For the past several days, everyone has been speculating on what would be done with the unfinished relief wells and new but ever so slightly oozing sealing cap and 3 ram stack assembly, should the relatively calm Gulf coast weather turn on them. Today’s the one week anniversary of the BP oil well successfully being turned off.
Previously no decision had been made, with hints that the well might have to be opened up again, if they had to abandon the Macondo Canyon 252 site because of a hurricane or tropical cyclone.
Per Admiral Thad Allen’s latest press briefing this afternoon, ongoing, they are planning to leave the broken BP oil well capped if they have to evacuate the area because of an oncoming weather system.
http://twitter.com/BP_America/…
The relief well that is farther along, and only about 4 feet horizontally from intersecting the old Deepwater Horizon wellbore, with just a bit of casing to put in at the very end for the last 100 feet they still have to drill, has received a temporary plug, called a “storm packer ” which they stuff down it 300 feet below the sea floor.
Picture of the storm packer plug here: http://www.theoildrum.com/node…
Tropical Depression #3, not looking real organized yet.
Here’s the storm that will be named “Bonnie” if it gets organized. Right now, Bonnie is still Tropical Depression #3 with a “high” aka 50% or greater, probability of going to cyclone status within 48 hours, and a projected storm track to head possibly for the Louisiana Delta. T.D. #3 is over land right now, which is keeping it milder. http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_a…
Here’s a live, updating, easy to load satellite link to watch “Bonnie to Be” which is currently the leading edges on the very right hand side of this image, Thurs, July 22, at 1:35 pm PDT. ( pic was taken 2:45 pm local )
http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/goes/e…
Here’s that NOAA cafeteria page of every possible weather graphic you’d ever want to see for New Orleans/Baton Rouge, loads more slowly http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lix/?n…