Thursday, June 24, 2010

BP reattaches dislodged containment cap

A temporary setback causes more leakage

BP’s effort to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico suffered another setback yesterday when a discharge of liquid and gases forced the company to remove the containment cap that for three weeks had been able to capture much of the oil gushing from its damaged well.

Admiral Thad W. Allen of the Coast Guard, at a briefing in Washington, said a remote-controlled submersible operating a mile beneath the surface had most likely bumped a vent and compromised the system. Live video from the sea floor showed oil and gas coursing from the well unrestricted.

By evening, the cap appeared to be back on, nestled in place on the eighth try after about 90 minutes of effort. Live video showed remote-controlled submersibles frequently moving hoses out of the way so that the cap could be lowered over the spewing oil.

 Read more  http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2010/06/24/bp_reattaches_dislodged_containment_cap/

Courtesy of The Boston Globe by Liz Robbins New York Times