Well integrity tests put off

Narayan Lakshman

Washington: Additional analysis of the procedure to test the wells was necessary before the actual well integrity testing begins, said Admiral Thad Allen, National Incident Commander in charge of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill response .

The testing of the well's integrity, an essential step following the installation of the “capping stack” by BP on Monday was postponed until Wednesday night, and will continue into Thursday, said Admiral Allen, instead of beginning on July 13 as initially planned.

BP said that during that period it would “continue to ramp up containment operations on the Helix Producer as well as continue to optimise the Q4000 operations,” the two skimming and flaring vessels deployed in the Gulf by the oil major.

However the company cautioned that success was not guaranteed in this latest capping operation given that “the sealing cap system, the Q4000 system, the flexible riser system, and the planned additional containment systems never before have been deployed at these depths or under these conditions, and their efficiency and ability to contain or flare the oil and gas cannot be assured.”

Meanwhile operations aimed at “permanent” containment continued with regard to the first relief well; however operations on the second relief well have been temporarily suspended at 15,963 feet to ensure that there is no interference with the first relief well.

BP noted that “The relief wells remain the sole means to permanently seal and isolate the well.”

In parallel the administration announced that President Barack Obama on Tuesday “sent a fourth bill for $99.7 million to BP and other responsible parties for response and recovery operations relating to the spill.”