US officials detect seepage near BP oil well
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Oil may still be leaking from BP’s well in the Gulf of Mexico, US officials have warned after detecting seepage on the seabed.
The head of the government response to the spill, Admiral Thad Allen, yesterday wrote to BP demanding the firm provides a plan for reopening the cap if the seep is confirmed.
‘Given the current observations from the test, including the detected seep a distance from the well and undetermined anomalies at the well head, monitoring of the seabed is of paramount importance during the test period,’ he said in the letter to BP’s chief managing director, Bob Dudley.
An anonymous government official told Associated Press that scientists are concerned the seep may be methane, which could mean oil is also leaking.
BP announced on Friday that engineers had successfully capped the well, which has been spilling oil into the ocean since April this year, and intended it to hold until relief wells could be finished and the leak permanently sealed.
Before closing the cap, BP said it would monitor the well to ensure pressure was between 8,000 and 9,000psi. A lower reading could suggest oil was seeping out elsewhere and may cause further damage to the well, making it harder to seal permanently.
A statement from BP today said the pressure was measured at 6,792psi and rising and that it was continuing to monitor the well.
‘Depending upon the results of the test and monitoring activities, these steps may include extending the well integrity test or returning to containment options,’ read the statement.
If BP decides to reopen the cap then it will resume collecting oil through its existing riser systems, which have been capturing more than 20,000 barrels a day. Plans are also in place to increase collection capacity to up to 80,000 barrels a day – enough to contain the spill fully.
The only planned permanent method of sealing the well is by drilling two relief wells, the first of which BP expects to finish within the first half of August.
The firm has spent almost $4bn (£2.6bn) on its response to the spill so far and has agreed to create a $20bn fund to cover claims against the company. To date, almost 116,000 claims have been submitted and more than 67,500 payments have been made, totalling $207m.
