BP Says Leak in Pipe is Fixed, Testing To Begin

Posted in Alabama Maritime News,BP British Petroleum,Environment,Gulf Coast,Louisiana Maritime News,Mississippi Maritime News,Texas Maritime News on July 15, 2010

NEW ORLEANS, La. – BP said Thursday they hope to restart the testing process on the cap it’s put on top of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill now that a leak in the machinery has been fixed.

BP expects to keep the oil trapped in the cap for 48 hours before it decides if it is working.

Kent Wells, a BP PLC vice president, said at a news briefing in Houston that the leak, which was discovered late Wednesday, was fixed by replacing the pipe called a “choke line” on the side of capping device. The work set back the testing process on the cap’s capabilities.

The following live video stream of the Gulf oil leak is provided by BP and could be interrupted at anytime.

The test will involve closing off all three openings in the cap to the Gulf, in theory stopping the oil leaking into the Gulf. BP will be monitoring pressure under the cap. High pressure is good, because it shows there’s only a single leak. Low pressure, below 6,000 pounds per square inch or so, could mean more leaks farther down in the well.

Source: (AP) Yahoo