BP says suspends top kill operation to study data
HOUSTON |
HOUSTON May 27 (Reuters) - BP Plc has temporarily suspended its "top kill" operation to plug a blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico to analyze results, a company executive said on Thursday.
Pumping of heavy mud into the well could resume later this evening, said BP Chief Operating Officer Doug Suttles, speaking with reporters in Robert, Louisiana.
(Reporting by Chris Baltimore, Editing by Stacey Joyce)
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Comments (2)
swanman wrote:
It sounds to me as if they are consuming too much mud. Why do they not initially pump seawater (unlimited supply)instead of heavy mud (limited supply). It is the power and capacity of the pumps that will counteract the well pressure and this will be made clear as the black oily discharge is replaced by clear fluid. If the pumping capacity is sufficient it should be possible to “kill” the well with sea water, then change over to mud.
technos wrote:
Seawater does no have the same physical properties as “mud’s” dilatancy. The molecules tend to stay structured in stacks which gives it’s “holding” property, which plain seawater simply does not have. Also, there are breaks/kinks in the pipe which would decrease the effectiveness of seawater exponentially. Between that and the fact that the oil is under very large pressure it’s clear that it’s mud or nothing (perhaps they will try using tires to jam up the well if this doesn’t work).
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