BP Oil Spill Updates

In that same press release, Adm. Allen indicates there is some vulnerability in replacing that flange that is of concern, but does not go into any detail.

I do not think that all of those involved in stopping the spill are idiots, although I have known a number of degreed engineers who certainly fit that description

Wayne Harrison wrote: Cause the current world record depth for a scuba dive is 1,083 feet. The well head is over 5,000 feet deep.

I was making fun of Tower Monkey when I posted that

• For the first 12 hours on June 19th (midnight to noon), approximately 3,350 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 5,130 barrels of oil and 16.9 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

• The Enterprise was shutdown between 20:23 on June 18th and approx. 06:30 on June 19th due to a blocked flame arrestor and lightning storm.

• On June 18th, total oil recovered was approx. 24,500 barrels:

• approx. 14,400 barrels of oil were collected,
• approx. 10,100 barrels of oil were flared,
• approx. 47.4 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

Source

• For the first 12 hours on June 20 (midnight to noon), approximately 6,790 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 4,280 barrels of oil and 23.2 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

• On June 19, total oil recovered was approximately 21,040 barrels:
approx. 11,050 barrels of oil were collected,
approx. 9,990 barrels of oil were flared,
and approx. 43.4 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.


• As previously reported, volumes were slightly lower on the 19th due to the Enterprise shutdown to clean a flame arrestor and passing of a lightning storm.

Source

"The Front Fell Off"... a classic comedy clip discussing an Australian tanker spill.

[youtube:1ip039nl][/youtube:1ip039nl]

• For the last 12 hours on June 21st (noon to midnight), approximately 7,150 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 5,250 barrels of oil and 27 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

• On June 21st, total oil recovered was approx. 25,830 barrels:

• approx. 15,560 barrels of oil were collected,
• approx. 10,270 barrels of oil were flared,
• and approx. 52.2 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

• Total oil recovered from both the LMRP Cap and Q4000 systems since they were implemented is approx. 298,600 barrels. An additional 22,000 barrels were collected from the RIT tool earlier in May bringing the total recovered to approx. 320,000 barrels.

Source

For those with short memory like mine, the RIT tool is the Riser Insertion Tool

Regarding unbolting the existing flange and installing a new one, there is more information regarding the reasons this has not yet been done in this Press Briefing , starting with the following:

Q: Admiral, good morning.

On the 18th you mentioned that there were some concerns or question about the integrity of the wellbore. I want to ask you if you have any information that raises those concerns in your mind. Have you got any reports from MMS or other engineers? What are the particular problems that you’re worried about and how might that play into effect when you’re going for the relief well or doing other operations?

So basically what’s your information on the status of the wellbore and how can that affect you going forward?

It is much too long to quote it all here

Right now, we’re taking vessel—we’re taking oil directly from the riser pipe and then we’re also taking oil from the choke line that’s being brought up to the Q 4000 and being flared. The kill line is still there, the other line that runs down the side of the blowout preventer. And the goal is to bring another vessel in and produce oil out of the kill line as well which will bring the capacity up to 53,000 barrels a day.

At that point, we need to see how the oil flow is around there and what kind of vent—if we can start closing those vents, and it could be we could maybe reduce the amount of oil that’s coming out of those vents significantly.

The decision point after that will be do we want to move beyond that, and, at that point, unbolt the sheared off piece of pipe above the lower marine riser package, actually unbolt it from the flange and bolt on a new system which will be—we completely seal it. The new system which is being developed by BP right now would actually have the capacity to bring much more oil up and produce it through flexible hose couplings rather than a rigid riser pipe. And that’s what will get us to a 60,000 to 80,000 barrels a day capacity by the middle of July.

I still don't understand why they didn't start with this. It reminds me of that stupid spilled coffee video where use the napkin to draw plans instead of wiping up the spilled coffee.

I think they didn't start with this because they are still building the parts and didn't want the oil gushing for months while working on it? Aren't these all custom built systems TM?

I still don't understand why they didn't give a huge piece of bubble gum to all the members of congress and have them chew on it with their fat big mouths and then stuff the big wad of gum in the damn hole. Biden could do the honors! LOL I'm so funny in the morning.

It sounds to me like they are concerned that if they completely plug the leak at the top of the BOP, or even significantly increase the pressure on the wellbore, the increased pressure may cause the wellbore cement job to fail and the oil to spill out through the formation, which may be impossible to control, other than thru the relief well(s).