Reply #1: Probably diagnostic tests: [View All]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j2WM-6T8Nj9-NM50L97Qc8BdwyfgD9FU5PU00

5/25/2010
BP engineers draw up plans for 'top kill'
By GREG BLUESTEIN (AP)

COVINGTON, La. — BP is going in for the kill. The trick is to do the job quickly and cleanly.

As early as dawn Wednesday, the oil company will try to choke to death the gusher at the bottom of the sea by force-feeding it heavy drilling mud and cement — a tactic called a "top kill" that is routinely used above ground but has never been tried 5,000 feet underwater.

If it's not done just right, it could make the leak worse.

Engineers were doing at least 12 hours of diagnostic tests Tuesday. They planned to check five spots on the well's crippled five-story blowout preventer to make sure it could withstand the heavy force of the mud. A weak spot in the device could blow under the pressure, causing a brand new leak...