Leak Forces New Delay To BP Oil Cap Test

15th Jul 2010 11:33

NEW ORLEANS (AFP)--Oil giant BP PLC (BP) detected a leak Thursday in equipment to seal the catastrophic Gulf of Mexico gusher, forcing another delay to the start of crucial tests on a new tighter-fitting cap. After finally getting the green light to begin pressure tests, BP said it would have to postpone the procedure for a second time to repair a leak in a so-called choke line, which leads off from a system of blowout preventers being used in the operation. "In preparation for commencement of the well integrity test, the middle ram has been closed and a leak has been detected in the choke line of the three-ram stack," BP said in a statement on its website. "It has been isolated and will be repaired prior to starting the test." A blowout preventer is a large device with a series of valves, also referred to as rams, which are placed at the top of a well that can be closed for safety reasons during drilling. The blowout preventer used in the damaged BP well contains elements of three types of valve, two of which are capable of sealing pipes of various diameter while a third seals the wellbore itself. It was not immediately clear for how long the leak would delay the tests but it represents another blow to the marathon efforts to put an end to what is already the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. On Wednesday, the former U.S. Coast Guard chief leading the government's response to the 85-day disaster gave the British oil giant approval to begin the tests after overcoming fears they could lead to "irreversible leakage" below the seabed. "At this time we will be releasing an order to BP to proceed with the well integrity test," said Adm. Thad Allen. "This test will run for a maximum of 48 hours at which time we will stand down, assess where we're at, and assess the next steps." (END) Dow Jones Newswires July 15, 2010 06:33 ET (10:33 GMT)