For OpEdNews: Chris Landau - Writer
BP-Halliburton-Transocean-Well is loosing 60% or 9824psi of oil and gas pressure to the rock strata in the Gulf of Mexico. Chris Landau (geologist)
The well structure is obviously gushing oil and gas in large quantities. Here is why.
14.7 pounds per square inch equals 1 atmosphere which is equivalent to 32.8 feet of water or 10.3 meters of water. This also equates to an 8.5 pound per gallon mud weight (density) or 0.45 pounds per square inch (psi) per linear foot. The well is 18360 feet deep. If the well was filled with water it would have a pressure of 8262 psi at the base.
If it was filled with drilling mud with a mudweight (density) of 17 lbs per gallon while drilling took place, in order to keep the gas and oil out of the well, it would have had to have a pressure of roughly twice that of water at 16524 psi or roughly 0.9 pounds per square inch increase in pressure per linear foot with depth.
At 5000 feet BP is reporting a pressure of 6700 psi.
This pressure is not even equivalent to that of seawater pressure at the bottom of the well or 8262 psi. We know that when the drilling crew substituted sea water for drilling mud, the blow out occurred. So the pressure in this well is obviously much higher than 8262 psi.
So we know that this well is loosing gas and oil pressure at 16524psi minus 6700psi which equals 9824 psi.
That means a minimum of 9824 psi of gas and oil is escaping into the formation or 59.45% of the oil and gas being generated is being lost. So only 40.55 per cent of the total gas and oil is being held back.
Roughly 60 % of the oil and gas is escaping through the casing into the formation. This oil and gas will be coming up very soon either along side the casing or through fractures in the sea floor.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/BP-Halliburton-Transocean-by-Chris-Landau-100717-770.html