BP: Yet To Start Testing Integrity Of Sealing Cap

13th Jul 2010 21:44

By Cassandra Sweet and Susan Daker Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES BP PLC (BP, BP.LN) said Tuesday it is on track to start tests later in the day to determine whether a recently placed sealing cap is working to plug the well that is gushing oil into the Gulf of Mexico. The U.K. oil major placed the new device atop the well Monday night, raising hopes the runaway well, which has caused a nearly three-month environmental and economic crisis in at least four coastal states, could be contained. The company has successfully completed seismic testing, although the results were not yet complete, BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells told reporters by telephone. BP was preparing to begin testing the integrity of the well later in the day, Wells said. The tests could show that the cap could completely contain all the oil or that the well cannot be shut down, he said. During the testing the company will be monitoring the pressure in the casing to determine whether it is at high enough levels to ensure that the oil is being kept beneath the cap, Wells said. If the pressure is too low it would indicate that oil is leaking out and the company could decide to stop closing in the well, he said. "If pressure is not building that would raise questions and we could choose to open (the well) up," Wells said. BP will be looking for pressure on the order of 8,000 to 9,000 pounds, Wells said. If the pressure doesn't build to more than 6,000 pounds "it would indicate [oil] is being released somewhere," he said. If the pressure builds to between 6,000 and 8,000 pounds, determining the integrity of the casing might be more difficult and take a bit more time, he said. While the company tests the well, it will continue collection efforts. As of Tuesday morning, a vessel called the Q4000 collected 7,291 barrels of oil a day, while the Helix Producer ship collected 1,011 barrels a day, a BP spokeswoman said. The Helix Producer ship has the ability to collect up to 25,000 barrels of oil a day. In the event the well needs to be reopened, the Q4000 and Helix Producer will be used to collect the oil, Wells said. The ship will be shut down when and if the company shuts in the well, Wells said. If the cap can completely shut in the well, the company will no longer need to continue collection operations, he said. Wells also said BP is making progress on the first of two relief wells it is drilling, which the company and the U.S. government see as the best solution to plugging the oil leak. The first well is still on track to be finished by the end of July, Wells said. -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 13, 2010 16:44 ET (20:44 GMT)