|Video Courtesy of NTDTV |
BP provided an update on the progress of its latest strategy to contain the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico on Monday. The lower marine riser package (LMRP) containment cap was installed on June 3 and has been able to collect some oil and gas released from the well.On Monday, BP provided statistics on the amount of oil and gas collected from the LMRP containment cap. From June 3 to June 5, 16,600 barrels of oil was collected and 32.7 million standard cubic feet of natural gas was burned. The oil and gas is collected at the LMRP cap and then transported via a riser pipe to a drillship at the surface of the water, the Discoverer Enterprise.
BP also said that it plans to improve its containment efforts by using the hoses and pipes originally deployed for the “top kill” operation to collect the oil and gas in the Deepwater Horizon blowout preventer (BOP), which failed to prevent the oil from gushing out of the well when the riser was damaged. BP hopes that this operation, in which the oil and gas can be drawn through a different riser to a vessel on the surface, can be implemented in mid-June.
BP will also attempt to “provide a more permanent LMRP containment cap system by directing the oil and gas to a new free-floating riser ending approximately 300 feet below sea level,” said BP in a press release. The new riser will make operations easier during hurricanes and will be implemented in early July.
Meanwhile, the drilling of two relief wells, one of the ultimate solutions to the Gulf oil spill, continues. The first began on May 2 and has reached a depth of 12,956 feet. The second started on May 16 and is at 8,576 feet.
The federal government has also deployed many of its resources to help in the oil spill crisis. The National Guard is at the Gulf, as well as 2,700 vessels that are assisting in cleanup and containment, according to updates by the US government. So far, approximately 15.5 million gallons of oily liquid has been captured as a result of the efforts.
Over 20,000 personnel are involved with protecting shorelines and wildlife affected by the spill. “Staging areas” have also been located along vulnerable shorelines in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
BP estimates that the cost of the response to the oil spill has reached $1.25 billion, including $48 million in payments for claims from people affected by the spill.
The federal government has also deployed many of its resources to help in the oil spill crisis. The National Guard is at the Gulf, as well as 2,700 vessels that are assisting in cleanup and containment, according to updates by the US government. So far, approximately 15.5 million gallons of oily liquid has been captured as a result of the efforts.
Over 20,000 personnel are involved with protecting shorelines and wildlife affected by the spill. “Staging areas” have also been located along vulnerable shorelines in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana.
BP estimates that the cost of the response to the oil spill has reached $1.25 billion, including $48 million in payments for claims from people affected by the spill.
