Hurricane season comes meaning static kill could be the only thing to stop the BP oil leak

The long-awaited “static kill” was scheduled to start on BP’s blown out Macondo well Monday. Bonnie postponed the static kill from happening about one week until static kill was done on day 100 of the Gulf of Mexico 2010 oil spill. The “bottom kill” is scheduled to happen after the static kill puts mud into the well to stop it. BP and government officials are confident that one or both kills could be the beginning of the end of the worst oil spill in U.S. history before peak hurricane season.

Static kill does better with cap

The BP oil spill was designed to stop for a while when an oil spill cap was placed on the well for a temporary amount of time. On Memorial Day Weekend, reports the New York Times, an attempt close to the static kill happened but failed. The “top kill” didn’t work as the mud was not as strong as the oil pressure being released from the well. BP says the static kill will work much better because of the oil spill cap stopping the flow.

Bottom kill will happen after Static kill

The original preventer that was supposed to stop the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from happening could have mud pumped into it. 12,000 barrels of mud are on standby to go to the well, reports the Times Picayune in New Orleans. About 37,000 barrels of a heavier mud compound intended for the “bottom kill” is also on site. BP crews are assigned to view how much pressure is in the well during the process. The pressure within the well needs to get to a “static condition”. After the static kill is complete, crews will drill the final 100 feet of the relief well to intercept the Macondo well.

Hurricanes make process hurried

The static kill and also the bottom kill are set to be complete by late August. BP plans on doing both the kills, reports the Associated Times, despite the fact that a relief well is almost finished. The static kill should make it easier to finish the relief well. BP wants this finished and the relief well might not work as planned. Perhaps the most significant reason is that each day the water temperature within the Gulf increases, so does the threat of another violent storm disrupting the cleanup process. Federal officials are hoping to end the BP oil leak once and for all before peak hurricane season, which typically lasts from mid-August to late October.

Find more information on this subject

New York Times

nytimes.com/2010/08/03/us/03spill.html?src=mv

Times Picayune

nola.com/news/gulf-oil-spill/index.ssf/2010/07/static_kill_of_macondo_well_in.html

Associated Press

google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gIXWYBTpLtSayJtg41LKXpxSxVPAD9HBEA1O0