Is experimental well cap making disaster worse?

[marmar]

Is experimental well cap making disaster worse?
By COLLEEN LONG and MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press Writers – 11 mins ago


NEW ORLEANS – Scientists huddled Tuesday to analyze data from the ocean floor as they weigh whether a leaking well cap is a sign BP's broken oil well is buckling.

Oil and gas started seeping into the Gulf of Mexico again Sunday night, but this time more slowly, and scientists aren't sure whether the leaks mean the cap that stopped the flow last week is making things worse.

The government's point man on the disaster, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, will decide again later Tuesday whether to continue the test of the experimental cap — meaning the oil would stay blocked in.

He said Monday the amount of oil leaking was so far inconsequential. But ever since the flow of oil was closed off Thursday, engineers have been glued to underwater cameras and pressure and seismic readings, trying to determine whether the cap is displacing pressure and causing leaks underground, which could make the sea bed unstable and cause the well to collapse.

"As a condition of moving forward with the well-integrity test, BP has to report to us any anomalies and act on those within four hours," Allen said Monday. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100720/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill

[slackmaster]

1. Yes, less oil and gas spewing into the Gulf is clearly worse

They should just go ahead and knock the caps off all the thousands of other capped wells.

[Oregone]

2. Is the experimental health insurance reform making the health disaster worse?

Ill wait to see the dead fish in the water before forming a complete opinion

[madokie]

3. I don't understand why they don't go ahead and plug it

now that they've gotten a handle on the gushing of the oil. Connect the pipe for the plugging mud and pump away and fill that baby up and seal it off.

[MineralMan]

4. The relief wells will do the job better, and with less risk.

If they fail, then what you suggest will be the next step.

[Raschel]

5. Weren't they only supposed to have this cap on for a couple of days?

At least that's what I thought I read somewhere. I thought they were supposed to be just checking pressure with this cap. If it's "seeping" and leaking shouldn't that be an indication that the cap should be removed?