For the first time since April, no oil was flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. Reports coming in from BP indicate the custom-made sealing cap is holding for now, although the integrity test could end after six hours if it didn’t work. The test began at 2:00pm EST and could go on for 48 hours if the pressure readings hold.
No Oil Flowing Into the Gulf
According to CNN.com, “A highly anticipated test designed to measure pressure within BP’s ruptured Gulf of Mexico oil well began Thursday after a delay caused by leaking equipment. A short time later, BP Senior Vice President Kent Wells announced that for the first time in months, no oil was flowing into the Gulf. The data is being particularly closely scrutinized at six-hour intervals, so a key time will occur later Thursday night, after the first six hours.”
No Guarantees If Cap Could Contain Oil
“The cap, lowered in place earlier this week, has never been deployed at such depths or under such conditions and therefore, there were no guarantees on how well it would contain the oil, BP said,” CNN continued.
If the pressure readings drop, that means there’s a problem somewhere. There are two potentially good options, that either the cap works by itself, or that there is enough flow, and they have enough ways to capturing all of it.
Adm. Thad W. Allen Optimistic
The Washington Post reported earlier that, “Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad W. Allen, the national incident commander, said Wednesday that, notwithstanding the concerns of scientists, he is “gung ho” about the test. “It will be terrific news if we can shut in the well,” Allen said, adding, however, “I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”
Rhode Islander’s View on the Gulf Oil Spill
Living so close to the water, Rhode Islanders have very strong feelings about the environment. Just two days ago, the Providence Journal reported that Christopher Reddy, a former Rhode Islander and an oil spill expert at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, testified Tuesday before a presidential panel reviewing the BP oil spill that he has confidence in the decisions being made on the cleanup, but he’s growing increasingly frustrated by fellow scientists making alarming and unsupported predictions.
