Tuesday
Jun012010
BP Response Team Focuses On Containing Oil After 'Top Kill' Fails
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 3:27PM
By Justine Rellosa- Talk Radio News Service
Admiral Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander for the Deepwater BP oil response, said during a press briefing Tuesday that the failure of the 'top kill' method this past weekend has altered the response strategy's focus from capping the ongoing spill to simply containing the oil.
Currently, the response team is starting a new procedure to cut the top of the well's lower marine riser pipe and attach a cap to it that would then pump the leaking oil to a ship. During this period, Allen stated that a 20 percent increase in oil output could occur, making it a very risky procedure.
The method of containing the oil is a step to mitigate the crisis until a set of relief wells are constructed in August that could offer a permanent shut-off of the spill.
The Commander said that they were also looking to foreign governments for assistance and equipment needed to quell the disaster.
"We're actually reaching out to folks like the Netherlands, Canada and Mexico as sources of supplies."
Admiral Thad Allen, the National Incident Commander for the Deepwater BP oil response, said during a press briefing Tuesday that the failure of the 'top kill' method this past weekend has altered the response strategy's focus from capping the ongoing spill to simply containing the oil.
Currently, the response team is starting a new procedure to cut the top of the well's lower marine riser pipe and attach a cap to it that would then pump the leaking oil to a ship. During this period, Allen stated that a 20 percent increase in oil output could occur, making it a very risky procedure.
The method of containing the oil is a step to mitigate the crisis until a set of relief wells are constructed in August that could offer a permanent shut-off of the spill.
The Commander said that they were also looking to foreign governments for assistance and equipment needed to quell the disaster.
"We're actually reaching out to folks like the Netherlands, Canada and Mexico as sources of supplies."
BP Official Touts Success Of Static Kill
BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles told reporters on Friday that the ‘static kill’ procedure put into motion earlier this week to cement the oil company’s leaking well “went very well.”
Suttles, BP’s point-man on the massive spill in the Gulf, which began almost four months ago, said workers performed an “almost textbook job” during the process. Suttles confirmed reports that no oil is currently leaking from the mangled well, which exploded on April 20, killing 11 workers. As a result, Suttles said, the number of response workers in the Gulf has decreased from 48,000 during the height of the spill, to 31,000.
Suttles said BP will attempt to seel the well later today, adding that a relief well should be completed by the middle of August. BP has been quick to avoid any “mission accomplished” claims until the relief well is ready and the company can perform a “bottom-kill” procedure.
“We’ve got a ton of work left to do,” said Suttles.