GOM Oil Spill - BP Stops Oil Leak

[jasons2k]

Is it me, or have the updates on this been very confusing...

Here is a chronology of what I saw yesterday -- in this order:

- Top Kill procedure to to be given final OK by BP CEO by Noon
- Top Kill procedure given final OK by Coast Guard, could commence at any time
- Top Kill procedure started; may not have results for 24 hours
- Top Kill procedure is Successful!
- Top Kill procedure hits snag: On-hold.
- Top Kill procedure has been on-hold since 11PM night before; may resume momentarily
- Top Kill procedure will not resume until tomorrow
- Top Kill procedure resumed

Today on CNN:
- BP reports "some success" stopping oil flow from a leaking well in the Gulf using the "top kill" method. It plans to resume pumping mud into the well later today.

What an ordeal just trying to keep-up....

[CajunMama]

I was watching the live feed earlier this morning, checked out some other websites, checked back on the live feed and there was chunks of debris everywhere. I don't know what happened.

The Oil Drum had a link to this youtube video of it. You can see the big chunks starting at 1:12

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AadjMspXMAA[/youtube]

[Sanibel]

I'm not sure how they could say "some success" since the mud plug will either reach equilibrium with the pressure and stop it or be pushed back out and the oil will win and resume.


I think we are being strung along here as a watching and waiting excited audience as they drill the relief well and destroy the Gulf.


Not a speck of oil here. The beaches are sunny with fresh breezes and clean sparkling water even though the monster is just a few hundred miles NW.

[Aquawind]

I think we are being strung along here as a watching and waiting excited audience as they drill the relief well and destroy the Gulf.

Getting that feeling as well.. First it was wait 24 hours.. then going as expected and then some success..now another 48.."

We all hoping that is not the case of course..no wonder they wanted to keep the public from watching the cam. Tensions are rising and patience is fading..

[brunota2003]

Hmm...lying to the general public? Hiding information? Instead of telling us they had to stop at 11 pm, they decided to say it was "successful", then the next afternoon finally admit they had to stop (first saying they just stopped, then admitting to stopping at 11 pm the previous night).

How can you have "some success"? You either stopped the darn thing or you didn't...which is it?

[artist]

Hmm...lying to the general public? Hiding information? Instead of telling us they had to stop at 11 pm, they decided to say it was "successful", then the next afternoon finally admit they had to stop (first saying they just stopped, then admitting to stopping at 11 pm the previous night).

How can you have "some success"? You either stopped the darn thing or you didn't...which is it?

actually bp's site never said they were successful That was coming out of the coast guard/White House.

Release date: 27 May 2010
"Top kill" operations continued over the night and are ongoing. There are no significant events to report at this time. BP will provide updates on progress as appropriate.

Latest news:
Update on Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill - 28 May Operations on the top kill procedure continue. Heavy drilling fluids were pumped under pressure into the BOP starting May 26 at 1300CDT, and top kill operations continue through 2400CDT on May 27. It is estimated that the full top kill procedure could extend for another 24 to 48 hours.

http://www.bp.com/bodycopyarticle.do?ca ... Id=7052055

[brunota2003]

Why would they report success when it hasnt been met yet? Especially since the WH said they were in charge.

[thetruesms]

Why would they report success when it hasnt been met yet? Especially since the WH said they were in charge.

Given the "telephone game" nature of it, I'd guess the initial report of success was either overexcitement or a misunderstanding rather than any kind of purposeful attempt to mislead.

[Sanibel]

I suppose if the Top Kill doesn't work they wouldn't have anything to lose by trying one last super junk shot to see if they could block those holes. The more they block those holes the more mud they can get to flow down the pipe.


Some are saying they should encase the whole Blowout Preventer (BOP) in 6000 tons of concrete and that they might actually do that. I wonder if they encased the whole BOP if they could then do a liquid nitrogen injection and not care if the BOP becomes brittle? Perhaps if they encased the whole BOP in concrete they could then up the Top Kill pressure without worrying about breaking the BOP?

[artist]

Why would they report success when it hasnt been met yet? Especially since the WH said they were in charge.

I can't my opinion as I might be banned.

[WeatherLovingDoc]

BP's CEO upgrades assessment to "environmental catastrophe" (CNN Live)
http://www.cnn.com/video/flashLive/live.html?stream=2

BP’s Effort to Plug Oil Leak Suspended a Second Time
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/us/29spill.html?hp

Latest ongoing OIl Drum Commentary
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6520

[JTD]

This whole thing has been ridiculous. BP should be removed from being in charge of fixing this, their execs should be charged with 2nd-degree murder, and super tankers should be brought in immediately to help get rid of the oil. A former Shell exec was on a network last night and suggested a super tanker solution. 37 days to just get to the top kill solution is outrageous. Let's listen to some outside ideas rather than theirs. Oh, and those with the authority could have permitted the barriers to be built off of LA a LOT sooner as well.

I hate the oil companies.

Even if this does work, BP is still a disgrace.

Also, how the people handling the response to this could let it get this far is beyond me.

[Dencolo]

It's easy to say how this should be solved by now or how BP should get the boot, but a little reality has to be injected here and there. This is a very complicated situation - one which was caused in the private sector and one in which only the private sector can solve. The govt or any other entity does not have the resources that BP has available. Of the 600 or so people working on just the solution to ending this catastrophe, you have some of the brightest minds in the world - most of them are not from BP at all. Some of these people have been placed in the response team from the government themself.

The link below shows the technical aspect of what's going on. You can see it's not an easy solution. Unfortunately I don't believe it is going that well and ultimately it may take the relief well to finally end this catastrophe. My thoughts are definately with those along the Gulf Coast.

http://bp.concerts.com/gom/kentwells_update24052010.htm

[WeatherLovingDoc]

Pretty dramatic change in the BP online seabed feed this hour, which is best perhaps summarized as follows: = ascent of the ROV to the ocean surface (if only BP would provide some live typed commentary to the video feed).

Either the BP Oil Gusher Has Just Blown Out, or BP is Implementing LMRP RIGHT NOW

Washington’s Blog

"I took a break from work, and watched the live feed for a minute. I either just saw the whole thing entirely blow out, or BP is implementing LMRP or hot tap right now.

Specifically, I saw a HUGE rain of white clumps and particles which are either foam-like objects used in a junk shot or methane hydrates.

Then all of the water within the camera view got very, very dark. When I looked more closely, I could make out the outline of massive jet-black plumes of oil rising from below the camera.

This is either very, very bad, or BP has abandoned the top kill/junk shots altogether and is in the middle of surgery where it has already cut off sections of the BOP and/or riser, and is trying to cap it off with a sealing grommet.

I pray it is the latter."

http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2010/05/either-bp-oil-gusher-has-just-blown-out.html

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6522

[brunota2003]

So...I guess no news is good news? Maybe? How's the video looking?

[WeatherLovingDoc]

Well, no one apparently can gather what BP is doing now. The commentary on the Oil Drum (which has oil men, oil experts, and lay people alike) is similar to last nights: some general confusion, but a few comments suggesting BP may be beginning to attempt cutting off the damaged riser from the BOP and replace it (due to ?saw in picture with ROV arm) as in:

From BP's website:

"Should the top kill not succeed in fully stopping the flow of oil and gas from the well, BP would then intend to move forward to deployment of the LMRP cap containment system.
Deployment of this system will involve first removing the damaged riser from the top of the BOP to leave a cleanly-cut pipe at the top of the BOP’s lower marine riser package (LMRP). The LMRP cap, an engineered containment device with a sealing grommet, would then be connected to a riser from the Discoverer Enterprise drillship and then placed over the existing LMRP with the intention of capturing most of the oil and gas flowing from the well.

The LMRP cap is already on site and it is anticipated that this option will be available for deployment by the end of May."

Here is the latest thread with current picture (always look for an updated thread number, as the comments are often fast and furious): http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6524

And http://www.bp.com.

[WeatherLovingDoc]

Yes, that definitely is a saw in the ROV arm. Hmmm. Should be pretty interesting pictures soon.

WLD

[Aquawind]

Thanx for the updates! Yes The current view looks ugly and darker like all oil..could be camera angle I suppose. Saw action should be interesting..

[brunota2003]

I'm assuming there is no way they could just patch the leaks, hm? Too much pressure

[Aquawind]

I'm assuming there is no way they could just patch the leaks, hm? Too much pressure

Correct. Slippery pressured liquid at that. It doesn't seem that tough but, almost 5,000 feet down is proving to be a real challenge. I am sure they have many people helping and this is not just a few BP engineers.