BP says stemming oil flow will take three months

[maddezmom]

Source: Timesonline

~snip~
Drilling began on Sunday at 3pm local time, after days of delays caused by poor weather conditions. However, BP confirmed that the operation would take “some three months” to complete.

The operation, which will cost an estimated $100 million, is being undertaken by a second rig called Development Driller III, which BP towed to the site last week.

“This is another key step in our work to permanently stop the loss of oil from the well,” said BP group chief executive Tony Hayward.

“At the same time we are continuing with our efforts to stop the leak and control the oil at the seabed, to tackle the oil offshore and to protect the shoreline.”

~snip~

The oil company moved to dampen speculation last night that it had managed to operate a device on the seabed designed to block the flow of oil. BP said the actions it had taken to date on the blowout preventer “have not resulted in any observed reduction in the rate of oil flow of oil from the MC252 well”.

Read more: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article7115347.ece

---

Legal battles add to BP's difficulties
BP spent Monday readying possible solutions to stem oil leaks from an undersea well off the Louisiana coast, and fending off new accusations about its role in the widening environmental disaster.

By IAN URBINA, JUSTIN GILLIS AND CLIFFORD KRAUSS


~snip~
Meanwhile, lawyers representing environmental groups, rig workers and fisherman hurt by the explosion levied fresh accusations against BP, as well as Transocean and Halliburton. BP was operating the doomed Deepwater Horizon rig, which it leased from Transocean. Halliburton was providing several services on the rig, including cementing, a method of capping the well to control pressure from oil and gas.

At least one worker who was on the rig when it exploded April 20 and who handled company records for BP said the rig was drilling deeper than 22,000 feet, even though the company's federal permit allowed it to go only to 18,000 to 20,000 feet, the lawyers said.

~snip~

A Halliburton spokeswoman, asked about suspicion that gas was allowed to build up in the well bore, said it is a matter that still needs to be investigated. A Transocean spokesman said the company still was investigating.

More than a half-dozen workers who were on the rig at the time of the explosion told the lawyers that the rig operator seemed to be rushing to finish and detach from the well — a possible factor that could have contributed to the explosion.
more: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2011771949_oil04.html

[Bluebear]

1. Goodbye, Gulf of Mexico. We knew you well. nt

[ixion]

5. Indeed... it will not return for years

Sure glad we chose to pursue oil rather than cleaner alternative energy sources. NOT! :argh:

[ElsewheresDaughter]

6. It will affect to Atlantic seashore and marine life as well...this will not stay in the Gulf

[Warren DeMontague]

2. I'm thinking now would be the time for a giant shop-vac

or maybe a really big straw? :shrug:

[aquart]

3. Fine. I will just hold on to their balls for that amount of time.

A quick snip and in my purse. Okay, maybe I'll put them in the freezer.

[Prometheus Bound]

4. "Some three months" means 'approximately 3 months' in this context.

So, give or take a few months.

[Global Village Idiot]

7. ...take “some three months” to complete. ...

...and this doozy 'actions it had taken to date on the blowout preventer “have not resulted in any observed reduction in the rate of oil flow of oil from the MC252 well”.'

In my book that means a conservative estimate in the 18 to 20 million gallon range. Given the relatively shallow depth of the gulf are we looking at about a generation (minimum) of damage?

Greedy Bastards.

[hellsbeagle]

8. In Three Months How Far Will This Slick Travel?

Will it get Iceland, th UK or Norway?

[Javaman]

9. Yup.

BP will be submerged in shit then.

My prediction: by the time the slick hits NYC, BP will declare bankruptcy.

Who pays then?

[cstanleytech]

10. Well, if that were to happen I would support siezing all of the assest of every BP exec involved

with making the decision to drill at that site on up to the CEO for BP.

[defendandprotect]

15. Congress has asked for some material and imagine hearings next week???

They've only just got really going on Financial hearings so a lot going on

at one time!!

IMO, we could put most of capitalism out of business right now and save the planet!!

[flamingdem]

17. How about ENGLAND nt

[Botany]

11. Good God the damage from this will be global in scale

:cry:

[FailureToCommunicate]

12. Drilling deeper than allowed, working faster to finish, gas buildup not vented: what could go wrong?

Good thing the $100 million for the "fix" will amount to what, couple months net profit for BP?

[defendandprotect]

16. Sen. Menendez on Olberman last night said BP made $5+++ BILLION first quarter this year!!

I think he said $5.8 BILLION but not sure -- !!

[one_voice]

13. 3 MONTHS?!?!?!?

:wtf:

Dear God the damage that will be done. Irreversible. The Gulf Coast was nice...while it lasted. :cry: Dumb &*&#&@($&##))@!!!!!
:grr:

[defendandprotect]

14. Don't know about current weather in Gulf, but why wouldn't it be

possible to bring ships in with long lines to start picking up this oil?

Obviously heavier than water . . . and water can be discharged --???

Isn't there something like this possible???

[Lone_Star_Dem]

18. The real question is will the flow rate increase, remain the same or will BP be able to decrease it

That it's going to take around 3-months to stop it is not a surprise. They've been saying it would take them around 90-days to drill the relief well and attempt to staunch the flow that way. By the end of the the first week they'd already tried and failed with every method they thought actually had a chance of staunching the flow excluding the relief well. Since then they've just been attempting things which probably won't work, but even if all they do is slow the flow a bit it's still worth the attempt in such a dire situation.

[daleo]

19. The gusher may stop on its own in three months

Maybe that's their plan.

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. The field they tapped into is 25,000 sq miles, most of it lies

UNDER Central Ala. part of Fla, Miss, even Texas.

They went out 100 miles into the Gulf to tap into an incredibly deep reservoir of oil
that is actually under the continental US!
It was celebrated as one of the biggest finds in years.

read the paragraphs under Oil Deposit Capacity:

http://pesn.com/2010/05/02/9501643_Mother_of_all_gushers_could_kill_Earths_oceans/

[daleo]

21. Wellhead pressure is hard to predict

It's not just the size of the field, it's also porosity, permeability, specific gravity of the oil, geometry of the formation, gas pressure, etc.

This one seems to have a lot of oomph, though.

Peak Oil theory predicted this type of disaster, as oil companies go after oil that is more inaccessible and more dangerous. It's a horrible disaster - perhaps many more will come if the world stays tied to oil.