BP: To Repair Pipeline Leak Before Testing Starts

15th Jul 2010 01:24

DOW JONES NEWSWIRES BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) said late Wednesday that it was fixing a leak in a pipeline connected to a new cap that the company placed over a leaking oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. BP detected the leak in a "choke line" connected to the cap as part of procedures it was undertaking prior to testing the integrity of the capped well. BP hopes the new system will either completely shut in the oil currently gushing out of the well, or boost the company's efforts to collect the oil. In a statement on BP's website, the company said it has isolated the leak and will repair it prior to starting the well integrity test. BP also said that between midnight and noon on Wednesday the company collected about 5,635 barrels of oil and flared, or burned, another 3,930 barrels of oil and 23.2 million cubic feet of natural gas. The company halted collection operations from the Helix Producer and Q4000 vessels in advance of pre-testing procedures and the well integrity test. -By Cassandra Sweet, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6468; [email protected] Order free Annual Report for BP plc Visit http://djnewswires.ar.wilink.com/?link=BP or call 1-888-301-0513 (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 14, 2010 20:24 ET (00:24 GMT)