Wednesday, the containment cap was secure on the oil well in the Gulf of Mexico and no additional leaks have appeared nearby, and the pressure continues to rise, BP reported. Friday, after BP placed the new containment cap on the oil well the original test was scheduled for 48 hours and BP left the cap on and it has continued to hold, even though the pressure isn’t where they expect it to be.
BP officials are looking into a new tactic called "static kill" to help stop the flow of the oil in case the cap doesn’t hold. Static kill would include pumping a mass amount of mud into the oil well and force it back into the reservoir below the ocean floor.
BP officials said that the static kill operation may succeed, and may be easier if the pressure of the containment cap doesn’t hold.
"I think the reason that they're considering it is because they've yet to intercept the well bore," Berman said. "They're very close, a few feet away with the relief well, as everyone knows. But to actually intersect the 7-inch pipe does involve a bit of technology and accuracy, whereas if they do the static kill through the existing well bore at the top, there's less uncertainty about their ability to actually get the mud into the pipe."
Tuesday, the Coast Guard extended the testing for additional 24 hours. The only leak seen so far is about 2 miles away from the sunken oil well, and the Coast Guard stated that it is inconsequential. The cap is only intended as a temporary fix, until the replacement well is dug in late July or early August.
Tuesday, BP Senior Vice-President Kent Wells said: "We've just got a little ways left to go, probably within 50, 60 feet of the bottom of the hole. Once we reach the bottom, we'll do what we call 'circulate bottoms up' to make sure the hole's clean, and then we'll start pulling out of the hole to run casing, and that will take place over Wednesday and Thursday, followed by cementing. And of course, that all assumes that we have no issues, no weather, whatever that could possibly disrupt that. But that's sort of the plan."
Friday, BP was able to completely stop the oil spill with the new containment cap and said that they were conducting a 48 hour test. Saturday, BP announced that the containment cap may hold the oil for a longer period. For more on that story, click here.
Thursday, a BP executive gave the most positive statement to date about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and when they think it will be contained. BP managing director Bob Dudley told the Wall Street Journal, "In a perfect world with no interruptions, it's possible to be ready to stop the well between July 20 and July 27." For more on that story, click here.
A US Navy blimp will be used in the Gulf of Mexico to help detect where the oil is on the surface of the water. The 178-foot long blimp will help to reduce fuel costs, and can stay in the air longer than the airplanes that are currently doing the job. For more on that story, click here.
The world’s largest oil skimmer is in the Gulf for testing and assigned a 25 square mile area to separate oil from the water; the A Whaler has the capacity to skim 21 millions of gallons of oil per day. Results from weekend testing were inconclusive because of rough waters in the Gulf, and will be extended for the next few days. If approved, BP intends to lease the Taiwanese vessel to help with cleanup in the Gulf. The vessel was built this year and it is twice as long as the Titanic. For more information on the vessel, click here.
To see incredible photos of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, click here.
To see photos taken recently of the oil spill that hit the Louisiana coastline and the wildlife it has affected, click here.
Scientists from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met with BP to discuss the chemicals that are being used to break up the oil spill that sits on top of the water in the Gulf of Mexico. Thursday, the EPA released its findings on the toxicity testing on eight dispersants used in the Gulf. The findings showed that the chemicals placed in the water without oil did not disrupt marine life, but more tests are needed to show what happens when the chemicals are mixed with oil. For more on that story, click here.
The state of Louisiana asked BP to pay for the mental health costs of residents in the state because of the oil spill, but BP isn’t paying. A suicide occurred because of the oil spill and loss of income occurred in Louisiana. Captain William Allen Kruse committed suicide, after his life and lifestyle changed dramatically because of oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. For more on his story, click here.
Actor Kevin Costner has invested about $26 million into his Ocean Therapy Solutions machine, and six of the machines were sent to the Gulf for testing. BP ordered 32 more machines that recycle water to separate the oil. For more information on this story, click here.
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Source: CNN
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