When will they try "the top kill?"

[Botany]

I thought it was this AM.

[HughMoran]

1. BP nears decision on 'top kill' procedure

Venice, Louisiana (CNN) -- BP's top official said the oil company will make a decision later Wednesday on whether to proceed with a "top kill" procedure designed to contain oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico.

BP Chief Executive Officer Tony Hayward told CNN that a determination will be made after testing is complete.

"So far, it's looking OK," he said. "But we haven't got all the data we need."

Top kill has worked successfully on above-ground oil wells in the Middle East but has never been tested 5,000 feet underwater.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/05/26/gulf.oil.spil/index.html

[marylanddem]

3. "We haven't got all the data we need" =

"We haven't yet figured out how to fully capitalize on destroying the Gulf of Mexico"

[HughMoran]

4. We were watching them do the testing with the robots last night

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8417947

very interesting it was...

[Botany]

6. data we need?

They have over 1 month of data.

They have to inject the mud @ a pressure greater then
force that the oil and gas is coming out @. I have heard
the figure of 100,000 psi ..... I wonder if they are worried
that the pipe can't take the pressure.

[HughMoran]

7. Don't know, but we watched them remove a termination on one of the BOP pipes last night

Watching the robots insert and turn the cap screws (4) last night to remove the piece was fascinating.

[harun]

14. Seems like they are just stalling. They are saying now they won't even

know if it worked until a few days (the topkill that is). I think they know it probably won't work and just want to buy more time.

[HughMoran]

15. It's extrememly risky and complicated

Just watching the robots spend 2 hours to unbolt one fitting on a pipe last night gave me a greater appreciation of how difficult this task is - and why you want to be 100% sure of what you're doing before you make the attempt. Do you know they could further damage the BOP and have the flow rate increase significantly? This is complicated engineering - lets give them the time to do it right.

[harun]

16. I agree, it doesn't look good. We could see this gusher for 2-3 more months.

[Skink]

2. After they squeeze the last recoverable barrel from the leak.

[HughMoran]

5. Most expensive oil ever

There is no incentive for them to save this relatively small amount of oil when it's not worth that much compared to the clean up and operational costs (several robots down there full time.)

[bdamomma]

8. they delayed it again.

I mean WTF!!!

[Botany]

9. Potential to blow out the pipe is there and that could make it worse

n/t

[bdamomma]

10. why can't they just get tankers and suck up the oil, Saudi Arabia did it

and it worked for them.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

11. Yeah, they're talking about bringing in supertankers for that purpose

but they'll still need to stop the flow which is what this top kill is attempting to do.

[bdamomma]

12. thanks for explaining, this mess has been going on for a month now

and I heard that BP told the EPA to kiss off.

[Botany]

13. The Persian Gulf is only about 100 ft deep

The Gulf is much deeper and with more currents too. Now the tankers could have gotten some of the thick
plumes maybe even @ depths but the chemical disparagements have spread out much of the oil and taken that
option away.

[bdamomma]

17. weren't they told not to use those chemical disparagements?