What’s next? Static (top) kill? Relief well intercept? Weather is the key.
July 20, 2010 by offshoreenergy
- As indicated in the Weather Undergound map above, a tropical system may be approaching, and weather may be the key factor in determining the next step at Macondo. Is the hurricane season about to begin in earnest? Fortunately the well is shut-in, and will likely remain shut-in (this is good news despite attempts to describe it otherwise).
- BP is now considering a static kill operation – slowly injecting mud and killing the well from the top. This should work, but timing is the key. Could the operation be completed in what remains of the weather window?
- With regard to the relief well, is it prudent to initiate the Macondo intercept given the weather uncertainties? Clearly, you do not want to have to relocate the DD3 in the middle of a bottom kill operation.
- Keep a close watch on the weather, as tropical waves and storms can appear and intensify overnight.
Posted in accidents, well control incidents | Tagged accidents, blowouts, Deepwater Horizon, drilling, Gulf of Mexico, hurricanes, macondo, relief well, top kill | Leave a Comment
Bud's Offshore Energy (BOE) 
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