Aug 30, 2010

BP To Remove Damaged BOP From Gulf Oil Spill Well

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (May 4, 2010) Recreationa...Image via WikipediaBP is scheduled to remove the damaged blowout preventer from the well that leaked more than 4.7 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico during the course of a four-month long oil spill disaster that began on April 20, 2010, with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The BOP will be used as evidence in the United States Attorney General’s Office criminal investigation against BP.

According to Gulf Oil Spill Incident Commander Thad Allen, The Department of Justice is overseeing the removal of the old blowout preventer, which failed to stop the oil well from gushing out of control.

“Keeping the blowout preventer intact is important because it's considered an essential piece of evidence in determining what caused the blast aboard the Deepwater Horizon on April 20. After the explosion, 206 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico until the temporary cap stopped the flow. A new blowout preventer will be placed atop the well once the one that failed is raised. After that, the goal is to drill the final 50 feet of a relief well beginning Sept. 7, Allen said. From there, it will take about four days for drilling crews to reach their target,”according to Fox.

Once the new BOP is installed on the BP Macondo oil well, the relief well should complete the final sealing of the oil well before the end of September.


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