Oil Flows Freely in Gulf as BP Readies New Cap

(CBS)  On Saturday, the fight to contain the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico took one step backward with the hope of making one huge step forward.

Special Section: Disaster in the Gulf

Robotic subs removed the well cap so it can be replaced with a more complete seal, CBS News Correspondent Mark Strassmann reports. Oil will flow freely for at least two days until the tighter dome is put in place, which could potentially capture all the oil leaking into the ocean.

It was high drama a mile under the sea. The leak just got worse - BP says, only temporarily - with a flurry of major weekend work ahead.

"We're looking to do as much activity as we can," BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells told reporters.

Just a half-mile away the rig named DD2 was drilling one of BP's two relief wells. Its workers anticipated the next major step nearby, hooking up another ship - the Helix producer - to the runaway well with a detachable riser pipe.

Switching the containment caps should take three days. During that time, BP needs the Helix ready to help recover the well's additional gush of oil.

The Helix is in position but not up and running until tomorrow and not fully functional until Tuesday. Until it is, up to another 15,000 barrels will gush into the Gulf until the new cap is on.

Containment is one challenge. Killing the well is the ultimate goal. Like the DD3 a half-mile away, the DD2's 175 workers drill round the clock.

Both wells run parallel to the gusher well. DD3 is two weeks ahead of DD2, now roughly 18,000 feet below the Gulf's surface.

Electromagnetic sensors are searching for the ideal spot to intercept the runaway well. The cut, the most precise step of all, should happen in the next week or so.

Then four pumps will send in heavy mud and cement to kill the well.

Mickey Fruge is BP's leader on DD2. He's confident these relief wells will end this crisis, BP's silver bullet. That's several weeks away at best. Until that happens, like everyone, Fruge wants this spill contained.

"We take it personal because we know we're now familiar with having, polluting the Gulf of Mexico," said Fruge. "Our goal is to stop the oil and get this over with."

For now, the well flows freely, and in the day it should take the helix producer to get to work, 5 million gallons will have poured into the Gulf.

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Lenny Kravitz Pitches In to Protect the Gulf
Rand Paul: Obama's BP Jabs Could Harm Cleanup
WH to Approve New Oil Spill Containment Plan
Navy Blimp Heads to Gulf to Aid Oil Clean Up

[independentwolverien]

Thank God we have the Obama change team showing us how the executive branch effectively deal with these national disasters. With a real executive like Obama showing us how its done, healthcare is going to be a wonder of the world!

[thechooch1]

independentwolverien first off, the Deep Water Horizon was built in 2001 and put in service shortly after. Secondly, I'll bet you are the first to cry less regulation and smaller government. Isn't that exactly what has happened here? Unlike Katrina, this can't be fixed with week late help!

[bluharley]

BP said 3-4 days, Thad Allen said by Monday (2 days), and now they're saying 4-7 days. LIES LIES LIES!

[bluharley]

15,000 barrels???? They've been capturing that much. The wells is gushing 60,000 barrels a day, at least. What the hell is the 15,000 barrels a day they're talking about? 3,000,000 gallons a day are gushing into the gulf. Some people don't know the difference between barrels and gallons. One barrel is 42 gallons, do your math!!

[thomderr1]

The logic used here continues to dumbfound me.

Why remove a cap that was at least removing 'some' of the oil and expose all of the leak to the ocean BEFORE the ship that can siphon more oil away is in place and operational?

I know, no logic in the oil industry.

[underdogus2007]

This isn't good news, but I thought you should know.
"Oil Volcano Pressure Too
Strong For Containment"


http://www.rense.com/general91/oilor.htm

If you want happy news, go pick up the latest newspaper or watch TV. The recession is over, we are fighting for stability in the Middle East, go to happy pill forums.com..............

[NB62]

The way I see things whether it takes 4 more days or 4 more weeks EVENTUALLY the well will be capped.Really doesnt matter now if another 15,000 gallons leaks out for the damage has already been done to the environment an to the lives of gulf coast residence and that will takes years if not decades to make right again.

[thechooch1]

NB62 your post would be right, except for the fact that the oil now showing up on the beaches left the well a couple of months ago. The oil leaking(?) gushing into the Gulf now has yet to pollute and kill, just wait. The slick, on and below the surface will continue to grow for months after it is capped.

[euge005]

Obamie? Be serious, the oil gusher from the drill bane drill crew and Chaney's company are the problem. So is the refyusal of the deadenders to see that the age of fossil fuel is over. VButnthere will be room for legitimate critism of the Admin if the BP crew is not fined the max under the clean water Act I am told that is $3400 per barrel(x 60,000 x 80 days). It will take even longer for the gulf to recover from BP then the decade that Bush's incompetence & craven corruption will take to set right.

[bamio]

They should us the plans presented by Obamie and his EPA to cap the well. I know that Obamie has detalied plans for stemming the flow because Obamie is a noted petroleum engineer in addition to being a noted military strategist AND a noted health care authority. Just use Obamie's plan, really!!!

Oh Obamie was gonna close GITMO by Jan 2010, too!!! He also promised to have us out completely of Iraq 20 days from now!!! LOL AND....he's "gonna create 2 millions jobs", ummmm....not counting the 3 million he's destroyed....

[thechooch1]

bamio if you are going to post juvenile name calling at least get your facts straight.

[pensacola8-2009]

The light at the end of the tunnel is in sight. I am hopeful that BP will succeed in capping the well and survive the financial setback. The engineering challenges of deep water operations are highly appreciated by those who give thought to the matter. If this succeeds, there will be a skill to market for future deep water well mishaps, and BP might find itself being in great demand for their knowledge.

I read about a petroleum engineer from Venezuela who claims to have plugged a deep well with liquid nitrogen. Those who give the matter some thought know that liquid nitrogen is extremely cold and would make water turn to ice and oil turn to a solid with the consistency of rock hard candy caramel incapable of flow.

[th9876]

"15,000 Barrels of Oil Gush into Gulf"

Does it really matter? There is so much oil in the water now it will never be cleaned up. I guess it does matter, but this is such a depressing situation when no one in charge really seems to care what they are doing to the environment. They only care about money.

To all the ocean life that have died and will continue to die because of human greed - RIP.

[euge005]

THst is 60,000 barrels a day. Then there is the million gallons plus of the bogus, toxic chemical dispersent. But you are otyherwise right.