Breaking Times-Picayune: BP Says One of Three Gulf of Mexico Oil Leaks Capped, But Flow Undiminished

[flpoljunkie]

BP tells station that one of three Gulf of Mexico oil leaks capped but flow undiminished

By The Times-Picayune
May 05, 2010, 7:45AM

AP Photo

Oil blobs and oil sheen are seen in the waters of Chandeleur Sound, La., Tuesday, May 4, 2010.

BP spokesman Curtis Thomas told a WWL-TV crew this morning that their efforts to cap one of three leaks spilling oil into the Gulf of Mexico were successful.

The flow of oil into gulf waters, however, was apparently not diminished. The same amount of oil is now spewing into the gulf from two leaks instead of three.

Engineers attached a shutoff valve to that leak Tuesday, as reported in today's Times-Picayune. The boxes being prepared will be used on the two remaining leaks.

http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/05/oil-thomas.html

[HughMoran]

1. Strange news

Let me know when 'success' means 'no more oil' :eyes:

[high density]

6. Success means there's only two more holes to cap instead of three NM

[HughMoran]

7. I'll believe it when I see it

Never mind - let's just wait and see - the likelyhood of success is relatively low, but I'm hoping for the best.

[Botany]

2. This makes sense

if you have 3 holes spewing oil under pressure and you plug one then the
pressure might increase in the other 2 holes and you get increased flow
of oil.

one is capped and that is good news

[DCBob]

3. Except that the higher pressure now on the other two ruptures could rupture them even more...

or create another rupture somewhere else. The only "good news" I see is that now they may only need 2 domes instead of 3.

[AlinPA]

5. There is a kink below the three holes that they are obviously concerned about.

[AlinPA]

4. Thank you for your post. Also after they cap the next hole there will still be flow;

from what I understand, the caps contain oil that could be pumped off into a ship above. So without the pumping, after the caps fill, the oil will still come out the remaining hole(s).

[ljm2002]

8. I never understood why they have to cap all three holes...

...since the first one, near the shut-off that malfunctioned, is the source. The other 2 holes are holes in the pipe that brought the oil up to the rig. Seems to me if you cap the primary hole, the oil will quit flowing into the other 2 holes.

Oh well, what do I know. It just seems odd.

[Kdillard]

9. I will feel better when they can say all the oil flow has stopped.

[Old Troop]

10. Well, wouldn't it just increase the flow from the other leaks?