Interesting article in the NYT regarding the logistics of drilling the relief well in the Gulf

[Lone_Star_Dem]

This may be of interest to some here.

HONG KONG — While BP tries various short-term efforts to plug a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico, the company is preparing to drill a relief well as a backup plan. BP hopes to drill that well diagonally to intersect the original one and then flood it with mud and cement to stop the uncontrolled flow.

Although the idea sounds simple, the experience with a similar spill last year near Australia shows just how difficult it can be to execute the maneuver.

“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” said Rachel Siewert, an Australian senator who is a member of the country’s opposition Greens Party and is critical of the oil industry.

The Australian accident, known as the Montara spill, began Aug. 21 with a blowout of high-pressure oil similar to the one in the gulf. With the well spewing 17,000 to 85,000 gallons per day, precious weeks passed before the relief wells were started. When efforts got under way, the first four relief wells — drilled on Oct. 6, 13, 17 and 24 — missed the original well.

A fifth well finally intersected the original on Nov. 1, and about 3,400 barrels of heavy mud were pumped into the base of the original well. The spewing oil finally stopped on Nov. 3 — more than 10 weeks after the original explosion.

BP intends to drill a similar relief well close to the site where the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig blew up and sank in the gulf nearly two weeks ago. The company says the well could take months to complete. In the meantime, the well continues to leak 210,000 gallons of oil a day, according to the latest official estimates.

Read More: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/03/us/03montara.html

I wasn't sure exactly how the "relief well" was supposed to work and found this informative. Basically, if it goes as planned, it's a backdoor into the current tap. The stickler is the casing they're attempting to tap into is only 7" in diameter.

[flamingdem]

1. They are arrogant idiots who have no idea how to undo what they've done

f**k them.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

2. I don't know...it worked in Australia

If the can't stop it any other way sooner, I hope this works as a last resort. If not it will just continue to flow unchecked until it finally runs dry.

[flamingdem]

3. It's way deeper and more pressure coming out than Australia

so that's why I think they are the scum of the earth to have not spent the 500,000 dollars to insure against this eventuality that leads to their stupid last recourse ideas.

Run dry is my guess, and it's a huge reserve. Just remember they are lying about the amount coming out and the amount in the reserve, they wouldn't be there if it wasn't a HUGE motherlode.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

4. Hey, I agree they're greedy corporate scum!

I posted an article today pointing how how their monetary liability is linked to the size of the spillage. Which makes it in their financial favor to lie about the size of the flow. So, no argument there either.

However, I do believe, because of their liability being linked to the size of the spill, that they'll do what they can to stop it. Not for the sake of the environment, or the sake of the Gulf coastal residents. Just because it's directly tied to their bottom dollar.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. +1

$500k for the remote cutoff that Bush/Cheney waived so as not to create a "burden" to them.

:grr: