Deepwater Oil Spill - steady progress

For the first 12 hours on July 1 (midnight to noon), approximately 7,400 barrels of oil were collected and approximately 4,085 barrels of oil and 28.5 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

On June 30, total oil recovered was approx. 23,080 barrels:
• approx. 14,875 barrels of oil were collected,
• approx. 8,200 barrels of oil were flared,
• and approx. 53.2 million cubic feet of natural gas were flared.

According to the now-civilian Admiral the relief well is at around 17,000 ft, and is now ranging with the instrument package sent down the bit region by wireline within the BP. (Apparently 16,770 ft on 28th, and 20 ft away from it, with 3 ranging runs made). Now they will drill and range without pulling the drill string. (The instrument is less sensitive inside the DP and so they could not do this until they got closer.) They are turning to drill down parallel to the well, which they will do for about 700 ft, before turning slightly to bring the two wells to 5 ft apart at the point where they run the final casing. At this point they will still have 200 ft to go to intersect the WW, which they will do, I am projecting with the mud motor. Before that they will make 8 – 12 ranging runs (at half-a-day each) as they go further down toward the end of the last liner on the WW. The next briefing will discuss the kill in more detail.

As for changing the cap, at the time that the flange and old segment of the riser is removed BP are planning on straightening out the fixture so that it can more easily carry the heavier weight of the new cap. That cap won’t be placed until they have the production through the kill line in place and optimized. So the plan is to get the new connection in place in the next week, and then to replace the cap in the ten days after that.

Not that much new, it is now a waiting game as the drill moves down. I have, however, also just found the White House Oil Spill blog.