Oil and gas expert Bob Cavnar helps us better understand the current state of the ‘static kill’ and the ongoing pressure testing.
On August 12, Cavnar wrote:
[National Incident Commander Thad] Allen announced they were going to start a “pressure test”… raising the ominous spectre that they are still actually communicated to the reservoir.
[BP's Senior Vice President Kent] Wells confirmed that fear in the afternoon, admitting that they indeed had 4,200 psi on the well when it’s supposed to be dead. At the seafloor, the well should have no more than 2,200 psi on it… Wells said that it wouldn’t hold 4,200 psi because of “bubbles” leaking out of the wellhead, implying that they are pumping on it to keep it there…
In actuality, this “static kill” did nothing that BP and Allen said it would do. Certainly the well is not dead or “static”… The fact that they’re getting pressure now tells me that they are indeed communicated to the reservoir below…
If they are indeed communicated, pressure will build on the wellhead, which is exactly what’s happening. Adm. Allen pledged to get BP to release the pressure data 3 days ago. The next day, when asked about it, he said it was released, but “nobody can find it.”
Please read Mr. Cavnar’s full report here.
