Home > Chemical News

Chemical News

Britain: BP delays Macondo injectivity test to Tuesday on leak

https://www.chemnet.com   Aug 04,2010
BP said late Monday it would delay until Tuesday injectivity testing on
its blown-out Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico due to a small hydraulic
leak found in the capping stack hydraulic control system.


The test was expected to start Monday, ahead of plans to start a static
kill operation on Tuesday.


"During final preparations to commence with the injectivity test, a small
hydraulic leak was discovered in the capping stack hydraulic control system,"
BP said. "The injectivity test, previously announced to take place today, will
be rescheduled until the leak is repaired."


"It is anticipated that the injectivity test and possibly the static kill
will take place Tuesday," the company said.


Earlier Monday afternoon, US Incident Commander Thad Allen had said the
test could be delayed by a couple of hours due to a leak in the vessel that
would be conducting it -- the Q4000 -- with the test likely occurring Monday
evening.


The Q4000 is the Helix multipurpose vessel BP will use for injecting
drilling mud into Macondo for the static kill, which is expected to begin
after the testing provides more details about the best way to proceed with the
operation.


For the static kill operation, drilling mud will be pumped into the top
of the well on the sea floor through Macondo's malfunctioning blowout
preventer.


The static kill would be followed by interception of Macondo with a
relief well between August 11-15 and the final bottom kill by the end of the
month, BP senior vice president Kent Wells said earlier Monday.


Although similar to the ill-fated top kill operation attempted in May,
static kill is expected to have a greater chance of success because the well
has since been controlled through depletion and the installation of a sealing
cap.
 Print  |    add to Favorites  |    Close