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Allen indicates gulf 'seepage'
NEW ORLEANS, National incident commander Thad Allen, in a letter to a BP official Sunday, referred to seepage detected away from the company's Gulf of Mexico oil well.
Allen, who wasn't specific about the nature of the seepage, also ordered BP Group Chief Managing Director Bob Dudley to keep him in the loop on any developments.
"Given the current observations from the test, including the detected seep a distance from the well and undetermined anomalies at the wellhead, monitoring of the seabed is of paramount importance during the test period," Allen wrote. "When seeps are detected, you are directed to marshal resources, quickly investigate and report findings to the government in no more than 4 hours. I direct you to provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the wellhead be confirmed."
He went on to say that as national incident commander, "I must remain abreast of the status of your source control efforts" and directed BP to provide him with a written update within 24 hours "of your intentions going forward."
"I remain concerned that all potential options to eliminate the discharge of oil be pursued with utmost speed until I can be assured that no additional oil will spill from the Macondo Well," Allen said.
"Specifically, you must provide me your latest containment plan and schedule in the event that the well integrity test is suspended, the status and completion timelines for all containment options currently under development, and details of any other viable source control options including hydraulic control that you are considering."
He said two relief wells being drilled remain the primary strategy for permanently ending the spill "and this effort takes precedence." The relief wells aren't expected to be completed until mid-August.
Officials with the British company were cautious, despite saying the tests of the cap seemed to be going well, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.
"The best way to say it is that there's no evidence that we don't have integrity," BP Vice President Kent Wells said. "The pressure's building as one would expect. All the negative indicators that we're looking for, none of them have indicated we have a lack of integrity."
The announced initial 48 hours of "integrity testing" ended Saturday afternoon.
Allen said in an earlier statement that the well intensity tests could continue with "significant new monitoring and periodic evaluation and approval by our science team."
"Work must continue to better understand the lower than expected pressure readings," he said. "This work centers on two plausible scenarios, depletion of oil from the reservoir and potential leakage caused by damage to the well bore or casing."
Allen said while officials "are pleased that no oil is currently being released into the Gulf of Mexico and want to take all appropriate action to keep it that way, it is important that all decisions are driven by the science. Ultimately, we must ensure no irreversible damage is done which could cause uncontrolled leakage from numerous points on the sea floor."
The Times-Picayune said even the news that no new crude was gushing from the crippled well to join millions of barrels already released into the gulf was met with skepticism.
"I don't think it's going to work," retired oil worker Pete Ronquille of Lafitte, La., said. "I think it's going to blow a leak somewhere else and we're going to have more trouble."
But when the new cap was installed on Deepwater Horizon Thursday it was the first time the oil leak stopped since the rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers, and sank two days later.
NEW ORLEANS, National incident commander Thad Allen, in a letter to a BP official Sunday, referred to seepage detected away from the company's Gulf of Mexico oil well.
Allen, who wasn't specific about the nature of the seepage, also ordered BP Group Chief Managing Director Bob Dudley to keep him in the loop on any developments.
"Given the current observations from the test, including the detected seep a distance from the well and undetermined anomalies at the wellhead, monitoring of the seabed is of paramount importance during the test period," Allen wrote. "When seeps are detected, you are directed to marshal resources, quickly investigate and report findings to the government in no more than 4 hours. I direct you to provide me a written procedure for opening the choke valve as quickly as possible without damaging the well should hydrocarbon seepage near the wellhead be confirmed."
He went on to say that as national incident commander, "I must remain abreast of the status of your source control efforts" and directed BP to provide him with a written update within 24 hours "of your intentions going forward."
"I remain concerned that all potential options to eliminate the discharge of oil be pursued with utmost speed until I can be assured that no additional oil will spill from the Macondo Well," Allen said.
"Specifically, you must provide me your latest containment plan and schedule in the event that the well integrity test is suspended, the status and completion timelines for all containment options currently under development, and details of any other viable source control options including hydraulic control that you are considering."
He said two relief wells being drilled remain the primary strategy for permanently ending the spill "and this effort takes precedence." The relief wells aren't expected to be completed until mid-August.
Officials with the British company were cautious, despite saying the tests of the cap seemed to be going well, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.
"The best way to say it is that there's no evidence that we don't have integrity," BP Vice President Kent Wells said. "The pressure's building as one would expect. All the negative indicators that we're looking for, none of them have indicated we have a lack of integrity."
The announced initial 48 hours of "integrity testing" ended Saturday afternoon.
Allen said in an earlier statement that the well intensity tests could continue with "significant new monitoring and periodic evaluation and approval by our science team."
"Work must continue to better understand the lower than expected pressure readings," he said. "This work centers on two plausible scenarios, depletion of oil from the reservoir and potential leakage caused by damage to the well bore or casing."
Allen said while officials "are pleased that no oil is currently being released into the Gulf of Mexico and want to take all appropriate action to keep it that way, it is important that all decisions are driven by the science. Ultimately, we must ensure no irreversible damage is done which could cause uncontrolled leakage from numerous points on the sea floor."
The Times-Picayune said even the news that no new crude was gushing from the crippled well to join millions of barrels already released into the gulf was met with skepticism.
"I don't think it's going to work," retired oil worker Pete Ronquille of Lafitte, La., said. "I think it's going to blow a leak somewhere else and we're going to have more trouble."
But when the new cap was installed on Deepwater Horizon Thursday it was the first time the oil leak stopped since the rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers, and sank two days later.