'Static kill' idea mooted to stop the leak

Scientists have established that the seepage near the Gulf of Mexico well is unrelated to the massive oil spill and that the seep was "naturally occurring."

Integrity test to continue
The apprehensions that were raised after engineers had found seepage and other anomalies near the well head were put to rest after U.S. disaster response commander, Admiral Thad Allen, clarified that the seepage was inconsequential and that the well integrity test, now in its fifth day, would continue.

The plan to implement the "static kill" is still in its infancy. However, if the officials decide to go ahead with the procedure, it would be employed as early as next week.

Allen confirmed that the seepage on the seafloor "probably has nothing to do with the well (as) oil and gas are known to ooze naturally from fissures in the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico."

"At this point there is not any reason to believe that we have anything that's a major issue in relation to the well's integrity from the seepages we've located. We have agreed that we will go forward with another 24-hour period from today to tomorrow," said Allen.

Engineers would continue to monitor “pressure and seismic readings to see whether the well would hold or spring a new leak, perhaps one that could rupture the seafloor and make the disaster even worse.”

'Static kill' may be employed
Meanwhile, BP has mooted the idea of a new operation called the "static kill" to plug the well.

The process of "static kill" entails pumping heavy mud into the recently capped well which will force the oil and gas back down into the reservoir.

The idea of the "static kill" has cropped up after the well integrity tests show that the well has not been damaged.

The "top kill" that was carried out in May but in vain, involves heavy mud being "pumped into the flowing well, but engineers could not pump it fast enough or long enough to counter the flow of the oil."

"We're still very much in the design and planning phase. We've got some real experienced teams working on this over the next couple of days," said senior BP vice president, Kent Wells.

Experts opine that the "static kill" has a superior chance of success given that the valves are closed now.

The plan to implement the "static kill" is still in its infancy. However, if the officials decide to go ahead with the procedure, it would be employed as early as next week.

While attempts to stem the rot continue unabated, oil has made a landfall in all the five Gulf States namely Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

Oil had started spewing into the Gulf of Mexico after a blast in the Deepwater Horizon rig left the BP owned well ruptured.