is now complete and the next step in the process, the initial flow testing of the original, now sealed, well to see how it behaves as fluid is injected, is now starting.

[bray]

Big media’s hysteria was again overblown.

Pray for America

[Red Badger]

Our long national nightmare is over?.............But clean-up crews are still meeting across from my house!.........

[orlop9]

IMHO our “long nat’l nightmare” won’t be over till you know who vacates the WH.

[Ole Okie]

But clean-up crews are still meeting across from my house!..

Do they then take their assignments and start cleaning hydrocarbon residue, or do they just meet? I'm honestly curious.

[Red Badger]

They just meet at the elementary school parking lot and leave their cars there. They board buses that then take them to the work places for that day’s clean-up. Had been about 10 buses a day, so about 500 people. Now I think it’s about 4 buses.........

[Ole Okie]

Thanks.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Test underway but there is a leak:

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYkDDD_TJr8

[Marine_Uncle]

At 20:00 (8PM EST) seems like none of the ROV cams are showing where the leak was animating from. I wonder if it was a later leak in some hydraulic line as the earlier one that was fixed was.
The color of the leak does not appear to be crude oil.

[Marine_Uncle]

As of 20:45 (8:45 EST) I went back to the multi-views...
Now Skandi ROV 1 is showing leakage of gas around the main flange connected the upper BOP and riser tube. Cannot see for sure if it is oil or a oil/gas mixture.
But there is yet another leak in the new RAM system.

[justa-hairyape]

Thanks for the link. That video leak looks like oil. The one Marine_Uncle noted looks like a gas leak with some oil. Live right now Skandi Rov 1. Got a recording, will upload later. Personally think these guys really do not care about these leaks. They are going full bore with the plan. The anomalies have not stopped them yet. Ignorance is Bliss.

[justa-hairyape]

This may be the source for both leaks above. Leaking a oil and gas mix possibly.

August 3rd 2010. 6:40 PM PST Skandi 1 ROV
Leak during Injectivity Test Old BOP near Top (1 1/2 minutes)

This is a new possible hydraulics leak. Unknown location.

August 3rd 2010. 6:43 PM PST Boa Deep C1 ROV
Leak during Injectivity Test Unknown Location possible Hydraulic Fluid (10 seconds)

[Marine_Uncle]

Yes. First vid definitely has crude oil/gas mix. Second looks like it could be either the drilling oil and or mixed with some of the drilling mud.
They may feel the leaks are not sufficient in quantity to warrant stopping the static top kill. If the mud packs down the oil to close to it's origin, and then a static low pressure equilibrium is established within the system above the sea floor annulus. Then there will no more leaks period. I think that is what they current feel is the best route. They will have for all practical purposes stopped any potential leaks from the main well bore, other then natural occurring gas/oil surface leakage.
And they must accomplish this one way or another. For eventually the whole works must be cut off the annulus base and brought on board a ship for careful evaluation as to what caused the original problem to begin with, e.g. one shear arm not being fully activated in the original BOP etc.. I for one hope they are successful.

[Marine_Uncle]

It is time for me to hit the rack. Do have a great upcoming day.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Once again, link to all of the live cams,

http://www.bp.com/sectionbodycopy.do?categoryId=9034366&contentId=7063636

[justa-hairyape]

In that second video, the ROV mission title reads, Junk Shot Manifold Ops. So apparently the new second leak of white colored material is probably within the manifold that they are using for the Injectivity tests.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

New TOD thread:

BP's Deepwater Oil Spill - Start of the Static Kill - and Open Thread 2

And a note:

And Subthread:

pressure dropping

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

That was indeed the case Tuesday, according to Bolton. He said pressure was dropping steadily. In late afternoon, it had dropped from more than 6,900 pounds per square inch to about 4,500 pounds per square inch.

[justa-hairyape]

That was indeed the case Tuesday, according to Bolton. He said pressure was dropping steadily. In late afternoon, it had dropped from more than 6,900 pounds per square inch to about 4,500 pounds per square inch.

That makes no sense what so ever. They stated prior to the Top Kill that they would have to increase pressure to 8,000 PSI to get injected product to force the oil/sand/gas mixture back down into the well. This is so typical of BP/Obama. When the test deviates from expected parameters, assume the unexpected parameters were the real expected parameters. How on Earth did they blow out a new seal by dropping the pressure by 2,400 PSI ?

[justa-hairyape]

Heads up on a new thread. Fox reported that BP announced the Top Kill mud operation was successful. Of course they forgot to mention the new BOP seal leak that developed, but hey who wants to hear bad news.

BP Says 'Static Kill' on Gulf Well Is Successful