Admiral says 'top kill' has stopped Gulf spill flow
27/05/2010 10:40:32 AM
CTV.ca News Staff
A U.S. Coast Guard admiral says the so-called "top kill" method has stopped the flow of hydrocarbons from an undersea well in the Gulf of Mexico.
In a Thursday radio interview, U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen said early indications are that the heavy mud being pumped into the undersea well appears to be having the desired effect.
"They've been able to stabilize the well-head, they're pumping mud down in it, they've stopped the hydrocarbons from coming up," Allen told WWL First News in New Orleans.
"The goal is to put enough mud down the well bore to the point where there is no pressure exerted back by the hydrocarbons and then allow a cement plug to be put in place."
But Allen said it is too soon to say whether the operation has been a success.
"At this point, they've had some success overnight and they're prepared to put more mud down the well bore if they need to. So, everybody is cautiously optimistic, but there's no reason to declare a victory yet, we need to watch it very, very close."
The top kill method involves pumping heavy mud into the spewing well, so that the flow of oil can be stopped. If successful, cement would then be used to cap the well.
The same technique has been used to stop leaks in above-ground wells. But it has never been tested 1,500 metres underwater -- the same depth where the well is located.
BP officials have put the odds of success at 60 to 70 per cent. But they won't know for sure until the operation has been active for about 24 hours.
There is also a risk that the top kill operation could make the situation worse by causing additional leaks in the undersea well.
Anil Kulkarni, a Penn State mechanical engineering professor, said that if the leak "ruptures all over, then it would be even more difficult to close it."
Meanwhile, U.S. Geological Survey Director Dr. Marcia McNutt said Thursday that the undersea well may be leaking between twice and five times as much oil than was originally estimated.
Explosion led to oil leak
The well in question began leaking oil after an explosion occurred on the BP-operated Deepwater Horizon oil rig on April 20, killing 11 workers.
After the explosion, oil began spewing out of the undersea gusher, located only 80 kilometres from the Louisiana coast. To date, at least seven million gallons have flowed out of the well, endangering the local environment and economy.
CTV's Washington Bureau Chief Paul Workman said the disaster has affected about 160 kilometres of beaches, wetlands and coastline in Louisiana.
"It is seeping in gradually and there is a massive cleanup effort underway," Workman told CTV's Canada AM from Grand Isle, La., on Thursday morning.
CNN correspondent Sandra Endo said the fallout from the oil disaster has ravaged the local tourism industry.
"It's pretty desolate here. A lot of the businesses -- hotels, restaurants, the fishing industry here – have really come to a standstill," Endo told CTV's Canada AM from Grand Isle.
"They were relying on these warmer summer months to really rake in the profits, but they are not seeing any of that happen."
Response puts White House under scrutiny
U.S. President Barack Obama is due to tour the area Friday, a visit that will give him the chance to see the damage that has been done.
Endo said the White House has come under fire for the way it has handled the disaster and its aftermath.
"A lot of criticism saying (that) if this top kill process doesn't work then the White House should take over, the military should take over," Endo said.
"People are just fed up that it's been over a month and this oil well is still spewing out thousands of barrels of crude oil."
Well-known Democratic strategist James Carville said he hoped the sight of the damage to the Louisiana coastline would spur the president to do more.
"I think you're going to see some real action," said the Louisiana-raised Carville.
On Thursday, Obama is due to announce that a moratorium on undersea drilling will continue for six more months, while a presidential commission investigates the Gulf disaster.
With files from The Associated Press |
