Video shows new cap put on leaking BP Gulf well

[Turborama]

Source: AP

Live underwater video showed a new cap was placed Monday onto the leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico, offering hope of containing the gusher for the first time since BP's deepwater rig exploded in April.

BP officials did not immediately comment on the video images streamed online by the company.

The company has said the next step will be running tests to make sure there are no other leaks from the well. Tests and monitoring could last from six hours to two days, and oil will still leak into the Gulf during that time.

The old cap, removed Saturday, did not have a tight fit and allowed crude to escape.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100712/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill

---

Video: http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/20819267

Subdivisions post on this in GD with more photos: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8735138#8735166

jaxx's Watch the BP ROV Under Sea Cams...Thread # 32: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=8727343&mesg_id=8727343

It does beg the question, "why the hell didn't they do this in the 1st place?" though.

[slackmaster]

1. ACK - Slide show at first Yahoo link suddenly turns into Mary Landrieu

MY EYES!!!

[Turborama]

3. LOL Just noticed that and posted the photos from the slide show instead

Sorry, I know you can't unsee it but hopefully you'll forget soon.

[superconnected]

2. bump

[jaxx]

4. Cause they never thought it would happen.

They weren't prepared. It took 2 months to build the cap and accessories that were put on today. They couldn't have done it in the first place, the BOP was supposed to work...and it didn't. Probably because BP skirted the cementing of the well to save money and killed 11 people for their greed, along with doing great harm to the Gulf and it's people and wildlife, along with the land.

I guess the thing to hope for now is that they regulate the crap out of them so the next guy will be more careful. And that BP pays through the nose and the people in charge are indicted for whatever they can indict them for. They're not innocent.

[sce56]

5. Looks like they had two pipes in the riser! Might be why the BOP did not work!

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/post_19.html

For the first time Friday, the Coast Guard and BP acknowledged that a mysterious second pipe, wedged next to the drill pipe in what remains of the Deepwater Horizon's riser, is fouling up the works where the well is spewing hundreds of millions of gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
pipes are seen in this view of the riser just above the Macondo well's blowout preventer, captured on BP video in June, just after it was cut.

"We used a diamond saw and we got inside. We found there was actually two sets of drill pipe there," said retired Adm. Thad Allen, the top U.S. Coast Guard official overseeing the response to America's worst-ever oil spill. Some experts say a second piece of drill pipe in the riser could have prevented shear rams on the rig's blowout preventer from sealing the well and permanently cutting off the flow of oil after the April 20 explosion. The presence of two pipes could have also contributed to BP's failure to make a clean cut on the riser when securing the existing containment dome, inhibiting its ability to collect the maximum amount of oil. It "presumably fell down beside it as a result of the explosion and the riser pipe being bent over," Allen said. He noted that the second pipe does not have oil shooting from it. BP officials said late Friday that they believe the second pipe is drill pipe. Pictures show it is similar in diameter to the known drill pipe.

While Allen said he believes the second pipe fell from above, some experts have advanced another explanation. They believe poorly cemented casings -- tubes that are supposed to form solid walls down thousands of feet of the well bore -- may have been dislodged by the blast of natural gas that shot up out of the well and above the sea floor.

[jaxx]

7. According to what I've read

most of the real oil workers think the extra pipe came from the explosion and is also why the BOP wouldn't close like it should have...the pipe went through it too. But they also say the cementing didn't work and they (drillers, BP or whichever one Halliburton, Transocean)used sea water instead of more mud to close the well for further development.

[Turborama]

6. Thanks for your reply

I'm astounded they were allowed to go ahead with deep water drilling (or any kind of drilling, for that matter) without a common sense solution such as this waiting to be used.

"Regulation" has to include strictly enforcing failsafe contingency plans for any given emergency situation which may occur. IE Not having them in place prior to drilling = no licence.

[gateley]

45. I think it was believed they had the "solutions" or contingencies ready. The MMS

signed off on their bogus 'plans'.

I'm not sure who makes the final decision if it's approved or not, but the MMS certainly helped get this up and going.

THOSE are the people who also need to be indicted. I've not heard a word about their fate.

[lark]

36. They should be banned from any work in our country or waters

forever!! They have shown again and again and again that they don't give a crap about anything besides increasing profits and safety, the environment, even their own workers be damned.

Give them 6 months to get out and after that they are nationalized. (Ha, that would NEVER happen).

:mad: :grr: :nuke:

[Rhiannon12866]

8. K&R and I agree with you...

Last I heard, they didn't expect to get this fixed until August... :wtf: :hi:

[joshcryer]

9. Kick! Sorry I accidentially unrecc'ed. :(

[Liberty Belle]

10. New containment cap lowered over crippled Gulf oil well

Source: CNN

July 12 2010 10:45 p.m.: New Orleans, Louisiana (CNN) -- BP says it has placed a new containment cap on its crippled well in the Gulf of Mexico that's been gushing oil since an explosion and fire April 20.

The company hopes the new cap will be able to completely contain the leaking oil, but tests are still needed to determine its effectiveness.

Video supplied by BP showed robotic arms gingerly lowering the new 18-foot, 150,000-pound cap over the well.

For now, some oil continues to gush from the upper section of the new cap. That was expected and will continue until BP begins "well integrity tests" Tuesday, BP said. The process could take anywhere from six hours to two days.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/12/gulf.oil.disaster/index.html?hpt=T1

---

This sounds promising....let's hope it's actually working, finally!

[gateley]

11. If this is successful (and so far it's gone very well) it will contain the flow completely.

That means no more oil going into the gulf! It will prevent further damage until the relief wells can kill it permanently. Let's hope for the best!

[truthisfreedom]

12. I've read multiple articles about it this evening and it's highly likely that they won't be able to

keep it sealed permanently because the pressure will build up, driving the oil and gas into the rock and causing much more damage to the integrity of the well itself. What is most likely is that they'll be able to collect most of the oil by leaving the valves open and bringing it to the surface.

What happens when a hurricane hits? They all leave and let it leak?

[alp227]

13. (gulp)

If you're honest with us, then we're screwed again.

[gateley]

14. This isn't the permanent seal -- that won't take place until the relief wells are

ready. This is meant to direct the oil into containment devices, optimally 100% of the escaping oil as opposed to however much they were capturing with the previous cap. So maybe we're not talking about the same thing or I'm misunderstanding what you're referring to?

[truthisfreedom]

15. My bad. I misunderstood your post, thought you meant cap it permanently.

You're right, it's probably going to be used to contain and bring it to the surface.

[gateley]

16. Here's a little from the BP press release. I'm always concerned my "translation"

screws up the facts (and I'm often right to be concerned!)

```````````````````````````````````

<snip> Following installation of the capping stack and in line with the procedure approved by the National Incident Commander and Unified Area Command, the well integrity test will begin July 13 on the MC252 well.

For the duration of the test, which will be a minimum of 6 hours and could extend up to 48 hours, the three ram capping stack will be closed and all sub-sea containment systems (namely, the Q4000 and Helix Producer) will be temporarily suspended, effectively shutting in the well. It is expected, although cannot be assured, that no oil will be released to the ocean for the duration of the test. This will not however be an indication that flow from the wellbore has been permanently stopped.

<snip> The Helix Producer containment system started operations on July 12. The Q4000 containment system continues to capture oil and gas from the MC252 well and flare the hydrocarbons safely at the surface.

Relief well operations continue throughout this period and remain the sole means to permanently seal and isolate the well.

```````````````````````````````````
The day the actual kill is complete will be the first day I think we can truly breathe a sigh of relief.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. "... breathe a sigh of relief" ?

The day the actual kill is complete is the first day we can hopefully begin to assess the actual damage and the actual scope of a cleanup. We can begin to plan to help the region recover. Since the plan will cover activities for the next fifty years, it will, of course, be complete fiction.

The region is so fucked.

[gateley]

35. Yes. I understand that. But I WILL breathe a sigh of relief when the well is killed

that no more oil (from THAT well, anyway!) will be entering into the Gulf exacerbating the damage minute by minute. Now I feel we're furiously grabbing up little cups of oil while an oil tsunami is still thundering its way toward us. How could I not feel some relief when we're no longer seeing that threatening tsunami out of the corner of our eyes?

And there is no 'clean up'. We can just try to repair and improve what we can, maybe come up with some type of protection in case this happens again, but the extent of the damage is far too great and widespread for any of us to comprehend, I think.

I feel as though we're killing our planet, a planet that does nothing but stand ready to nourish and support us. It breaks my heart and makes me sick to my stomach.

So I understand.

[Baclava]

26. yeah - It ain't over yet

"To test the well's integrity, BP will gradually shut down the flow of oil and gas until the flow stops -- nothing out the top, nothing to surface ships. BP engineers and government scientists will scrutinize the pressure building in the well.

"Higher pressures are good news. They indicate that the well bore has integrity," said Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer.

If the pressure doesn't rise as expected, that will suggest that the well has been damaged below the seafloor. Suttles played down the possibility that the test could damage the well and cause leaks into the surrounding rock formation.

"The last thing you want to happen is have the well blow out and collapse around the wellhead," said Greg McCormack, director of the Petroleum Extension Service at the University of Texas. "When that happens, you have a heck of a time killing that well."

"You can think of it as this great big faucet that we're going to slowly crank down and turn off the flow and then check the pressure over a period of time," BP spokesman Steve Rinehart said Monday. The pressure readings will offer clues to what's happening out of sight, below the gulf floor, in the well bore, Rinehart said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/20...

[gateley]

39. Thanks! Great explanation and it's the first time I've read "higher pressures

are good news". I'd assume the exact opposite. Now if I hear a snippet of "pressure seems to be building" I won't go screaming out the door.

Step by step, we're getting closer. Even the last cap captured SOME oil (percentage debatable :7), so as long as we're heading in the right direction rather than exacerbating the current event is what I'm grasping on to.

[Baclava]

41. of course, they could make it worse

I read somewhere the whole thing is listing at 15 degrees...I could envision the pipes rumbling and shaking as they squeeze off the oil flow and the huge pressures causing the damaged core to crack off about 6 ft below the sea floor and topple the whole rig - with no way to stop the oil for weeks.

I have dark thoughts. Seems every "worst case scenario" has already pretty much happened at every stage of this clusterfuck operation.

[gateley]

42. Yeah, they could -- but we have to try. We can't just let it keep going as is

thinking "well at least it won't get worse".

I'm guessing if you have these thoughts, they have as well, and maybe (maybe!) have methods that would lessen the likelihood of such an event. :shrug:

I've stopped envisioning possible futures in my mind -- I'm invariably wrong. I've become pretty good at just focusing on what's going on now. It's better for my blood pressure. :7

[Baclava]

43. the good news is - at least the weather is on our side, for now

[gateley]

44. I know! That IS good news! For a while there they were making noises that

other storms may be on the way. We'll take whatever good news we can get! :pals:

[Baclava]

48. Looks like they are heeding my dark visions warning - well test delayed

BP delays testing on latest effort to stop Gulf oil flow

Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS—BP is delaying critical tests on a new well cap designed to finally stop the flow of oil in the Gulf of Mexico after government officials said more analysis was needed on the plan.

BP engineers were scheduled to start slowly shutting off valves on the 75-ton metal stack of pipes and valves, aiming to stop the flow of oil for the first time in three months. A series of preliminary steps were completed, including mapping the seafloor.

National Incident Commander Thad Allen said in a statement Tuesday night the process “may benefit from additional analysis” that would be performed overnight and Wednesday. He did not say when the tests would start.

The decision was reached after Allen met with federal officials, scientists and geologists.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/835532--bp-delays-testing-on-latest-effort-to-stop-gulf-oil-flow

[gateley]

49. Good - I'd rather have them be extra cautious than fuck it up even worse --

glad they listened to you!! :hi:

[Baclava]

53. Now for something really scary - their well test briefing

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAGING/local_assets/downloads_pdfs/BPtranscript_tech_briefing07132010_330PMCST.pdf

yep - it could all go boom - they are dancing in the dark


Q: "What is the purpose of running this test?"

A: the – the importance is – if we’re looking at minimizing pollution, if we have the ability to shut in the well, that’s the fastest way we can minimize pollution. So that would be the objective. What we wouldn’t want to do is an attempt to minimize pollution we actually cause something else to happen, i.e. if the well doesn’t have integrity, we haven’t actually minimized the – it’s just the oils going to go somewhere else and whether it’s going to go into a different reservoir or the worst case scenario is it could actually broach back to the sea floor. And so this test is designed to help us to understand whether we actually have the integrity and therefore we can shut it in and minimize the pollution or no, we don’t have the integrity and we wouldn’t want to shut it in for a long period of time.


Q: "Can you tell us what the maximum pressure of – that the casing in the well can withstand and then secondly, like an actual figure for the low end of a pressure reading that you would abort the test, like a range?"

A: Yes. So we believe the casing will be able to withstand whatever the well will build up to and of course it can build up to different things for all sorts of different reasons, but let’s assume it builds up in between 8 and 9,000 pounds, we believe the casing can withstand that pressure so we’re OK, there. And then Admiral Allen’s point on the 6000 – if it doesn’t build above 6000 pounds, then it would really raise in question that somehow pressures being relieved somewhere and that’s why he mentioned that. And then of course the more difficult decisions are when it’s somewhere between that 6 and 8000 pounds. And that’s where really having the best experts we have from our company and also from the government to look at how it builds up and to understand exactly what that means for us.

[gateley]

54. Dancing in the dark is what they've been doing all along -- including

every time they drilled like this. It's a classic example of something that looks good on paper, but in actuality there are unknowns that may occur that might not have even been considered.

Knowing this, it's amazing the other operations haven't had something of this magnitude occur, although this is the deepest that's ever been attempted, I believe (and there are rumors that they are actually even deeper than they admit to :shrug:).

If the well casing isn't able to withstand this action, I'm wondering if that also affects the kill operation.

I'm just hopeful that day by day we are nearing the time when we can shut it down permanently.

[ThomThom]

20. What if the relief well blows out? How many back-up systems are there?

and what about the integrity of the rock around the first well
many questions still left unanswered

[gateley]

38. That's why they're going so slowly during the testing of this cap, I think, to

make sure they don't add more pressure than the site can tolerate.

Since they threw caution to the wind by not planning for any kind of occurrence like this, I'm just grateful they're thinking more clearly now and taking the steps to hopefully prevent making it worse.

A kill from the relief well is the only thing they've actually implemented that has proven successful, so I'm crossing my fingers this will be successful as well. The Ixtoc took 9 months to kill, but eventually they were able to do it. I don't know why it took so long (not that I'd actually understand it anyway), but maybe they learned some things from that which might help them make fewer mistakes this time? :shrug:

From watching the attempts (and I mean the engineers and ROV operators and other workers -- NOT BP's corporate cover-their-ass crap) I'm impressed by their commitment and desire to really turn off the spigot. There ARE so many questions unanswered because this type of situation hasn't occurred before, so each step is essentially a first step.

All we can do is wait. We'll find out about the integrity of the rock soon enough.

If relief well #1 blows, they'll have relief well #2. Ixtoc had to have three!

[lark]

37. Yes, just like they did 2 weeks ago

Sucks, doesn't it?

[BakedAtAMileHigh]

22. "so far it's gone very well"?????

Are you insane?

[gateley]

46. Do you disagree that this particular effort -- placing the current cap -- has gone well thus far?

Or are you even following it so you know what you're talking about? Or, did you just want an opportunity to be rude and unkind to me?

[Scurrilous]

17. Good news.

K & R :thumbsup:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

18. Why didn't they do this earlier?

Did they have to wait until a cap could be specially designed and built for this well, and this crisis - or - has this cap been available all along?

[dipsydoodle]

21. Built to design for special purpose

Hardly an overnight job.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

23. "hardly an overnight job" - no excuse for not having such safeguards in place

before their reckless actions, which are many

[dipsydoodle]

24. In what way could the event have been foreseen.

Please attach a probability to that event.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

25. LOL - oh, you're a prize...

as if you don't know?
or prefer to ignore?
or don't care to do any research of your own?
Here's one for starters:
http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/06/troubling_testimony_from_bp_en.html

and another:
http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/06/bp-violations-and-spills/

few more
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100524/investigator-warned-mms-2009-about-deepwater-gas-blowouts-gulf-mexico
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4452980
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4443676
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4427934
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4426382
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4418752
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=8601720

edited - last one taken out as it was a dupe

[dipsydoodle]

27. You missed out the one

which explains that the BOP was rated at 20000lbs/sq inch and the blowout far exceeded that.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

28. not meant to be a comprehensive list

what's your trip?

[dipsydoodle]

29. I couldn't give a shit about BP

I'm also not an obsessive.

The other one I mentioned is here : reply #6 http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4458573#4458628

[eowyn_of_rohan]

30. sure do defend them and/or attempt to defer criticism

[dipsydoodle]

31. Not really

its just that something closer to the truth has opposed to raw emotion at least helps complete the picture.

What was the point in anyone saying whoopee when BP's share values dropped ? Their share values have sfa to do with their balance sheet.

What was the point in anyone saying whoopee when BP's credit rating dropped ? It prevented them from issuing bonds to pay into the escrow account.

etc, etc.........

[eowyn_of_rohan]

32. i figured this was your main issue...

I am not one to cheer when "ordinary" people's savings are decimated by the failure of a corporation.

That said, pointing out the TRUTH about BP's many crimes, transgressions, and failures is hardly exhibiting raw emotion.

[dipsydoodle]

33. I forgot to add

:hi:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

34. ...

They who leave trails of carnage and wreckage, and who have no love or respect for the earth or its creatures or fellow human beings suck.

peace


(I mean this in a we the people way - not militaristically :)

[lark]

40. Um, 1+1 = 2, right? This is the same thing

Use shoddy materials, refuse to use best blow out prevention method, don't follow std. procedures, when BOP is leaking, do nothing; don't test BOP at std. pressures, don't test cement process, and guess what - you get a blowout and a complete fuck you to the Gulf Coast, all sea life in Gulf and possibly Atlantic coast later. BP has a long history of not giving a fuck about anything except making more money and that continues to this very day.

[gateley]

47. There are no excuses, but these are the realities we're currently faced with.

It does no good to point out the should have's -- because we didn't. What does it gain by revisiting their horrific lack of responsibility and the compliance and support of our oversight agency? What does that accomplish toward stopping this eruption and tending to the destruction? What does that accomplish?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

51. The "should haves" must not be ignored or forgotten.

Even IF anything they do now stops this disastrous gusher, it will never bring back that which has been and continues to be destroyed. We will be lucky to survive this thing. Such horrific lack of responsibility AND compliance of our government MUST BE STOPPED - and so far it is NOT. BP's is allowed to CONTINUE their SNAFU modus operandi - in the Gulf, in Alaska, in Texas, et al. As much as I hope this device - or SOMETHING - works, with the immense pressure, a rickety well, broken parts deep below the earth, where they should never have drilled, etc., this thing is a long way from over and the horror continues. I'm sorry I have become so cynical but I don't see a lot to be hopeful or happy about re this crisis.

[gateley]

55. Agree -- the "should haves" need to become the SOP in the future. I understand

your cynicism and honestly share your anger. I can't even express the immensity of my anger, and horror that some people want to KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON with this type of drilling!

The ONLY solution, in my tiny mind, is to utilize passive power, green energy (whatever the correct term is) and get off fossil fuels totally. Leave the oil in the earth where it apparently belongs. I don't know if we'll ever accomplish that goal, ever put the "moon mission" effort into it with all the money at stake. It's always about the fucking money.

But right now I'm focused on stopping this well, and hoping each action brings us one step closer. Anything more than that would drive me insane.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

57. Hope is a good thing...

Can't hurt to send out our collective positive energy either. I try, when I can muster it up.

[gateley]

58. Believe me, it takes a conscious effort. I'm naturally inclined to go the other

way - and then takes on a life of its own and I'm along for the ride and feeding into it. I think I've finally just really learned that my angst and projections of the future don't change the actual outcome, and all I've done is make myself miserable. I still succumb a lot, though...

[eowyn_of_rohan]

59. Takes a toll on our health...

all the worry, grief and anguish. I am doing as you are - and it is NOT always so easy.

[gateley]

60. My best friend and I talk about this sometimes -- we're amazed at how easy

and natural it is to automatically take the negative. It's pretty much automatic. How come we're like that? We feel better when we don't think that way, yet... :shrug:

[eowyn_of_rohan]

61. well, in this case, it is a pretty dire situation

there are many things we aren't being told, and that TPTB may not even be sure about. There is a saying, 'Listen to the cynic but don't become one'... In situations like this, my MO is sort of like prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

[gateley]

62. Unfortunately, especially when it comes to politics, politicians and situations

like this, I've become that cynic. Automatic knee jerk response. But the minute I catch myself, I try to stop and broaden my viewpoint.

[ProudDad]

50. While the magicians of the "industrial growth capitalist mafia"

provide this side-show to keep the sheeple occupied...

Your corporate capitalist masters are still drilling, drilling, drilling...

And scraping, scraping, scraping Mother Earth for coal, coal and more coal...

And burning, burning, burning all of those fossil fuels...

Which will DESTROY the Earth as a hospitable environment for large air-breathing mammals and fish...

By burning this shit to maintain their "lifestyles"...

But, shit, as long as the GDP keeps increasing -- who gives a fuck?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

52. +1

HEAR, HEAR!

[slackmaster]

56. Have you used any electrical power today, ProudDad?

I guess you did.