Oil Seepage reported by reuters

This story is by reuters and is on a yahoo page.

news.yahoo.com...

"HOUSTON (Reuters) – Engineers monitoring BP Plc's damaged well in the Gulf of Mexico detected seepage on the ocean floor that could mean problems with the cap that has stopped oil from gushing into the water, the government's top oil spill official said on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, BP officials had expressed hope that the test of the cap which began Thursday could continue until a relief well can permanently seal the leak next month. Oil gushed from the deep-sea Maconda well for nearly three months until the new cap was put in place last week.

But late on Sunday, the U.S. government released a letter to BP Chief Managing Director Bob Dudley from retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen that referred to seepage near the mile-deep (1.6 km-deep) well as well as "undetermined anomalies at the well head."

"I direct you to provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the well head be confirmed," Allen wrote.

The worst oil spill in U.S. history has caused an economic and environmental disaster in five states along the Gulf Coast, hurt President Barack Obama's approval ratings and complicated traditionally close ties with Britain.

Those concerns are sure to be discussed when British Prime Minister David Cameron meets Obama in Washington on Tuesday.

The plan had been for BP to resume siphoning the oil after the completion of the pressure tests on the well, which extends 2.5 miles under the seabed, to judge if it is able to withstand the process to seal the leak.

But Doug Suttles, BP's chief operating officer, said the company now hopes to keep the damaged well shut until the relief well is completed in August and the leak is sealed off with heavy drilling mud and cement.

"We're hopeful that if the encouraging signs continue that we'll be able to continue the integrity test all the way to the point that we get the well killed," he told reporters before Allen issued his statement. "Clearly we don't want to reanimate flow into the Gulf if we don't have to."

(Additional reporting by Paul Eckert in Washington, Eileen O'Grady in Houston, Alexandria Sage in Louisiana; Writing by Deborah Charles; Editing by John O'Callaghan and Jackie Frank)"

BP needs to keep the cap on for as long as possible to reduce the fines for the oil released.

If the goverment comes in and takes control would bp be able to say its not there fault after that. There lawyers could argue that the goverment messed it up after they took over and they are not resonsible after that. Also could this move from BP be one that tries to get the goverment to take over operations? Slippery slope for both parties. Personally I think that we should get rid of both.




[edit on 18-7-2010 by jlafleur02]

Heres another link. It says that BP is saying if they follow the goverment plan they will not be responsible for the leak after that.



news.yahoo.com...

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security referred questions to a statement issued by Allen; neither he nor BP officials could explain the apparent contradiction in plans.

Suttles' comments carved out an important piece of turf for BP: If Allen sticks with the containment plan and oil again pours forth into the Gulf, even briefly, it will be the government's doing, not BP's.

Its all games for them. greedy bsterds

[edit on 18-7-2010 by jlafleur02]

[edit on 18-7-2010 by jlafleur02]

"I direct you to provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the well head be confirmed," Allen wrote.



Wow Allen sounds serious and concerned!

i suspect bp wants to call it quits now that its 'capped'.

and anything that happens after that they can claim its not their fault.

[edit on 18-7-2010 by justadood]

I'm going delve into the realms of true conspiracy here, but is it so far removed from possibility that BP might be willing to rupture the seafloor?

I posted this theory within hours of the well being capped days ago, as at first it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me how and why they had capped it.

Obviously BP have to pay for each and every barrel that is spilled into the open waters of the Gulf right? Everyone from the government to the average man and his dog are screaming at BP to stem the flow into the Gulf.

But what if, unknown to most people, that should the flow be stopped from the main leak point for long enough the likelihood of a seafloor explosion/sinkhole/rupture to occur is significantly raised if the wellbore is pierced, which a lot of people seem to think it is.

Now, after following this obvious priority and request to stem the flow, the seafloor ruptures into an immeasurable catastrophe of a giant hole spewing incredible amounts of oil into the gulf, completely irreparable.

How could BP be expected to be held accountable for the ensuing damage? all they would have to say is "no one could have expected this to occur" and after all "we were only following everyone's obvious request to stop the leak".

I realize the well test integrity is meant to be testing for this kind of possible seafloor leak anyway, but something along these lines has been in my head since they managed to stem the flow.

Only a theory, and like all unsupported theories probably totally inaccurate! Would like to know what other ATS members think though.

reply to post by justadood



Yea, that's what it sounds like alright - if they have to uncap they will no longer be responsible. Then my question is who would take over? Surely BP wouldn't leave their own oil????

reply to post by Nomad451


Makes sense to me actually - they want to abandon the baby!

Time will definitely tell - but I think time is running short now.

reply to post by crazydaisy


You raise another point just now that has been knocking around in my head.

Are BP really trying to kill the well? If they kill it with the relief wells, do they lose it forever? All that "money" caved in and blocked off?

Maybe they are even trying to set up the government somehow, trying to create a cascading unstoppable disaster and at the right minute turn it all over to the Government so the ensuing disaster is now on their hands?

Make it look like they did it, like they messed it all up.

Horrible thoughts I must admit, but hey this is ATS and what this site is for right? Discuss possible theories as to what may or may not be happening?

It's not like we get any transparency on anything that goes on

Here is a link posted on Kindra's facebook page.

www.youtube.com...

Looks pretty serious to me.

I've been following this story this morning (7am in uk as I write) and I have to say things do not look to promising !!!

A question I have is How much does BP or any oil company get FINED for releasing oil into the sea ??

Is a fine charged at $x,000's per barrel or by some other measurment ??

Does anyone know ?? I think the guys who posted the above theory about BP trying to 'lock down' the well and say the rest is NOT our fault are probably correct and if so then BP are even more STUPID and greed focussed that I first thought !!!

Regards
PurpleDOG UK

reply to post by Nomad451


The well is drilled into an oil rich deposit in the earth. When BP kills this well, they lose the well but they can drill another well in some other place to tap back into the oil bearing formation.

Originally posted by PurpleDog UK

A question I have is How much does BP or any oil company get FINED for releasing oil into the sea ??

Is a fine charged at $x,000's per barrel or by some other measurment ??

according to reuters.com

Under the Clean Water Act, BP and others could be exposed to fines up to $4,300 for every barrel leaked into the gulf, according to legal experts and official documents.

Originally posted by PurpleDog UK
I think the guys who posted the above theory about BP trying to 'lock down' the well and say the rest is NOT our fault are probably correct and if so then BP are even more STUPID and greed focussed that I first thought !!!

BP and these corporations are not more stupid and greed focused than we think. They are more stupid and greed focused than we CAN think.

reply to post by kaleshchand


Cheers kaleshchand

Thankyou for the info - I shall get my calculator out now and just do a little maths....

I agree with your last line and It still makes me wonder, with all that is going on why I still get e-mails talking about BP as a good bet to buy shares in or A N other corp being a good buy because of potential takeover of BP etc etc...

When will we, as a society learn..??? I like the signature to Craisy Daisey which says.....

When all the trees have been cut down,
when all the animals have been hunted,
when all the waters are polluted,
when all the air is unsafe to breathe,
only then will you discover you cannot eat money.

So True....

Regards

PurpleDOG UK