RELIEF WELLS NEAR COMPLETION in the face of Methane/Oil SUPER ARMAGEDDON

What about the suction? I hear these are not that big. The suction from the up pour might suck the drill up and cause more problems.

Pray it does not.


However, what does a relief well do other than spread the problem? I mean, we ARE working off an old broken pipe. Is patching a part of it a guarantee it will not break again?

The first relief well, which started drilling May 2, has reached a measured depth of 16,546 feet and has successfully completed a second ”ranging” run using specialist equipment inserted into the well to help more precisely locate the MC252 well. Drilling and ranging operations will continue over the next few weeks as the well progresses towards the target intercept depth of approximately 18,000 feet. Once intercept has occurred, operations are expected to begin to kill the flow of oil and gas from the reservoir by pumping specialised heavy fluids down the relief well.The second relief well, which started May 16, is at a measured depth of 12,038 feet. Both wells are still estimated to take approximately three months to complete from commencement of drilling.

This was taken from the update on 28th June and does not say the first well has missed it's mark. I cannot imagine that in three days it has driven down further enough to have passed the main well, so I await bourbon2nite's response.

Much more information on the geology below the seafloor at the site is necessary to make any judgments,or reasonable speculation on the chances of success of a bottom kill attempt.
I will say if the reports of a huge methane gas build-up below the seafloor are correct the more holes we put in it the worse it could become. Also if this report is true BP is going balls out to seal it up. If they get it sealed up and there is a large to massive outgassing afterwords they can argue it was not caused by their blow out. If there is a large hazard awaiting and their well is deteriorating and gushing when it occurs it would mean a complete death of the corporation and likely precipitate an uncontrollable public demonstration.
The other high motivation for getting this sealed off is even if there is no "bubble" of methane built up the hot discharge has got to be having an effect on the clathrates it is passing thru en route to the surface and in in the cracked areas of the casing which go very deep into the seafloor.This is bound to be destabilizing the remaining wellhead.
At any rate as long as it is not for nukes and they don't just blow like the first did I am hopeful about the relief wells but also feel they should be filled and capped and the area left the hell alone if they succeed.
Whatever the outcome I have the strong feeling this will not be over even once the well is hopefully sealed up or relief wells in place.
Until a complete study of the leaking fissures, it is determined if the clathrates are still stable and GPR has ruled out the presence of a sub surface "bubble" of gas this gusher has caused, this is still an unknown ongoing danger so personally am not expecting anything final about a successful bottom kill until the mentioned factors are understood.
S&F to the OP who is hardly some BP apologist, and thanks for the update
N.

If all else fails.. That's a helluva thing to have to contemplate while this disaster only grows in scope and impact even as I type this.

The nuke option isn't a good one; let's not add radiation to the already hellish mix of oil and chemicals pouring out of that well.

But the basic idea of "cauterizing" the well is a good idea, imho.

Maybe something like plastic cased magnesium blocks mated to shaped charges could be placed via ROV; ignite the magnesium, and then blow the charges to focus the plasma on the well like a giant blow torch.

Originally posted by Gorman91
What about the suction? I hear these are not that big. The suction from the up pour might suck the drill up and cause more problems.

Mm, not sure about that. You are saying will the force of the gusher whip the drill head up the existing shaft? I suppose it must be a possibility.

However, what does a relief well do other than spread the problem? I mean, we ARE working off an old broken pipe. Is patching a part of it a guarantee it will not break again?

I think you may be misunderstanding here. The purpose is not to patch the pipe but to seal it. They will pump in concrete if they can stop the flow. This happens at the bottom of the old broken pipe.

This was actually what they were doing when all this happened - sealing the well. It was to be capped and left.

prime trouble is internal well's pressure: if it' d have been quite low, problem 'd be no more than nothing -- there're extremal pressure & relief wells shan't be useful.

Originally posted by PuterMan
reply to post by JohnnyElohim

 

I appreciate your optimism but I would not say they are "nearing completion" just because BP's graphic shows them getting close to the most difficult part of the endeavor.

Not nit picking but at the end of the day the only information we have as regards this comes from BP. I have the three graphics issued and each shows a further advance. Under the assumption that these are correct then the first well is close.

The fact that they are the exclusive source only damages the credibility of their information, but that's not my point. I was simply stating from where the information came. My core point is that the most difficult aspect of the relief well operation is coming into contact with the original well shaft. It could take weeks or months of attempts to get that right. Being close is not being successful.

reply to post by PuterMan


I'd like to think they a) knew what they were doing from first-hand experience and b) don't have some intention to try and resurrect this well through relief wells as a producing venture. As far as their business, I can't blame them if they want that, but the Gulf o Mexico is not only a public, but an international commons and it's not up to BP to decide if it's worth the risk all by themselves. Here's and article on the only previous ocean relief well operation to stop a blowout at Montara well in Australia which was tried earlier this year and not by BP:

www.nola.com...

Relief wells, as I understand are required before a well goes into operation in the North Sea and there have been successful relief well interventions on land, but no one has experience with a deep water relief well operation. So they not only have to be good, but a little or a lot lucky.

reply to post by N.of norml

to the OP who is hardly some BP apologist

Many thanks for that support.

.... I am hopeful about the relief wells but also feel they should be filled and capped and the area left the hell alone if they succeed.
Whatever the outcome I have the strong feeling this will not be over even once the well is hopefully sealed up or relief wells in place.

I don't think as I said in an earlier post that there is any doubt that the intention is to seal the well(s)

reply to post by JohnnyElohim


You are not wrong!

[edit on 2/7/2010 by PuterMan]

Let's hope this works as planned.

However, since this oil resovoir is under enough pressure to already have caused one blowout, why is BP confident that it won't happend again? Even if they do succeed in getting it plugged, wouldn't the pressure buildup underneath the plug eventually cause it to fail too?

As much as I hate to think BP would profit from this disaster, wouldn't using the two relief wells to obtain oil twice as fast be a better option? It seems to me that would ensure the pressure in the existing well is minimized enough that they can begin to pump in a couple miles of concrete into the original well, ensuring that the plug doesn't fail. In my mind, if the ocean floor and a mile of water above it, is not enough to quell the oil and methane flow, how does one expect a measly few feet/yards of cement to plug it up?

Naturally all the above is speculation, as I am not an oil engineer or geologist. However, common sense tells me that once you grab a tiger by the tail, you have just got to hold on the best you can until he tires out (until the oil resovoir is drained enough to casue the pressure to drop to more manageable levels). Besides, if BP did succeed in pumping the oil twice as fast as before, that would allow for a bigger compensation package for the people, critters, and environment in the Gulf.

Great info PuterMan

Here is something I found:
A relief well provides access to a blown-out well far beneath the seabed, at or close to the bottom of the problem well.

* Typically, it is drilled parallel to the problem well through multiple layers of rock and sometimes salt. Then the drillbit curves to intersect with the problem well. This is how BP's relief wells are being drilled.


* As of June 18, the first well had been drilled to 10,677 feet (3,254 metres), or 2 miles (3.2 km), beneath the seabed. The second well had reached 4,662 feet (1,421 metres), or eight-tenths of a mile (1 km).

The first well also was within 200 feet (61 metres) of the side of the blown-out well, but had to continue drilling down to find the right intersect point.

* The drilling process is lengthy because it must stop at points along the way. That allows drillers to insert piping, called casing, to hold the well open and prevent a cave-in.

What I don't like if the final point in this article:
* If the Macondo well is too damaged to revisit, it is possible the company could turn one of the relief wells into a producing well.

If you want to read this yourself: www.godlikeproductions.com...

This is confusing. How could they have been that close so long ago?

Here's a good McClatchy article that talks about a lot of the problems at Deep Horizon and in the industry in general as far as deep ocean wells go. No hopeful, so be forewarned:

www.mcclatchydc.com...

I really, really want this to work, but between Montara in Australia and this and BP's own testimony on why they weren't more prepared for a deep water blowout in the first place, I think we're going to have to hold our collective breathe until it succeeds or fails.

Originally posted by Sashromi
Let's hope this works as planned.

Absolutely agreed on that.

However, since this oil resovoir is under enough pressure to already have caused one blowout, why is BP confident that it won't happend again?

Most, but not all, wells are initially under pressure and get a gusher when the breakthrough to the oil bearing strata is achieved. A few are not and require the installation of 'nodding donkeys' to lift the oil.

This pressure gets less and less as oil is extracted and eventually the well gets to the point where either a nodding donkey system has to be installed or gas/water are pumped in under pressure to eject the remaining oil. This is the current situation in Saudi Arabia and I believe in Iran.

Even if they do succeed in getting it plugged, wouldn't the pressure buildup underneath the plug eventually cause it to fail too?

Probably not as it is the same as a plug of rock, and the rock that was there before held the pressure. Imagine the weight of a column of concrete on average 12" wide and 2.4 miles high.

As much as I hate to think BP would profit from this disaster, wouldn't using the two relief wells to obtain oil twice as fast be a better option? It seems to me that would ensure the pressure in the existing well is minimized enough that they can begin to pump in a couple miles of concrete into the original well, ensuring that the plug doesn't fail.

With the pressures there I would imagine that could be years.

In my mind, if the ocean floor and a mile of water above it, is not enough to quell the oil and methane flow, how does one expect a measly few feet/yards of cement to plug it up?

Make that miles!!

reply to post by zachi

What I don't like if the final point in this article:
* If the Macondo well is too damaged to revisit, it is possible the company could turn one of the relief wells into a producing well.

There is I believe no way that they would be permitted to use one of the relief wells to extract oil under the present circumstances.

Firstly the well that plugs the leak will contain heavy mud and will almost certainly have to be capped with concrete but, if they succeed in slowing the flow enough to be able to cap the old bore then unless that concrete goes most of the way down I think that we may be in further trouble. The old bore must be compromised now and unless the plug extendes to the bottom I can't see how this could be acceptable.

The relief well under those circumstances could then be used for production, but I suspect they will not be allowed to do that.

The second relief well on the other hand could be capped before striking and held in reserve for future production.

There is no way they are going to abandon the site completely, especially if the US does go to war with Iran.

This is confusing. How could they have been that close so long ago?

On the 18th June they were at just under 16,000 ft with a further 2,000 ft to go to intersection. How far they were from the old well laterally really is not relevant as they still have to go down to reach the bore near the oil strata.

I would hope they do some radar/sonar surveys of the casing areas. my main fear about success is not that they can pump in concrete that will hold but that the well casing fractures have created pockets that will siphon off the concrete as it is injected making for an incomplete column forming.
Should this occur future attempts will be greatly hindered.
The other problem I think needs looked into is the stability of the caprock which appears to be leaking in various sites. My hope is these are not made worse or actually a worse problem forming by the back pressure plugging the well at this point may cause on what seems to be an already weak geologic structure.
Just voicing what I hope the guys pulling strings are thinking about as they get ready for another "experiment" with extreme drilling ops.
N.

reply to post by N.of norml


We can only wait and see with fingers crossed and bated breath.

Thank you everyone for your input. Much appreciated and some good ideas and discussion.

It is 02:30 here so I am away to the land of nod and bid you all goodnight or good day, or even g'day!

I was expecting a lot of the crazies to come out of the woodwork during the BP leak, but what I've seen here at ATS has been almost surreal; textbook doomer disinfo combined with some pretty ingenious, yet easy to see through methods:

1. Use Hoagland. Always gotta get the Hoagland in there.
2. Use a Title that forecasts at least 100 million dead.
3. Twist logic to support scientific evidence. Twist evidence to support claim.
4. If no evidence exists, make it up. Create Blogspot pages and write "News Articles" on Helium (User created "news source") to support made up "scientific results".
5. Claim to be whistle blower on "highly acclaimed" news source. Expect nobody will notice said source is the only one everyone is quoting.

It's so rich, there's gotta be money in it. Whether it's for some lost sensation of attention, or for the almighty dollar is a mystery to me, but it's definitely become a great ride for the observer.

At any rate, without going on like a hen in a sewing circle: Thank you for this thread. You've obviously caught on to the only way it works around here, and were able to get actual evidence into it to boot. Definitely a worthy read, although I'm a bit put off by the lack of the world exploding in the process. Finally, someone actually gets it.



[edit on 2-7-2010 by EnkiCarbone]

reply to post by PuterMan


Ah! Was unaware. Thanks.

I thought the two relief wells would just pump the oil for them so they get it still.

I hope all of those flags aren't because of the title.

Lol, if so, kudos for revealing that some people don't read threads and flag em for the title

reply to post by PuterMan


Sweet dreams puterman! thank you for some descent news.