Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Gold/Mining/Energy : KOB.TO - East Lost Hills & GSJB joint venture -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RSkarsten who wrote (1451)	2/9/1999 11:14:00 PM
From: Salt'n'Peppa	Respond to of 15703

Here's the latest from our friend, Bob Christie: Efforts to plug Lost Hills well may be near end Filed: February 9, 1999 By BOB CHRISTIE Californian staff writer e-mail: bchristie@bakersfield.com It began 11 weeks ago with a low rumble, then a roar and a flash of flame. And despite the best efforts of well control experts, a blown-out natural gas well near Lost Hills continued to flow Tuesday night. By this morning, however, crews may know if they have succeeded in their latest effort to stop the flow of water and gas from the well. On Monday and Tuesday, crews from Halliburton Co. and Boots & Coots International Well Control tried to "kill" the well using a method known as a mechanical plug. The technique involves pumping metal balls and chunks of rubber into the drilling pipe that remains stuck in the well bore. Roustabouts have used tools to cut the drill pipe deep underground, and the idea is for the balls to be forced into the well bore, where they will be stuck as the escaping gas and water pushes them toward the surface. Enough material stuck in the well bore will stop the flow from the well. The procedure was attempted Monday, and briefly stopped the flow However, the success was short-lived, and the well began flowing again after a short time. On Tuesday afternoon, the effort began again, but it will take at least 10 hours before crews know if they have succeeded, sources said. The wildcat exploratory well, operated by a consortium of Canadian and U.S. oil companies, burned fiercely for more than two weeks after it blew out on Nov. 23. Experts initially estimated the flow of natural gas to be at least 40 million cubic feet per day, and possibly much more. After flowing pure gas and condensate for more than two weeks, the well also began producing water, and eventually so much water was coming from the deep well that the gas fire extinguished itself. Crews from Boots & Coots, a world-renowned well control company, installed a new well head and a diverter assembly, and a water/gas/oil separator system was installed. Recent estimates of production levels are about 17 million cubic feet of gas per day, which is all being burned off in a flare. If workers are successful in finally killing the well, a relief well, now passing 13,000 feet, will become a development well for the newly discovered field. If not, the relief well is planned to keep drilling to intersect the blown well's bore near its total depth of 17,640 feet, where it will be used to kill the well.