 |
Analysis,
planning, forecast
and data services for energy producers and consumers. |
BP Macondo Oil Well
Update
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The cap on the well is showing
good integrity with pressure slowly increasing and now at 6932 psi.
They will be releasing the storm packer in the DD3 relief well.
Wednesday and Thursday should be devoted to well clean out and by
Friday they should begin to set the casing.
BP will likely cement the relief well late in week. At that point
they should be ready to perform a static kill on the Macondo well by
pumping mud into the top.
Wednesday, July
21, 2010
The main point at the BP
briefing weather was that work on the relief well for the Macondo has
been delayed due to the potential of a tropical storm during the period
when BP had planed to set the casing in the well. The entire operation
could take as much as a week and there needs to be a clear weather
window before operations resume. They have set a storm packer (plug) in
the relief well about 300 feet below the ocean floor as a precautionary
measure. It will be removed and BP will proceed with cleaning the well
bore and setting the final casing as soon as there is a weather window.
BP is awaiting government approval to introduce heavy mud into the
Macondo well to counterbalance the oil pressure. If successful this
would kill the well and provide temporary insurance against further
leaks until the relief well is completed and the Macondo is cemented
shut.
Tuesday, July 20,
2010
At
BP's 3.:30 PM briefing by Kent Wells there was little change in the
status of the well. The pressure continues to rise. It is at 6,834 psi
now rising at less than one psi / hour indicating that the well still
has integrity. It continues to be shut-in subject to approval every 24
hours by Admiral Allen. The static kill remains an option once again
subject to government approval. In any case, the permanent solution
remains the relief well with 50-60 feet remaining to drill.
Monday, July 19, 2010
At
BP's 5:00PM briefing by Kent Wells there was discussion of the
possibility of a
static kill of the Macondo well. This would entail pumping heavy mud
from the top of the well until the weight of the mud overcomes the
pressure from the oil. This would add another layer of protection and
enhance the already high probability of success from the relief
well. It is unlikely that BP would attempt to cement the well from the
top.
The DD3 relief well is four feet horizontally at a 2.8° angle from
the Macondo at
a depth of 17,862 feet. This is a casing point and they will be
cementing the casing before continuing a few feet to encounter the
Macondo. At that
point they will mill through the casing and introduce cement into the
Macondo. This should be followed by milling through the pipe,
introducing more cement and permanently killing the well.
Had the
Macondo been successful it would have been one of the top five
producers in the Gulf of Mexico.
|
| Energy
Economist Newsletter - In-depth analysis, information and
forecasts.
In addition to OPEC and crude oil prices, gasoline and natural gas
prices,
topics include regional, national and international exploration,
production
and consumption. Details
and
subscription
information. |
Oil
Price History and Analysis - 150 years of oil
prices and
the economic and political events that shaped the price: wars, domestic
policy, embargoes and price control.
|
| Measures
of Petroleum Dependence and Vulnerability in OECD Countries
Examines
energy security, petroleum dependence, and petroleum vulnerability of
the
major consuming countries. Originally published in Middle
East Economic Survey. |
| The
Coming Energy Crisis? Parallels with earlier energy crises
underscore
US vulnerability to oil supply shocks today. This summary of our
research
appeared in the Oil and Gas Journal the first in a series on Global
Energy
Security. |
| Rig
Counts - (June 18, 2010)
Short and
long term
graphs of U.S., Canadian, Foreign and World Rotary Rig Count as well as
U.S. Workover Rig Count. |
| Venezuela
Once again a nation in crisis, possibly facing civil war with dire
implications
for oil prices. |
| OPEC
Issues and Analysis: Articles written
over
several years analyzing the decisions faced by the Organization of
Petroleum
Exporting Countries. |
| National
Energy Policy - The report to the President. |
| Links
to oil, gas and general energy news and information |
| About
WTRG Economics.Our products and services |
| Projects
A brief list of some of the projects done by WTRG and its associates. |