The well is lost already, too much damage. The mud is abrasive, they are concerned that the pipe has been worn away internally from prolonged mud flow..
I appreciate your countering my speculation with some facts. I can’t even begin to imagine working in water 5000 feet below sea level at, what, 2000 psi pressures? I’m not trying to make light of the challenge they face in stopping this oil leak, it just seemed that the methods being used were intended to save the well.
You are saying the well is lost, so thank you for clearing that up. I wouldn’t have thought that the pipe wall thickness would be so severely degraded with the mud pumped in but then I can’t begin to appreciate the mud’s pressure or velocity during the pumping operation.
I hope they fix this soon. We can’t wait until August to stop the flow of oil into the Gulf of Mississippi.