The final remedy to the oil leak was a combination of a static kill and relief wells.
Static kill
First they must temporarily seal the well using a sealing cap at the opening of the well
They then must perform several tests including well integrity tests and injection tests to moniter the pressure in the well in order to confirm that the static kill will be successful and not burst the pipe once again
They begin by pumping dense mud in to the well, pushing the oil back towards the reservoir.
Cement is then pumped in to the well, permanently sealing the well
Relief Wells
The relief wells, after being drilled to where the reservoir opens, are also pumped with mud and cement, in order to stop the leak even farther from the earth’s surface.
Ariel Schwartz, "Gulf Oil Spill Cleanup Solutions Sought on the Floors of Hair Salons", accessed December 8. 2010, http://www.fastcompany.com/1636656/gulf-oil-spill-cleanup-techniques-bp-deepwater-horizon.
Cam Parkin December 9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment