Hopes High for Containment Cap

Jane Van Ryan
Posted June 3, 2010

Observers from all over the Gulf Coast and the nation tonight are watching closely as BP and a team of engineers attempt to lower a containment cap on the Macondo well riser.

If the cap can be attached successfully, most of the oil and gas leaking from the damaged well will be channeled safely to a drillship, keeping it from spilling into the Gulf.

Earlier today Adm. Thad Allen told reporters that dispersant would be applied underwater on the oil and gas that are not contained by the cap, adding that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found no impact on wildlife from the dispersant to date. Nearly one million gallons of the chemicals have been used so far to break down the oil and help it degrade more rapidly.

Allen also reported that BP will be expected to pay for the construction of five additional sand berms to protect Louisiana marshlands from the oil spill. This raises the number of berms to six, which is below the 24 requested by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Efforts to deploy the lower marine riser package (LMRP) stalled yesterday when a diamond-edged cutter got stuck as it attempted to saw through the drill pipe inside the riser. Earlier today the riser was severed with huge shears above the blowout preventer (BOP) in preparation for the application of the containment cap.

Tomorrow, President Obama is expected to travel to the Gulf. It will be his third trip to see the response effort first-hand.

Several live video feeds are available from the ROVs working on the Macondo well. They are available here.

Image Source: Deepwater Horizon Response