BP Top Kill Process May Last 2 More Days - CEO

Source: Dow Jones

Publié le 28 Mai 2010

- LONDON -(Dow Jones)- BP PLC (BP) may continue for two more days its 'top kill' process to seal a leaky well in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico, but complete success isn't guaranteed, Chief Executive Tony Hayward said in an email to staff Friday.

The company temporarily stopped the flow of hydrocarbons while it was pumping drilling mud at high pressure earlier this week, but pressure from the well pushed back out into the ocean a combination of oil, gas and drilling fluid when the pumping stopped.

Nobody was available for comment at BP.
said that during the course of its initial 'top kill' operations, BP showed it could "successfully pump heavy drilling

Read more: http://www.easybourse.com/bourse/international/news/840172/update-bp-top-kill-process-may-last-2-more-days-ceo.html

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A Mud More Complex Than the Garden Variety

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The executive said the mud has been “weighted up” by adding dense powdered minerals so that it weighs 16.4 pounds per gallon. Additives have been mixed in to improve the flow and prevent the formation of icelike structures of gas and water called hydrates.

In the early days of oil drilling a century ago, actual mud was circulated down and back up the well hole as a coolant and to remove bits of drilled-out rock. But as holes went deeper and pressures increased, “just plain dirt and water wasn’t enough,” said Ryen Caenn, a mud consultant who works with drilling companies. So drillers started adding dense minerals and substituting oil for water.

A typical deep well might use around 100,000 gallons of mud, pumped constantly through the well. For the top kill, BP stockpiled more than two million gallons of mud on ships in the gulf.

“That’s a massive amount of mud,” said another person involved in the effort, who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it. BP is getting the material from five companies, he added. “They’re supplying as much as they can get their hands on.”

more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/28/science/earth/28mud.html?src=mv

are now subject to a 6 month moratorium.

Given the USA's need for oil on running basis allied to the fact that current issues in the Gulf just happen to involve the world's second largest known oil field @ 25,000 sq miles with a capability of delivering 500,000 barrels a day for more than a decade plus 10 times as much natural gas , the good which may come out of this will be greater care in future thus removing the need for these antics.

they know the oil will still be there their pals are back in office.

Pickens is very pessimistic about the chances of Top Kill and/or the Junk Shot working. He says the best chance is the relief wells. It was pretty depressing.

They had some success in the first try and now they have modifed the "mud" to be denser/heavier. Its all about basic hydraulics. All they need to do is overcome the gusher's pressure. If they can push enough crap down the hole to hold it and then pump the concrete.. its sealed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/29/us/29spill.html

fingers crossed again.

They seem pretty knowledgeable.