May 25, 2010
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How do you stop a leaking oil well nearly two kilometers beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico? The latest effort, following the insert that siphoned some fraction of the gushing petroleum, will be to pump a mixture of thick drilling mud into the well in an attempt to stop it up like clogging a toilet. BP itself gives the operation a roughly 60 percent chance of working and hopes to undertake it on May 26.
This is the same method that stopped the most recent similar oil spill this past November—a gushing deep water well in the Timor Sea near Australia—after four tries. It will be a delicate procedure, as evidenced by the laborious (and clumsy) preparations of the underwater robots.
If all else fails, or this effort doesn’t stop all the oil, it may be followed by the cunningly named "junk shot," stuffing tires, golf balls and other detritus into the well to further plug it up.
Regardless, this well will not be well and truly "killed" until another well is drilled to intersect it and permanently cap the gusher, an effort that will probably take until at least August. Obviously, it is already too late to avoid some of the worst impacts to birds and other wildlife as well as the Gulf Coast wetlands they call home as oil is already beginning to coast the marshes and beaches of Louisiana. Unfortunately, that’s a kill we know will work.
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A 30′ diameter by 500′ tall containment sleeve made of 5 to 10 layers Armorlon high strength plastic sheeting. This is wrapped around 30′ dia by 6" wide by 1/4" steel hoops cabled together 10′ on center. There are outer hoops as well to act as lock rings. At the top of this improvised smoke stack, draw the sleev shut around 3 or 4 flare tubes rubing to the surface.
Link to thisHydrate crystals won’t have a lot of metal to cling to and the top vent tubes can be heated as well. This would contain a large part of the spill.
A 30′ diameter by 500′ tall containment sleeve/bag made of 6" wide by 1/4" steel hoops cabled 10′ on center. Armorlon high strength plastic sheet is wrapped in 5 or more layers around 100′ sections of flexible ‘smoke stack’. Similar sized lock rings hold plastic.
Link to thisOnce in place and winched down, the sleeve is drawn shut around a heated suction tubes and gases flared off. The hydrates would have minimal steel surfaces to cling to in the ‘smokestack’ and much of the oil would have water mixed in. The difference, containing the spill at the site. Work could then proceed in less of a panic.
Topkill wasn’t the method used on the blowout in the Timor Sea. They drilled a relief well (it took about 3 months) and then plugged the blowout with 3,400 barrels ofdrilling mud poured into the relief well.
It did take 4 tries because they kept missing the original well.
Regarding the junk shot, I read that when it was used on Ixtoc blowout in the Gulf in 1979 all they managed to do was litter the ocean floor with golf balls. Eventually it was stopped with a relief well.
Link to thisIf this was such a good option, why not try it in the first place?
Or is this a last ditch attempt?
Link to thisWHY DIDNT THEY USE THE SHIP/RIG "FLEX LD" TO CRIMP THE PIPE OFF ITS WELL WITHIN ITS CAPABILITIES
Link to thisIn order to try this top kill, they will be measuring the pressure inside the pipe. We know the pressure outside that pipe at that depth. With those two values, we will now within a 1% error or less, how much oil is really spilling. If they don’t tell us, well, more minimizations…..
Link to thisIn order to try this top kill, they will be measuring the pressure inside the pipe. We know the pressure outside that pipe at that depth. With those two values, we will now within a 1% error or less, how much oil is really spilling. If they don’t tell us, well, more minimizations…..
Link to thisIt’s pretty clear that drilling a relief well is the only way to finish these things off, as I note in the piece. The question is: can we drill it any faster?
Link to thisIf BP fails its new attempt to stop the leak, the consequence will get worse.
How did BP arrive at the 60% chance of success?
At 60%, is it worth taking the risk?
How on earth could such a possible mishap not included in BP’s calculation before the deep sea drilling began? Absolutely incredible.
Link to thisEngineers had to verify integrity of the blowout preventer. If it had been severely damaged with the first explosion, attempting the kill process would have worsened matters.
This is in an environment of extremes and every possibility had to be considered.
Link to thisbefore they cut the pipe they should add iron particles to the junk shot and apply magnets to the riser pipe. This will allow the heavy mud to grip to the insides of the pipe.
Link to this"Top kill" needs to be attempted with the addition of iron debris in the "junk shot" and magnets on the exterior of the riser pipe.
Link to this