Gulf Oil Spill Worse Than Initially Reported

[LTLFTcomposite]

Why doesn't each BOP have a large ball valve to shut off the oil flow?

Isn't the idea of the BOP to not just be a simple valve but to provide a valve that you can run drilling operations through? My understanding is that it is basically a valve with gates powered by hydraulic rams that move with such extreme force they just shear off the drill if needed. They supposedly have several fail safe features but nobody is quite sure why those mechanisms failed in this instance.

 

[evnow]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/BPeeDay

 

[evnow]

BTW, here is some info on IXTOC I the largest spill in GOM. Took them more than 9 months to plug - June 3, 1979 to March 23, 1980.

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/hs644.snc3/27535_125939624100331_7888_n.jpg

PEMEX hired blowout control experts and other spill control experts including Red Adair, Martech International of Houston, and the Mexican diving company, Daivaz.
...
Divers were eventually able to reach and activate the BOP, but the pressure of the oil and gas caused the valves to
begin rupturing. The BOP was reopened to prevent destroying it.

 

[AndyH]

It sounds like we have a few brain cells in common!

Topkill failed because the path of least resistance to the drilling mud was thru the top of the BOP and into the Gulf. Duh! Doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see that coming...

BP has a range of videos on their site, and there's more info from the joint info center's site. In one of the videos from the past day or so, a BP rep said they recovered, rebuilt, and replaced the control system for the BOP and were able to activate some of the upper hydraulic rams. Maybe they thought there would be enough restriction to allow some success with topkill. It seems that it should be pretty easy to look at the flow from the riser pipe to see if it made a significant difference.

If the ROVs can remove the bolts that hold the flange on the top of the BOP, why not continue topkill to suppress oil flow, swap the flange/riser pipe for a flange/valve, close the valve, then topkill and cement the well. But maybe the ROVs can't handle the bolts. So...

Put a temporary cap on the top of the BOP and do another topkill. Even if the flange leaks, it'll leak drilling mud and not crude. It appears they're going to do most of that with the new mini-cap. All it's missing is a valve. Maybe they don't need it - get the cap in place and topkill it from the surface via the big pipe.

Maybe these will work, maybe not. The downside to filling a room with specialists in the same field is that there's a high probability that they are looking at the problem - and thus range of solutions - thru the same tunnel vision.

Nothing for us to do but hang on and 'enjoy' the ride.

 

[mitch672]

BTW, here is some info on IXTOC I the largest spill in GOM. Took them more than 9 months to plug - June 3, 1979 to March 23, 1980.

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/hs644.snc3/27535_125939624100331_7888_n.jpg

PEMEX hired blowout control experts and other spill control experts including Red Adair, Martech International of Houston, and the Mexican diving company, Daivaz.
...
Divers were eventually able to reach and activate the BOP, but the pressure of the oil and gas caused the valves to
begin rupturing. The BOP was reopened to prevent destroying it.

Let's hope this doesn't take 9 months to stop, with a new "Exxon Valdez" every 2 1/2 to 5 days occuring (250,000 barrels), depending on what the real flow is, which no one is talking about

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exxon_Valdez_oil_spill

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepwater_Horizon_oil_spill

Heres is the one you referenced, but we have a chance at topping it

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtoc_I_oil_spill

bad oil spills of the past

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_spill#Largest_oil_spills

 

[LTLFTcomposite]

...Put a temporary cap on the top of the BOP and do another topkill...

Of course we're all armchair quarterbacks here but isn't there some concern that just stopping the flow at the BOP would risk rupturing the well casing? Hence the goal with the mud was it would form a plug deep in the well. Something I don't understand about that though is if that's a concern wouldn't you have that problem in general when a blowout preventer is actuated?

 

[evnow]

...Put a temporary cap on the top of the BOP and do another topkill...

BOP is leaking everywhere - that is the problem. With LMRP - the idea is to draw the oil up, so the leaks will not leak much.

Something I don't understand about that though is if that's a concern wouldn't you have that problem in general when a blowout preventer is actuated?

If the BOP had worked, we would still probably had some leak. A relief well with cementing the well at the reservoir is the only permanent solution (even such wells apparently could start leaking after a while).

 

[garygid]

Usually, drilling (for oil) and then finding oil is a good thing, at least expexted, right?

So, what was so unexpected with this well?
The pressure?

How had they planned to regulate the flow and get the oil to the surface?

 

[AndyH]

...Put a temporary cap on the top of the BOP and do another topkill...

BOP is leaking everywhere - that is the problem. With LMRP - the idea is to draw the oil up, so the leaks will not leak much.

Right - I get what they want to do with LMRP. They're going to lose oil when they cut the riser and dress the pipe for the LMRP. Why not use a sleeve inside the LMRP to protect the seal from blowout, then push mud down to equalize the pressure in the well, then run another topkill thru the BOP? At least that way the mud would actually be forced DOWN the well instead of being spit out. They could then finish the topkill with cement and the well's dead.

 

[mitch672]

It all sounds easy, doesn't it fellow armchair quarterbacks? of course it is 5,000 feet down, and no diver can actually work at that depth, it all must be done via remotely operated ROVs, and they are just not as nimble and adept as human hands, that's the largest problem with this entire operation, we just can't get humans down there to do the work.

 

[AndyH]

It all sounds easy, doesn't it fellow armchair quarterbacks? of course it is 5,000 feet down, and no diver can actually work at that depth, it all must be done via remotely operated ROVs, and they are just not as nimble and adept as human hands, that's the largest problem with this entire operation, we just can't get humans down there to do the work.

Absolutely - but BP is already working with the ROVs, and they're already planning to cut the riser pipe above the BOP/Riser flange. They've already cut and dressed pipes to hook-up the topkill hoses.

So...if they can cut the riser and dress the cut well enough to use the new riser and cap, why can't they dump mud down the new riser to balance the pressure? This is one instance where the 5000' depth is an asset.

 

[evnow]

So...if they can cut the riser and dress the cut well enough to use the new riser and cap, why can't they dump mud down the new riser to balance the pressure? This is one instance where the 5000' depth is an asset.

If the LMRP / Hot hat has good seal and they can collect most of the oil up, why would you risk trying a top kill until the relief well is dug ?

 

[AndyH]

The folks from BP say that even with the best cut, the LMRP isn't likely to have a 100% seal. That means that we'll have oil released until into August or September. I haven't seen this, but you mentioned earlier that the BOP is leaking as well. If the BOP was strong enough for the first topkill attempt, and if it's still strong enough, then it seems to me that dropping mud into the riser pipe would let us leverage the 4950' to the sea floor to balance the pressure in the well. If the pressure can be balanced (or at least significantly reduced), then they should be able to do a 'standard' topkill/cement operation.

There are a number of ifs, and I certainly don't have all the data, but it seems like this might be a good next step.

(cont)

 

[AndyH]

 

[AndyH]

Why would they cut the pipes and not the flange bolts? And if they can then access a good flange, shouldn't that be a much more secure connection?

Sorry...having a lot of trouble posting a full message.

 

[evnow]

See how soft the sea bed is.

http://www.oceaneering.com/3196/deepwater-rov-deployed-dredge-clears-subsea-sediments/

I'm looking at the live ROV feed and listening in on the chat. Either use mIRC or

http://webchat.freenode.net / Just enter your nickname and #theoildrum in the boxes.

 

[evnow]

Why would they cut the pipes and not the flange bolts? And if they can then access a good flange, shouldn't that be a much more secure connection?

See this ...

http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/incident_response/STAGING/local_assets/downloads_pdfs/Riser_Removal_large.jpg

 

[AndyH]

Thanks evnow. On the IRC and live feed.

Not happy to hear about +20% flow when the riser's cut.

edit... Thanks evnow...like I needed another reason to give in to insomnia! Why am I not surprised that BP's working at night?

 

[mwalsh]

So the new cap has failed because there isn't a good fit on the jagged edge of the shear-cut riser pipe.

Am I the only one who thinks that, now a majority of the riser pipe is gone, they would have success with cutting off just a couple more inches with the saw to get a better seal on that new cap? Because I'm guessing that the saw only jammed because of the weight of the pipe on the cut. Remove the cap, go back in with the saw, and bring the cap back over the cleaner cut.

 

[LEAFer]

+1