Final Plugging of BP Oil Well Held Up by High Seas
Sept. 1, 2010 – The final step in permanently sealing the undersea oil gusher that caused much duress over the summer is on hold while awaiting calmer seas.
Engineers are waiting for waves to calm to no more than 4 feet high in order to uncap the leaking oil riser pipe and replacing the faulty blowout preventer that triggered a deadly explosion and subsequent deep-sea oil gusher lasting from April 20 until the pipe successfully was capped in mid July. Six-foot waves in the area located about 50 miles southwest of New Orleans have been stirred up by far off Hurricane Earl as it brushes along the East Coast of the United States.
Once crews replace the faulty blowout preventer, the final step of using a second well that has been dug to intercept and permanently seal the deep-sea oil well will be done. Engineers in early August plugged the oil well by pumping in a mixture of heavy drilling mud cement but want to ensure a permanent seal by intercepting it with one of two relief wells that have been dug.
While work continues on a permanent solution to the oil gusher, surface oil mostly is gone from the area. Recent flights over the Gulf of Mexico have revealed no recoverable surface oil since July 30, but the threat of small tar balls washing ashore remains. The threat of additional oil washing ashore is remote since the successful capping of the undersea oil gusher in July, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
While Florida officials report no additional surface oil can be found, a team of scientists recently reported the discovery of an undersea plume of oil at least 22 miles long lingering at a depth of about 3,000 feet.
Scientists from the United States and Australia conducted a 10-day survey of Gulf of Mexico oil in late June to obtain a better idea of what is happening beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. To their surprise, they discovered the 22-mile long plume lingering at about 3,000 feet beneath the surface. The plume remains largely stable, which surprised researchers, who anticipated microscopic organisms would consume much of the oil plume. Instead, the microbes apparently have left the plume alone, which scientists say likely exceeds the 22 mile figure. They had to cut short their prior research trip due to a coming storm and say it in fact exceeds 22 miles in length. The plume was up to a mile wide in spots and was creeping southwest of the Deepwater Horizon accident site at a pace of about 4 miles per day.
Preliminary research results on the plume indicate it contains a significant amount of light crude oil and methane gas. Scientists have not completed tests on hydrocarbons detected in the plume to determine whether or not they are toxic. Many scientists are concerned about the potential impact on aquatic life.
Bonnie Hits Miami, Tracking Over Oil Spill Area
July 23, 2010 – Tropical Storm Bonnie struck southern Florida today and is tracking toward the Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup area located about 50 miles southeast of New Orleans, but federal officials expect it to lose strength and have little impact on the oil spill.
Bonnie, the second named-storm of the 2010 Atlantic hurricane season, had sustained winds of 40 mph as it crossed over Miami and southern Florida this afternoon, bringing heavy rains and localized flooding but causing relatively little damage. Waves of 8 to 10 feet have halted oil recovery efforts in the Gulf as the storm passes this weekend, and federal officials yesterday said crews were having difficulty finding oil on the surface. The storm likely will dissipate as it crosses Florida and heads back into the Gulf of Mexico toward the oil cleanup site tomorrow, officials for the U.S. Hurricane Center in Miami.
Tropical Storm Bonnie is expected to make landfall somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and Louisiana along the Gulf Coast Sunday, but current conditions suggest the storm won’t gain strength over open water, federal weather forecasters said. With the storm tracking toward the cleanup site, BP and federal officials temporarily halted cleanup operations, but the federal government’s point man said it’s getting harder to locate surface oil after finally sealing the gushing oil well last week. Officials also said the first of two relief wells being dug to intercept and permanently seal the leaking oil well located 5,000 feet beneath the surface likely will be active soon, but the storm might delay the operation by up to two weeks.
The storm is the second of the year to halt cleanup operations. The deadly Hurricane Alex in late June missed Texas, but made landfall in Northeastern Mexico as a category 2 hurricane with wind speeds of up to 105 miles per hour. The storm dumped nearly three feet of rain in some areas as it moved inland, killing more than 50 people and causing a great deal of flooding in Mexico while forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents. BP officials temporarily shut down surface operations while the Hurricane Alex passed, but undersea drilling of two relief wells continued unabated.
Alex was the first named storm of the 2010 Atlantic storm season, which forecasters predict will be very active. Although Alex had only a minimal impact on Gulf oil cleanup efforts, the next storm could prove more daunting. A direct hit from a storm would halt entire effort in the Gulf of Mexico for up to two weeks, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.
Officials for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center recently released the federal weather agency’s annual hurricane season outlook, which calls for between 14 and 23 named tropical storms – between eight and 14 of which are expected to develop into hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean. Between three and seven storms are predicted to develop into “major” hurricanes with wind speeds of at least 111 mph.
BP Testing Tighter Seal, Possibly Stopped Oil Gusher
July 13, 2010 – Engineers yesterday managed to remotely fit a tighter cap on the gushing undersea oil riser polluting the Gulf of Mexico and are testing the seal in hopes of finally having stopped the environmental disaster.
BP engineers are testing the seal over a two-day period to determine whether or not the seal sufficiently stops the leaking oil well riser, which has flowed largely unchecked since being triggered by a deadly explosion on April 20. The prior containment cap that had partially checked the gushing oil well was removed Saturday after federal officials approved replacing it with the new 75-ton containment cap. The newest cap’s ability to effectively seal the gushing oil well riser located 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico enabled federal officials to give the go-ahead for the latest effort.
BP continues work on drilling two relief wells, which are intended to intercept the leaking oil well and allow engineers to permanently seal it with heavy drilling mud and concrete. The wells are expected to be completed sometime next month.
News of potential success in stifling the gushing oil well comes a day after the Obama administration decreed a second six-month moratorium on deepwater oil exploration in U.S. waters. A federal judge in New Orleans ruled the first ban was too expansive and improperly punished all drilling operations at depths exceeding 500 feet due to problems at only one site. A panel of three appellate judges affirmed the lower court’s decision last week.
Officials for several companies transporting supplies and workers to offshore drilling rigs legally challenged the initial federal moratorium, which originally was placed on May 6 and intended to last only through the month. Obama on May 27 extended the drilling ban to six months. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and executives at several drilling companies said the moratorium would force drilling operations to move to other places beyond U.S. jurisdiction and hurt local economies.
The Obama administration decreed the latest six-month ban in response to last week’s ruling, arguing the nation cannot handle a second drilling accident while the current problem remains. Many industry analysts anticipate the latest drilling ban would not survive a legal challenge.
Report: BP Relief Well Might Be Active in Two Weeks
June 30, 2010 – The first of two relief wells being dug to intercept and shut off the undersea oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico could be in use within two weeks, the Houston Chronicle reported yesterday.
Initially expected to be completed sometime in August, the first relief well might be in use in only two weeks, allowing engineers for the BP corporation to intersect and permanently plug the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, according to third party analysts interviewed by the Houston Chronicle. BP officials maintain the operation won’t be complete until mid-August.
The leaking Macondo oil well will be intersected at a point more than two miles beneath the gulf’s sea floor and permanently plugged with drilling mud partly comprised of cement. Two relief wells are being drilled, but the second is only a backup in case the first relief well fails, BP officials said. The second well is about two weeks behind the first.
Although BP officials say it will be August before they intercept and plug the gushing Macondo oil well located 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, independent analysts say it could be done much sooner.
“Although the operator is conservatively saying August, discussions with experts in well control and relief operations have us convinced that the probability is high that Macondo is no longer flowing within a fortnight, setting up a nice rally for energy as a whole,” the Houston Chronicle quoted a report by analysts with the energy investment firm Pritchard Capital Partners.
While Hurricane Alex has caused a temporary halt to oil recovery operations on the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, the deep-sea drilling operation to intercept the gushing Macondo oil well continues unabated. BP engineers need to remotely drill another 900 feet to reach the targeted depth before attempting to intercept the Macondo oil well, the Houston Chronicle reported.
As progress continues on plugging the well, a U.S. Senate Committee today approved a measure retroactively eliminating the prior $75 million limit on liability claims against oil companies responsible for oil spills. Oil companies are responsible for 100 percent of cleanup costs, but the $75 million limit on liability claims was implemented after the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. BP officials already agreed to establish a $20 billion claims fund, but the total cost for claims easily could eclipse that amount.
Accident Unleashes New Oil Torrent; Feds Halt Louisiana Sand Berms
June 23, 2010 – An undersea accident forced the removal of the cap partly containing the Gulf of Mexico oil gusher, but that didn’t stop federal officials from halting an operation designed to protect Louisiana from oil contamination.
A remotely operated vehicle early today slammed into the containment cap helping to contain the deep-sea gusher, causing BP engineers to remove the containment cap on the oil well riser located 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. The cap was expected to be replaced and operations resumed later today after engineers determined whether or not potentially deadly gas hydrate crystals were being forced to the surface.
While BP engineers continue struggling with the undersea oil gusher, Louisiana officials today had to contend with a federal order to cease construction of offshore sand berms designed to prevent oil from contaminating pristine barrier islands and wildlife refuges. Officials for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department halted the operation due to concerns about its location. They suggested the operation be moved two miles farther out to sea, but local officials concerned a hurricane could cause massive oil contamination are appealing the decision directly to President Barack Obama.
While local officials await a response from the President, the Obama administration is dealing with a federal issue of their own. A federal judge yesterday lifted the six-month ban on deepwater well drilling imposed by President Barack Obama, saying there was no justification to shut down several sites due to problems at one.
Obama announced the six-month drilling ban on 33 new well sites soon after the deadly April 20 offshore explosion that killed 11 workers and unleashed the undersea oil gusher that now is only partly contained. But federal Judge Martin L.C. Feldman today blocked the ban, saying the moratorium is unjustified and causes harm to drilling operations and suppliers who have done nothing wrong. Feldman suggested the Obama administration misled the public by suggesting experts at the National Academy of Engineering supported the moratorium when, in fact, they don’t.
“Much to the government’s discomfort and this Court’s uneasiness, the summary also states that ‘the recommendations contained in this report have been peer-reviewed by seven experts identified by the National Academy of Engineering.’ As the plaintiffs, and the experts themselves, pointedly observe, this statement was misleading,” Judge Feldman wrote in his 22-page ruling.
Officials for several companies transporting supplies and workers to offshore drilling rigs challenged the federal moratorium, which was placed on May 6 and intended to last through the month. Obama on May 27 extended it to six months. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and executives at several drilling companies said the moratorium would only force drilling operations to move other places beyond U.S. jurisdiction and hurt local economies.
Federal officials plan to implement another drilling ban, but President Barack Obama earlier this month said the federal government will issue new safety regulations soon so offshore drilling may resume.
Obama is bending to political pressure from lawmakers in the Gulf Coast region whose constituents have lost jobs and local communities have lost revenue after the six-month federal moratorium on offshore drilling was issued last month in the wake of the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion causing the massive oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico, the Wall Street Journal reported today. New federal rules on offshore drilling might be released this month.
News of the likely resumption of offshore drilling comes as another offshore drilling operation has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. The drilling rig Ocean Saratoga has been leaking oil since about April 30 and has created a 10-mile long oil slick visible from space satellites. A May 1 federal document mentions the leaking Ocean Saratoga operation, which is located near the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April 20 and sank two days later, causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history. But federal officials on the scene apparently were unaware of the additional leak.
BP Angling for $50 Billion to Clean Up Gulf of Mexico
June 21, 2010 – Officials for the beleaguered BP corporation anticipate raising some $50 billion over the next two years to pay for cleaning up oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico.
BP officials will sell about $10 billion worth of corporate bonds and another $20 billion in corporate assets to combine with about $20 billion in bank loans to pay for the cost of cleaning up the massive oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico, The Sunday Times of London reported yesterday. Company officials last week announced they would cease paying dividends to stockholders and quicken the sale of $10 billion in assets to help pay the cost of cleaning up the Gulf of Mexico. BP officials also agreed to establish a $20 billion claims fund and recently announced a second oil containment system is in place, enabling the firm to capture up to 28,000 barrels of gushing Gulf of Mexico oil each day.
Workers earlier placed a hard containment cap on the leaking undersea well, which continues gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico more than two months after being triggered by a deadly explosion on April 20. BP had been collecting about 10,000 barrels of leaking crude oil and each day since successfully affixing a “hard cap” containment system on the leaking oil well earlier this month. Two more containment vessels are scheduled to arrive on scene later this month, enabling BP to daily capture up to 53,000 barrels of crude oil still leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. Estimates suggest the leaking oil well located some 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico has been leaking between 35,000 and 60,000 barrels of crude oil into each day since April 20.
BP officials last week agreed to create a $20 billion claims fund after meeting with President Barack Obama. BP will begin placing funds in an escrow account to compensate people who have lost income and suffered other damages from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The $20 billion claims fund is to be built up over a period of time and administered by Obama’s “Pay Czar,” Kenneth Feinberg. Feinberg currently oversees executive compensation at companies that recently accepted federal bailout money and previously administered a claims fund for victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
While BP continues struggling with the oil gusher, another offshore drilling operation has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. The drilling rig Ocean Saratoga has been leaking oil since about April 30 and has created a 10-mile long oil slick visible from space satellites. A May 1 federal document mentions the leaking Ocean Saratoga operation, which is located near the Deepwater Horizon rig.
BP to Create $20 Billion Gulf Oil Claims Fund
June 16, 2010 – Officials for the BP corporation have agreed to establish a $20 billion fund from which claims can be paid to victims of the largest oil contamination in U.S. history.
BP officials agreed to create the fund after meeting with President Barack Obama for about 20 minutes today. BP will begin placing funds in an escrow account to compensate people who have lost income and suffered other damages from the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The $20 billion claims fund is to be built up over a period of time and administered by Obama’s “Pay Czar,” Kenneth Feinberg. Feinberg currently oversees executive compensation at companies that recently accepted federal bailout money and previously administered a claims fund for victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
While BP officials have agreed to establish the escrow fund, recently released documents indicate the massive oil contamination occurred after BP took several unnecessary risks to reduce costs on the well-drilling project, which was behind schedule and over budget before exploding and killing 11 on April 20.
A recent investigation by the House Energy and Commerce Committee revealed BP was losing hundreds of thousands of dollars each day and chose to cut costs by changing the design and drilling methods for the well located 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Reduced safety measures also greatly increased the likelihood of a tragic accident occurring, the Congressional panel reported.
“Time after time, it appears that BP made decisions that increased the risk of a blowout to save the company time or expense. If this is what happened, BP’s carelessness and complacency have inflicted a heavy toll on the Gulf, its inhabitants, and the workers on the rig,” said Rep. Henry A. Waxman and Rep. Bart Stupak in a recent letter to BP officials.
The stinging criticism and creation of the $20 billion escrow fund comes after containment efforts were halted for about five hours yesterday. A fire aboard the drillship Discoverer Enterprise temporarily halted operations around 10:30 a.m. yesterday. Officials for the BP corporation said a lightning strike might have ignited the fire, which caused no damage or injuries but temporarily halted the cleanup process to ensure safety.
BP officials last week said they were capturing about 18,000 barrels of oil and gas per day from the undersea oil gusher and plan to capture about 50,000 barrels per day of oil by the middle of July. A new “oil flaring rig” to be put into use today should enable BP workers to boost the amount of oil and gas captured each day to about 28,000 barrels.
While the cleanup has taken a short halt, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal ordered the Louisiana National Guard to begin filling in gaps between barrier islands by dropping thousands of sandbags into the Gulf of Mexico. National Guardsmen are using helicopters to drop the sandbags into gaps between barrier islands about nine miles offshore in an attempt to create an effective barrier against oil leaking from two undersea wells.
Jindal previously received permission from federal authorities to begin erecting sand barriers by dredging up sand from the seafloor and depositing it in key areas. But the new project is much more daunting and ultimately will build an offshore wall connecting various barrier islands. BP will pay the entire cost of both efforts.
While BP continues struggling with the oil gusher, another offshore drilling operation has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. The drilling rig Ocean Saratoga has been leaking oil since about April 30 and has created a 10-mile long oil slick visible from space satellites. A May 1 federal document mentions the leaking Ocean Saratoga operation, which is located near the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April 20 and sank two days later, causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history.
Obama Finally to Speak on Gulf Oil Crisis
June 14, 2010 – Nearly two full months since a deadly offshore explosion triggered the largest crude oil environmental disaster in U.S. history, President Barack Obama finally plans to address the nation tomorrow night.
The President has received a great deal of criticism for his relaxed approach to the massive oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico that, in fact, is one of two offshore oil wells leaking unknown quantities of light crude oil for almost two months. Officials for the BP corporation said the firm would be able to double its current capacity for siphoning off the crude oil and natural gas still leaking into the Gulf of Mexico by the middle of next month as two relief wells continue to be dug.
BP officials last week said they were capturing about 18,000 barrels of oil and gas per day from the undersea oil gusher and plan to capture about 50,000 barrels per day of oil by the middle of July. A new “oil flaring rig” to be put into use this week should enable BP workers to boost the amount of oil and gas captured each day to about 28,000 barrels.
While BP continues struggling with the oil gusher, another offshore drilling operation has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. The drilling rig Ocean Saratoga has been leaking oil since about April 30 and has created a 10-mile long oil slick visible from space satellites. A May 1 federal document mentions the leaking Ocean Saratoga operation, which is located near the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April 20 and sank two days later, causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history. But federal officials on the scene apparently were unaware of the additional leak.
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry during a May 17 news conference said she was not aware of any oil leaks other than the Deepwater Horizon well leaking some 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Landry since has been replaced by Coast Guard Rear Admiral James Watson as the federal government’s “on-scene” emergency coordinator.
News of the second leaking oil well comes after some progress has been made in slowing the amount of oil gushing from the out-of-control oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. After cutting a leaking riser pipe and affixing a cap on it last week, officials for the BP corporation on Monday said they are capturing more than 11,000 barrels worth of light crude oil and natural gas and siphoning it to surface vessels. The announcement by the oil company heralds the first significant success in containing the massive oil gusher.
BP engineers on June 3 managed to remotely cut through the leaking oil pipe at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and affix a “cap” on it to siphon off oil and gas, but the well continues leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. BP Corporation executives hope to catch about 90 percent of the up to 19,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas federal officials estimate have been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico every day since April 20.
Engineers for the BP corporation initially used a diamond-bladed circular saw to cut through the 20-inch-diameter riser pipe, but the blade became stuck, halting the operation temporarily. Workers then used remotely operated, robotic cutting shears to complete the operation, which left the edge of the pipe jagged instead of smooth and complicated the capping phase of the latest attempt to stop the undersea oil gusher.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until sometime in August at the earliest.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989. An estimated 22 million to 47 million gallons of light crude oil and natural gas have spilled into the sea, according to federal estimates.
Senate Bill Would Toughen Penalties for Environmental Crimes
June 10, 2010 – With the infamous BP oil gusher continuing to leak into the Gulf of Mexico nearly two months after it began, the U.S. Senate is considering enacting stiff criminal penalties for corporate heads found guilty of “environmental crimes.”
The legislation introduced by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) would provide “well-reasoned sentences and mandatory restitution for environmental crime,” Reuters quoted Leahy saying. The proposed measure does not provide prison-sentencing guidelines but does mandate reimbursement from individuals found guilty of violating the federal Clean Water Act. The highly publicized dual leaking oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico are spurring federal lawmakers to action.
“The ongoing environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico resulting from the April 20 explosion on a British Petroleum oil rig has brought a renewed focus on ensuring corporate accountability for recovery costs and for restitution for those affected by such natural disasters,” Leahy was quoted saying by Reuters.
While Leahy wants greater accountability for individuals and corporations responsible for environmental disasters, such as the current Gulf Oil crisis, President Barack Obama earlier this week announced the federal government will issue new safety regulations soon so offshore drilling may resume.
Obama is bending to political pressure from lawmakers in the Gulf Coast region whose constituents have lost jobs and local communities have lost revenue after the six-month federal moratorium on offshore drilling was issued last month in the wake of the April 20 Deepwater Horizon explosion causing the massive oil contamination in the Gulf of Mexico, the Wall Street Journal reported today. New federal rules on offshore drilling might be released as soon as this week.
News of the likely resumption of offshore drilling comes as another offshore drilling operation has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month. The drilling rig Ocean Saratoga has been leaking oil since about April 30 and has created a 10-mile long oil slick visible from space satellites. A May 1 federal document mentions the leaking Ocean Saratoga operation, which is located near the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April 20 and sank two days later, causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history. But federal officials on the scene apparently were unaware of the additional leak.
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry during a May 17 news conference said she was not aware of any oil leaks other than the Deepwater Horizon well leaking some 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Landy since has been replaced by Coast Guard Rear Admiral James Watson as the federal government’s “on-scene” emergency coordinator.
News of the second leaking oil well comes after some progress has been made in slowing the amount of oil gushing from the out-of-control oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. After cutting a leaking riser pipe and affixing a cap on it last week, officials for the BP corporation on Monday said they are capturing more than 11,000 barrels worth of light crude oil and natural gas and siphoning it to surface vessels. The announcement by the oil company heralds the first significant success in containing the massive oil gusher.
BP engineers on June 3 managed to remotely cut through the leaking oil pipe at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and affix a “cap” on it to siphon off oil and gas, but the well continues leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. BP Corporation executives hope to catch about 90 percent of the up to 19,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas federal officials estimate have been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico every day since April 20.
Engineers for the BP corporation initially used a diamond-bladed circular saw to cut through the 20-inch-diameter riser pipe, but the blade became stuck, halting the operation temporarily. Workers then used remotely operated, robotic cutting shears to complete the operation, which left the edge of the pipe jagged instead of smooth and complicated the capping phase of the latest attempt to stop the undersea oil gusher.
The work continues as part of the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico was sighted near the Florida Panhandle shoreline and Louisiana officials begin erecting sand barriers to protect barrier islands, marshes and shoreline. Officials for the U.S. Coast Guard have ordered BP to pay for building five sand berms in Louisiana, which the oil company says will cost about $360 million, the Associated Press reported. The company has spent more than $1 billion trying to contain the underwater oil gusher.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until sometime in August at the earliest.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989. An estimated 22 million to 47 million gallons of light crude oil and natural gas have spilled into the sea, according to federal estimates.
Second leaking Oil Well in Gulf of Mexico
June 8, 2010 – A second offshore oil well has been leaking an unknown amount of oil into the Gulf of Mexico for more than a month.
The drilling rig Ocean Saratoga has been leaking oil since about April 30 and has created a 10-mile long oil slick visible from space satellites. A May 1 federal document mentions the leaking Ocean Saratoga operation, which is located near the Deepwater Horizon rig that exploded on April 20 and sank two days later, causing the largest oil spill in U.S. history. But federal officials on the scene apparently were unaware of the additional leak.
U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Mary Landry during a May 17 news conference said she was not aware of any oil leaks other than the Deepwater Horizon well leaking some 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico. Landy since has been replaced by Coast Guard Rear Admiral James Watson as the federal government’s “on-scene” emergency coordinator.
News of the second leaking oil well comes after some progress has been made in slowing the amount of oil gushing from the out-of-control oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. After cutting a leaking riser pipe and affixing a cap on it last week, officials for the BP corporation on Monday said they are capturing more than 11,000 barrels worth of light crude oil and natural gas and siphoning it to surface vessels. The announcement by the oil company heralds the first significant success in containing the massive oil gusher.
BP engineers on June 3 managed to remotely cut through the leaking oil pipe at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and affix a “cap” on it to siphon off oil and gas, but the well continues leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. BP Corporation executives hope to catch about 90 percent of the up to 19,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas federal officials estimate have been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico every day since April 20.
Engineers for the BP corporation initially used a diamond-bladed circular saw to cut through the 20-inch-diameter riser pipe, but the blade became stuck, halting the operation temporarily. Workers then used robotically operated cutting shears to complete the operation, which left the edge of the pipe jagged instead of smooth and complicated the capping phase of the latest attempt to stop the undersea oil gusher.
The work continues as part of the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico was sighted within six miles of the Florida Panhandle shoreline and Louisiana officials begin erecting sand barriers to protect barrier islands, marshes and shoreline. Officials for the U.S. Coast Guard have ordered BP to pay for building five sand berms in Louisiana, which the oil company says will cost about $360 million, the Associated Press reported. The company has spent more than $1 billion trying to contain the underwater oil gusher.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until sometime in August at the earliest.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989. An estimated 22 million to 47 million gallons of light crude oil and natural gas have spilled into the sea, according to federal estimates.
BP Catching Much of Gushing Oil; Federal Response Viewed Poorly
June 6, 2010 – The latest efforts to at least partially contain the undersea oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico appear more promising than do views of the federal government’s response.
After cutting a leaking riser pipe and affixing a cap on it last week, officials for the BP corporation recently announced they are capturing more than 11,000 barrels worth of light crude oil and natural gas still gushing from the oil well located at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. The oil is being siphoned to surface vessels. The announcement by the oil company heralds the first significant success in containing the massive oil gusher, but recent polling of U.S. citizens suggests people are very unhappy with how President Barack Obama and other federal officials have handled the matter.
More than two-thirds – 69 percent – of people recently polled by ABC News and The Washington Post had a negative view of how the federal government has handled the massive oil leak begun after a deadly explosion on April 20 killed 11 BP workers and eventually sank the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon. The percentage of those polled holding a negative view of federal efforts exceeds the 62 percent of those polled holding the same view of federal relief efforts after 2005’s Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Federal official have dispatched about 1,500 surface vessels of varying sizes and capabilities to assist with localized efforts to fight the expanding oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen said. Particularly threatened are marshes along the Louisiana coast as well as parts of Texas, Alabama and Florida. Surface vessels will help place booms and other obstacles to try to block the oil slick, but some inevitably would get through, Allen said.
BP engineers on June 3 managed to remotely cut through the leaking oil pipe at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and affix a “cap” on it to siphon off oil and gas, but the well continues leaking into the Gulf of Mexico. BP Corporation executives hope to catch about 90 percent of the up to 19,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas federal officials estimate have been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico every day since April 20.
Remotely controlled robotic shears yesterday managed to cut the undersea oil pipe in two, but the jagged edge left behind might hinder efforts to cap the undersea oil gusher. Engineers for the BP corporation initially used a diamond-bladed circular saw to cut through the 20-inch-diameter riser pipe some 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but the blade became stuck, halting the operation temporarily. Workers then used robotically operated cutting shears to complete the operation, which left the edge of the pipe jagged instead of smooth and complicated the capping phase of the latest attempt to stop the undersea oil gusher.
The work continues as part of the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico was sighted within six miles of the Florida Panhandle shoreline and Louisiana officials begin erecting sand barriers to protect barrier islands, marshes and shoreline. Officials for the U.S. Coast Guard have ordered BP to pay for building five sand berms in Louisiana, which the oil company says will cost about $360 million, the Associated Press reported. The company has spent more than $1 billion so far trying to contain the underwater oil gusher.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until sometime in August at the earliest.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989. An estimated 22 million to 47 million gallons of light crude oil and natural gas have spilled into the sea, according to federal estimates.
‘Cut and Cap’ Only Partially Successful
June 4, 2010 – Engineers yesterday managed to remotely cut through the leaking oil pipe at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico and affix a “cap” on it to siphon off oil and gas, but the well continues leaking.
Although oil and gas continue spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, BP Corporation executives hope to catch about 90 percent of the up to 19,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas federal officials estimate have been gushing into the Gulf of Mexico every day since a deadly explosion caused the leak on April 20. Engineers now are catching about 1,000 barrels per day through the containment cap put in place last night, Reuters reported today.
Remotely controlled robotic shears yesterday managed to cut the undersea oil pipe in two, but the jagged edge left behind might hinder efforts to cap the undersea oil gusher. Engineers for the BP corporation initially used a diamond-bladed circular saw to cut through the 20-inch-diameter riser pipe some 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but the blade became stuck, halting the operation temporarily. Workers then used robotically operated cutting shears to complete the operation, which left the edge of the pipe jagged instead of smooth and complicated the capping phase of the latest attempt to stop the undersea oil gusher.
The work continues as part of the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico was sighted within six miles of the Florida Panhandle shoreline and Louisiana officials begin erecting sand barriers to protect barrier islands, marshes and shoreline. Officials for the U.S. Coast Guard have ordered BP to foot the bill for building five sand berms in Louisiana, which the oil company says will cost about $360 million, the Associated Press reported. The company has spent about $1 billion so far trying to contain the underwater oil gusher.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wants to erect 128 miles of berms to protect Louisiana’s barrier islands and shoreline, but federal officials initially balked at the plan, saying they needed to study it first. But with oil creeping closer to the coast, federal officials yesterday announced their support of the plan after previously saying the project would take too long and might harm the local environment.
The newest efforts come after the highly publicized “top kill” attempt failed. Engineers employed by the BP Corporation last week received the go-ahead from federal officials to proceed with the “top kill” plan to plug the leaking oil well with heavy sediment comprised of mud and concrete. A day later, the effort appeared to be working and seemed to have stopped the oil flow, raising hopes the operation would be successful. But video cameras indicated the sediment was leaking out along with oil and natural gas, and the process was halted for several hours.
Engineers resumed the process on the evening of May 27, and U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen announced the flow of oil had been stopped the next morning. But, engineers on the scene cautioned the process was not a complete success and warned the leak might resume. The process never had been done underwater – and especially at the extreme 5,000-foot depth at which the leaking well is located. BP workers also attempted a “junk shot” and injected large quantities of shredded tires, golf balls and knotted rope into the well in an attempt to plug the leak.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until August, raising the possibility the oil spill will continue unchecked for several more weeks during peak hurricane season.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989. An estimated 22 million to 47 million gallons of light crude oil and natural gas have spilled into the sea, according to federal estimates.
Jagged Pipe Complicating ‘Cut and Cap’ Effort
June 3, 2010 – Robotic shears have managed to cut the undersea oil pipe in two, but the jagged edge left behind might hinder efforts to cap the undersea oil gusher.
Engineers for the BP corporation initially used a diamond-bladed circular saw to cut through the 20-inch-diameter riser pipe some 5,000 feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, but the blade became stuck, halting the operation temporarily yesterday. Workers then used robotically operated cutting shears to complete the operation, which left the edge of the pipe jagged instead of smooth and might complicate the capping phase of the latest attempt to stop the undersea oil gusher.
Engineers will try to cap the pipe today, but the jagged pipe might not seal properly, the Associate Press reported. Once the cap is placed, the spewing oil and natural gas would be siphoned to surface vessels, but engineers caution some oil inevitably would continue leaking from the highly pressurized pipe.
The work continues as part of the massive oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico was sighted within six miles of the Florida Panhandle shoreline and Louisiana officials begin erecting sand barriers to protect barrier islands, marshes and shoreline. Officials for the U.S. Coast Guard have ordered BP to foot the bill for building five sand berms in Louisiana, which the oil company says will cost about $360 million, the Associated Press reported. The company has spent about $1 billion so far trying to contain the underwater oil gusher.
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal wants to erect 128 miles of berms to protect Louisiana’s barrier islands and shoreline, but federal officials initially balked at the plan, saying they needed to study it first. But with oil creeping closer to the coast, federal officials yesterday announced their support of the plan after previously saying the project would take too long and might harm the local environment.
The newest efforts come after the highly publicized “top kill” attempt failed. Engineers employed by the BP Corporation last week received the go-ahead from federal officials to proceed with the “top kill” plan to plug the leaking oil well with heavy sediment comprised of mud and concrete. A day later, the effort appeared to be working and seemed to have stopped the oil flow, raising hopes the operation would be successful. But video cameras indicated the sediment was leaking out along with oil and natural gas, and the process was halted for several hours.
Engineers resumed the process on the evening of May 27, and U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen announced the flow of oil had been stopped the next morning. But, engineers on the scene cautioned the process was not a complete success and warned the leak might resume. The process never had been done underwater – and especially at the extreme 5,000-foot depth at which the leaking well is located. BP workers also attempted a “junk shot” and injected large quantities of shredded tires, golf balls and knotted rope into the well in an attempt to plug the leak.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until August, raising the possibility the oil spill will continue unchecked for several more weeks during peak hurricane season.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989.
‘Top Kill’ Fails; BP Trying New Approach
June 1, 2010 – After reporting initial success, the efforts to stifle the gushing oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico have failed. But a new approach is being tried as oil continues pouring unchecked into the Gulf of Mexico some 43 days after a deadly explosion triggered the undersea oil gusher.
Engineers for the BP Corporation over the weekend abandoned attempts to plug the leaking well with a heavy mixture of concrete and mud and now are attempting to cut off a section of oil pipe and cover it with a containment dome in order to siphon off any additional oil leakage and stop the already massive oil slick from becoming even larger.
Engineers gave up on the “Top Kill” approach after failing to stem the flow of oil, which remains pressurized. They now are trying to cut off a section of pipe and cover it in order to capture additional leaking oil. The success or failure of the latest effort might be determined as soon as tomorrow, according to various news reports.
News of the latest setback in trying to control the leaking oil well comes after federal officials last week declared the leaking oil well deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico tentatively plugged and appointed a new director of the federal regulatory body overseeing offshore drilling.
Engineers employed by the BP Corporation last Wednesday received the go-ahead from federal officials to proceed with the “top kill” plan to plug the leaking oil well with heavy sediment comprised of mud and concrete. A day later, the effort appeared to be working and seemed to have stopped the oil flow, raising hopes the operation would be successful. But video cameras indicated the sediment was leaking out along with oil and natural gas, and the process was halted for several hours.
Engineers resumed the process Thursday night, and U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen announced the flow of oil had been stopped as of Friday morning. But, engineers on the scene cautioned the process was not a complete success and warned the leak might resume. The process never had been done underwater – and especially at the extreme 5,000-foot depth at which the leaking well is located. BP workers also attempted a “junk shot” and injected large quantities of shredded tires, golf balls and knotted rope into the well in an attempt to plug the leak.
While temporary measures are being tried, BP engineers continue drilling two relief wells that would cut off the oil supply to the leaking well. But the two wells won’t be completed until August, raising the possibility the oil spill will continue unchecked for several more weeks during peak hurricane season.
The oil spill has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989. BP officials said the company has spent nearly $1 billion trying to get the problem under control.
‘Top Kill’ Declared a Success; New MMS Director Appointed
May 28, 2010 – Federal officials today declared the leaking oil well deep beneath the Gulf of Mexico tentatively plugged and appointed a new director of the federal regulatory body overseeing offshore drilling.
Engineers employed by the BP Corporation on Wednesday received the go-ahead from federal officials to proceed with the “top kill” plan to plug the leaking oil well with heavy sediment comprised of mud and concrete. A day later, the effort appeared to be working and seemed to have stopped the oil flow, raising hopes the operation would be successful. But video cameras indicated the sediment was leaking out along with oil and natural gas, and the process was halted for several hours.
Engineers resumed the process last night, and U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen announced the flow of oil had been stopped as of this morning. Despite Allen’s announcement, engineers on the scene caution the process is not a complete success and the leak might resume. Engineers need to seal the leaking well with cement to ensure it is plugged permanently, and the New York Times this afternoon reported the operation was a long way from being a success and likely would continue at least another two days before success or failure could be determined.
The process never has been done underwater – and especially at the extreme 5,000-foot depth at which the leaking well is located. But it has been done successfully several times on leaking wells located above the ground. Workers for the BP Corporation amassed some 50,000 barrels of the concoction to pump down to the well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Associated Press.
If the attempt ultimately fails, BP workers plan to attempt a “junk shot” and inject large quantities of shredded tires, golf balls and knotted rope in an attempt to plug the leak. If both attempts fail, the company still has a large concrete-and-metal containment dome located nearby on the seafloor that might be placed over the well to prevent additional oil from spilling into the sea.
The first attempt to use the containment dome failed when icy gas hydrate crystals collected inside the structure. Because the ice-like crystals are lighter than water, they made the dome buoyant and prevented it from sealing to the seafloor. While several short-term solutions are being worked on, a more permanent solution continues as BP workers drill additional relief wells designed to intercept and stop the leak altogether. But completing the relief wells will take about two more months as the oil well continues leaking thousands of barrels of oil every day.
As workers continue battling the source of the massive oil spill, federal officials today announced Bob Abbey would replace Elizabeth Birnbaum as director of the federal Minerals Management Service, which is the federal body in charge of overseeing offshore oil drilling. Abbey currently is the director of the federal bureau of land management and takes over the position after reports of corruption and other problems at the Minerals Management Service.
The oil leak has been declared the largest in U.S. history, surpassing the nearly 11 million gallons of oil spilled into Alaska’s Prince William Sound after the supertanker Exxon Valdez struck an underwater shoal in 1989.