Oil flowing freely after accident forces cap removal
23.06.10
Sea-coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen, leader of the Federal response to the BP oil disaster, announced this morning that an fortuity involving a robotic submarine at the site of the leaking well has dislodged the containment cap which had been capturing a eloquent portion of oil gushing from the well. As a result, Allen said, the oil is now flowing freely into the Gulf.
Allen said that a remotely operated vehicle had bumped into one of the cap's vents, closing it. Because excessive oil and gas could not escape from the vent, gas began to rise through a pipe carrying warm water to the cap, forcing technicians to liquidate the cap.
The purpose of the pipe carrying warm water is to block the formation of slush-like hydrates in the containment cap. Hydrates are debatable because they block the flow of oil through the pipe connected to the containment cap, making it impossible to capture oil.
If no hydrates formed when the impassioned water flow was cut off and the cap was removed, then the cap can be put back in place later today, otherwise Allen said it will take "significantly longer." He didn't quantify "significantly."
Source: Daily Kos (blog)