This from the NY TImes
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/scien ... elief.html
"BP officials say that the first relief well already extended more than 12,000 feet below sea level, about halfway to the target, but because drilling gets slower as a well gets deeper, it is not expected to be finished before August. The second well was started later and is not yet as deep. President Obama said federal officials ordered BP to drill the second well as a backup shortly after the rig exploded on April 20; the company said it was planning two wells anyway."
This information tells us the reservoir is about 10,000 feet below the sea floor. The biggest concern is intersecting the blown well just above the reservoir. Drilling now days employs bits that can be steered quite accurately, so the concerns of failed similar attempts some 30 years ago make a poor comparison. I have no idea of why the Australia relief well failed to find it's target right away last year. A multitude of possibilities could explain. Most likely they did not have a reliable bottom hole survey. Given that the BP well had already reached its objective and they were preparing to shut in the well, a good bottom hole survey should be available and make the job of drilling the relief well a little easier. Remember though, that you are targeting a 7 to 10 inch diameter hole two miles away. Any one want to take a shot at that with a scoped rifle? It is an amazing challenge. Even with the existing technology, you need to understand that drilling an oil well is like trying to drill a piece of wood with a piece of cooked spaghetti.
One more bit of positive news regarding the relief wells.
"They're both on target for their dates," said Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, the senior US official overseeing the response to the oil spill.
"It's mid-August for the first well... They're slightly ahead of schedule right now, but we're not willing to declare victory until the relief wells are connected," he said.
That obviously is part of the risk involved with drilling offshore and one reason BP is not making waves about being ahead of schedule. WIth a hurricane, they could loose the gains made thus far. Let's hope there are no BIG winds that will interfere with ongoing operations of the relief well.
Rockdoc wrote: BTW, I just linked this site as part of a comment made on reuters.com regarding the oil spill. I could not help myself given the prevailing ignorance of posters who have no clue of the technical aspects of drilling for oil. It never ceases to amaze me how vociferous people can be on topics they know nothing about, but they have all the suggestions of what is to be done. Obviously they know more than the top people in a company whose business is oil.
Thats what I was trying to say to all you junior G.I.'s in this thread
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