BP prepares a third attempt to pressure test leaking oil well

BP prepares for a third attempt to pressure test the leaking Gulf oil well after being delayed by US government safety concerns and was put on hold again as BP crews detected a leak in the choke line.

BP said it hoped to begin a key test today to study the condition of a ruptured oil wellhead.

“I’m expecting that we’ll start up here later this morning, sometime today,” said BP senior vice president Kent Wells. “Obviously, we’re looking to start this process as soon as we can.”

The integrity test, which involves taking multiple pressure readings from the well, is intended to determine whether there is any damage to the wellbore, which stretches 2.5 miles below the seabed.

The process will be done gradually in 6 hour intervals because a massive pressure shift could send oil shooting up through a new leak on the sea floor, further aggravating the worst oil spill in US history.

“We can certainly consider shutting in the well, that is a possibility and we would like to do that.” said retired Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen.

It will be terrific news if we can shut in the well but I don’t think we can say that,” Allen, said yesterday. “I don’t want to get anybody’s hopes up that we can shut this well in until we get the empirical readings we need.”

BP’s new cap for the leaking oil well is not intended to shut off all the oil flow until a relief well intercepts and kills the leak for good.

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BP prepares a third attempt to pressure test leaking oil well