Europe: BP restarts Macondo relief well drillingh

Sep 14,2010   BP has resumed drilling a relief well meant to intercept and plug with cement its Macondo well in the US Gulf of Mexico, the company said.


BP and the US government paused the relief well in August because of concerns the operation would build up pressure and damage the original Macondo blowout preventer after another procedure injected mud and cement from the top of the well. The well had been sealed with a capping stack since 15 July, and BP replaced the original blowout preventer on 3 September.


BP restarted relief well operations using the Development Driller 3 rig today around 2:40 p.m. ET, after installing on the well a mechanical device called a lock down sleeve, which secures the well's casing hanger. The well's casing is suspended from the casing hanger.


The rig is drilling toward the Macondo well intercept point, which is around 50 ft below, BP said. Relief well operations will consist of drilling and ranging runs that will guide the rig's drill bit to intercept the well's outer section called the annulus. Following the intercept, BP will pump into the annular space heavy drilling mud and cement.


Once the operation is complete, BP and the US have said they will consider the well permanently killed.