BP over-ruled TransOcean about removing "mud" from well BEFORE last concrete plug was in place.

[JohnWxy]

leaving mud in well till last concrete plug installed helped contain any pressure from the formation they had drilled into ... like from methane gas (..BOOM..).


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x536533

[madokie]

1. After watching the segment on 60 minutes last evening

I find it hard to believe that no one is talking about bringing charges. In that segment towards the end you see a hand reach and pick up some of that oil and it is about the consistency of bearing grease, only slightly thinner.

[JohnWxy]

3. Seems like BP is guilty of criminal negligence. They knew there was a risk in removing the mud

before putting in last concrete plug, Plus they knew that the BOP annular was 'shot', so there really was no back-up if something went wrong.

Whether they can nail them in court I don't know. THe guy from Transocean would be putting his life on the line to testify against BP. Unless the public attention would save him (some people probably think I'm exaggerating here, obviously it would be made to look like an accident. Like the woman who was taking a nuke builder to court .. accidentally drove off the road and didn't survive.).

[applegrove]

6. Karen Silkwood. I think the guy is safe from any attack on his life by BP because he somehow told

his story.

[JohnWxy]

8. note I said "testify", as in court, sworn. That's when it counts. At any rate I think there will

be enough evidence, to 'hang' BP, Halliburton and Transocean. Of course, presence of evidence doesn't mean justice will be done.


I just hope they shut down Atlantis.

[Strelnikov_]

2. I think it will turn out that Transocean is held liable

The plug at the bottom was supposed to seal the well. The second plug (in place) along with the third (pending) were just backup.

The plugs are supposed to be pressure tested. This requires the choker (annular) valve to be closed. How could they pressure test the plug if the annular was broken? Answer: They didn't and pencil whipped the test.

What BP proposed reduced the factor of safety, but still should have worked fine, if they had two pressure tested plugs.

My bet, the Transocean superintendent wanted the mud left in because he knew they had untested plugs. When BP came in with their proposal, an argument ensued because Transocean was trying to dissuade BP from their plan without telling them about the untested plugs.

When BP won the argument, the Transocean superintendent proceeded with fingers crossed.

[Strelnikov_]

4. ..

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/6462

The next bullet says: “After 16.5 hours waiting on cement, a test was performed on the wellbore below the Blowout Preventer.” BP explained to us what this means. Halliburton completed cementing the well at 12:35 a.m. on April 20 and after giving the cement time to set, a negative pressure test was conducted around 5:00 p.m. This is an important test. During a negative pressure test, the fluid pressure inside the well is reduced and the well is observed to see whether any gas leaks into the well through the cement or casing.

According to James Dupree, the BP Senior Vice President for the Gulf of Mexico, the well did not pass this test. Mr. Dupree told Committee staff on Monday that the test result was “not satisfactory” and “inconclusive.” Significant pressure discrepancies were recorded.

As a result, another negative pressure test was conducted. This is described in the fourth bullet: “During this test, 1,400 psi was observed on the drill pipe while 0 psi was observed on the kill and the choke lines.”

According to Mr. Dupree, this is also an unsatisfactory test result. The kill and choke lines run from the drill rig 5,000 feet to the blowout preventer at the sea floor. The drill pipe runs from the drill rig through the blowout preventer deep into the well. In the test, the pressures measured at any point from the drill rig to the blowout preventer should be the same in all three lines. But what the test showed was that pressures in the drill pipe were significantly higher. Mr. Dupree explained that the results could signal that an influx of gas was causing pressure to mount inside the wellbore.

. . .

What happened next is murky. Mr. Dupree told the Committee staff that he believed the well blew moments after the second pressure test. But lawyers for BP contacted the Committee yesterday and provided a different account. According to BP’s counsel, further investigation has revealed that additional pressure tests were taken, and at 8:00 p.m., company officials determined that the additional results justified ending the test and proceeding with well operations.

[Strelnikov_]

5. ..

The next step included the performance of a “negative” pressure test, which tests the integrity of the casing seal assembly and is conducted by the drilling contractor at the direction of the well owner and in accordance with MMS requirements. We understand that Halliburton was instructed to record drill pipe pressure during this test until Halliburton’s cementing personnel were advised by the drilling contractor that the negative pressure test had been completed, and were placed on standby.

[Nihil]

7. Yep, that sounds about right ...

> My bet, the Transocean superintendent wanted the mud left in because
> he knew they had untested plugs.

... ("right" as in "a valid and likely explanation" rather than "desirable").

:-|