jf1acai wrote: 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).
Yes, that sounds like the concern although I don't see how putting a matching flange on there would increase the pressure any more than the sloppy fit that they used.
• This morning at approximately 0845 CDT a discharge of liquids was observed from a diverter valve on the drillship Discoverer Enterprise, which is on station at the MC252 wellsite. As a precautionary measure, the lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap system, attached to the Discover Enterprise, has been moved off the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer to ensure the safety of operations and allow the unexpected release of liquids to be analysed.
• Capture of oil and gas through the LMRP cap is therefore temporarily suspended until such time that the cap can be re-installed. Capture of oil and gas through the BOP's choke line to the Q4000 vessel on the surface continues.
• Following the removal of the LMRP cap system earlier today, operations have now begun to reinstall the cap on the BOP. Repositioning the LMRP Cap may take some time and collection of oil and gas should commence shortly thereafter, returning to full capacity as conditions permit.
For the first 12 hours on June 23 (midnight to noon), approximately 5,500 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 4,625 barrels of oil and 19.7 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.
• On June 22, total oil recovered was approx. 27,090 barrels:
• approx. 16,665 barrels of oil were collected,
• approx. 10,425 barrels of oil were flared,
• and approx. 54.4 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.
I would tell you however though, we had an incident earlier today where they noticed that there was some kind of a gas rising through the vent that carries the warm water down that prohibits hydrates from forming. Out of abundance of caution the Discover Enterprise removed the containment cap with the riser pipe and moved away until they could assess the condition.
They have indicated that the problem was a Remotely Operated Vehicle that had been around the (inaudible) package that bumped into one of those vents that allows the excess oil to come out. They actually closed it thereby creating pressure and the backflow potentially off the water vent.
They are checking the containment cap right now that there are no hydrates in the containment cap. They will attempt to reinstall the containment cap and begin producing later on today. If there are hydrates they will probably have to rerun the pipeline, and that will take a considerable amount longer.
The lower marine riser package (LMRP) cap containment system was successfully reinstalled on the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer (BOP) at approximately 1830 CDT on June 23. This containment system is connected to the drillship Discoverer Enterprise on the surface.
The system resumed collecting oil and gas at 1900 CDT on June 23.
The LMRP cap containment system was moved off the BOP at approximately 0845 CDT on June 23 as a precaution following observation of an unexpected discharge of seawater from a diverter valve on the Discoverer Enterprise.
Capture of oil and gas through the BOP's choke line via a manifold to the Q4000 vessel on the surface has continued uninterrupted throughout the day.
• For the last 12 hours on June 23 (noon to midnight), approximately 2,800 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 3,910 barrels of oil and 16.9 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.
• The LMRP cap was successfully reinstalled on the Deepwater Horizon's failed blow-out preventer at approximately 1830 CDT on June 23.
On June 23, total oil recovered was approx. 16,830 barrels:
• approx. 8,300 barrels of oil were collected,
• approx. 8,530 barrels of oil were flared,
• and approx. 36.7 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. 342,500 barrels. An additional 22,000 barrels were collected from the RIT tool earlier in May bringing the total recovered to approx. 364,500 barrels.
MOBILE, Ala. -- Just weeks after the first Heavy Oil Recovery Device (HORD) was successfully tested in the Gulf of Mexico off the shores of Alabama, the innovative devices are greatly improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the cleanup operation. The HORD, originally dubbed Tarball Retrieval Device, is being manufactured at the rate of 8-10 units per day in shipyards in Pensacola, Fla., and Bayou La Batre, Ala. Up to 1,000 units are expected to be manufactured and put into service in the coming weeks.
The HORD has proven to be especially effective in collecting the thick, heavy oil that hampers traditional skimming methods. It is also able to cleanup the extremely light and difficult to remove sheen left on the water surface after skimming.
