Blowout Preventer Removal Suspended Due To Weather

National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen told reporters in a conference call Monday that weather concerns in the Gulf of Mexico are forcing the joint command to suspend operations to remove the stacking cap and blowout preventer from the failed Deepwater Horizon Macondo well.

“We’re only good at to three to five days.  So I am predicting three days at this point.  As I have been (want) to do in the past, I don’t use any hard schedules that should be laid out at this time.  We should have been ready to go right after Labor Day.  But obviously this will move that,” said Allen.

The administration’s point man on the BP-Deepwater Horizon spill response told the media that the weather is not related to tropical depressions in the Atlantic, but local storms in the Gulf.

Retrieval of the blowout preventer remains a crucial part of the federal investigation into what caused the spill.

Allen Directs BP To Remove Capping Stack, BOP From Macondo Well

From the Deepwater Horizon Response Joint Command:

“WASHINGTON - National Incident Commander Admiral Thad Allen today authorized BP to terminate the fishing procedure and begin the removal of the capping stack followed by the BOP, including the specific conditions required for the removals to take place.”

Officials contend that removal of the Macondo well’s failed blowout preventer will assist in the administration’s investigation into the cause of the oil spill that leaked an estimated 4.9 millions barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico from April 20th until the capping stack sealed the leak in mid-July.

The directive issued by Retired Coast Guard Admiral Allen requires that BP cooperate with the Joint Investigation Team and the Department of Justice Criminal Investigation Evidence Recovery Team throughout the removal process.