Critical pressure rise still a worry at BP Gulf oil spill

A critical pressure rise is still a very big worry for oil company BP at the Gulf oil spill site, however they want to keep the oil well closed for now, is this a big gamble?

BP wants the new oil cap to stay in place until relief wells stop the leak for good until it fears the well is at risk from a potential pressure build up, Operations Chief Doug Suttles said in a conference call this morning.

This contradicts orders from Admiral Allen to open the well and begin siphoning oil, to avoid a possible pressure build up that could have potential for diasterous side effects.

BP has confirmed the oil well’s 45 ton blowout preventer is tilting sideways up to 15 degrees. Scientists (the ones not working for BP or the government) point to tilting as evidence of a severely weakened well, and warn it could fall and crash the entire rig through the ocean floor.

A massive sinkhole could either shut down the leak or make the disaster much worse. BNET summarized theories on The Oil Drum from optimistic to apocalyptic:

1. Benign rockslides at nearby canyon walls, coupled with “natural bridge” formation, plug the oil leak.

2. An exposed reservoir opening bleeds 150,000 barrels of oil a day daily until natural hydrostatic pressures from above and below the surface equalize — think two opposing teams in a tug-of-war running out of energy and calling the game a draw — turning off the leak.

3. Weakened sand and salt layers above the reservoir simply collapse, turning a wide area of the outer continental shelf sea floor into an underwater sinkhole that could bleed 2 billion to 3 billion barrels of oil into Gulf waters. In addition, seismic-shock tremors roll in all directions for miles, with an unknown effect on other nearby fields, especially BP’s Thunder Horse field and Shell and BP’s Na Kika complex, located in Mississippi Canyon Block 474 which is approximately 15 miles south to southeast of the blowout.

Meanwhile, the BP oil well is still fully sealed and pressure testing on the new oil cap is being extended by another 24 hours.

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Critical pressure rise still a worry at BP Gulf oil spill