BP Resumes Effort to Plug Oil Leak After Suspension; Several “junk shot” attempts made since May 27
Source: http://nyti.ms/bdEgyH
Article Summary:
- as of Friday May 28, engineers made little progress in stemming oil flow from the damaged well
- BP suspended heavy fluid pumping operations at 2:30 a.m. Friday after two “junk shot” attempts to plug the leak with rubber and other materials
- engineers tried to plug the well using different weights of mud and sizes of debris like golf balls and tires, and then watching and waiting. Several “junk shots” of debris have been attempted already
- BP said pumping operations resumed around 3:45 p.m. Friday. “Top kill” procedure continued for a third day.
- one of technicians said that despite all the injections, at various pressure levels, engineers were able to keep less than 10 percent of the injection fluids inside the stack of pipes above the well. Significantly more injected fluid required to enter the pipes leading to the well for “top kill” procedure to work
- engineers cannot use brute force because they risk making the leak worse if they damage the pipes leading down to the well
- anticipating that the top kill may not succeed, BP began preparations to place a second containment vessel over the leak. Mr. Suttles said BP was also preparing to replace the damaged blowout preventer (BOP)
